AN ORCHESTRA OF STUDENTS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19141, 26 October 1927, Page 12

AN ORCHESTRA OF STUDENTS.

MISS IRENE MORRIS AND MR HAROLD BECK. Not so very long ago a man had to be bra- i to risk the adventure of a stringstudents' concert. Often it proved nothing short of torture. Ghosts still arise of painful hours spent when of countless notes perhaps a fow came true b; luck rather than design. In scope, proficiency, and musical achievement the students' concert of Mr Harold Beck and Miss Irene Morris, given last night, bears no resemblance to the conventional type, claiming, indeed, a vastly different status. Not only are the students in numbers a formidable body, but a body quite competent for the exacting task se* for our enjoyment. All that was done showed good training and good taste in directing. Great names in plenty appeared on the programme, Purcell leading with incidental music to "The Gordian Knot Untied," for which, and later on for Beethoven's "Overture to Prometheus," the string orchestra was supplemented by double basses Avood-wind, horns, and harp, res'iltir 0 in praiseworthy performances. Miss Nellie Ellwood, well supported on the harp by Mr H. Glaysher, played Granville Bantock's quaint, but impressivo, "Hamabdil," in well-finished style, To the "Presto" of Beethoven's C Minor Trio, Miss Thelma Cusack, Miss Marjorie Smith, and Mr Finlay Eobb gave a very good interpretation. For breadth and beauty of tone was distinguished Miss Valmai Livingstone's playing of the "Grave," from Handel's Concert in G Minor, and the right spirit was infused into the Allegro, The string orchestra made us acquainted with Hoist's clever "St. Paul's Suite," very charming in the "Intermezzo.'.' As quite a sensational event may be described the production of Wagner's < ' Star of Eve "by no fewer than twenty 'cellos. Surely the evening star has never been honoured by such fullthroated adoration. Nevertheless, it sounded, in a neat arrangement by Mr Harold Beck, by no means exaggerated, if reminding one of Berlioz's twenty grand pianos, though rich in colouring, and Mr Glaysher seconded it admirably or the harp. A beautiful work is Elgar's "Serenade for Strings," which was executed with fine expression, second to none. Foulds's "Keltic Lament" introduced favourably Miss Ph-'lUs Porter as soloist, and the first movement of Bach's "Double Concerto for Two Violins" brought to the front with laudable success Miss Thelma Cusack and Miss May Draper. But as to Bach's "dislike of purely emotional music," as stated in the annotation, there may be two opinions. Popper's "Kequiem for Three 'Cellos," was very tastefully 1 performed by the Misses Pearl Stringer, Marjorie Chapman, and Russell Bond. Mr Robb accompanied well. The whole concert stood highly to the credit of Mr Harold Beck, who conducted, and Miss Irene Morris, who acted as leader, but. the Choral Hall might have been better filled for so tempting a musical attraction,