THE CHORAL SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 12

THE CHORAL SOCIETY.

Tho Town -Hall was well filled last evening, when the Wellington Choral Society gave a most interesting choral concert —the first of the season. Tho works selected were Elgar's cantata, "The Black Knight,".- a graphic setting of tho old German legend of Uhland, and "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast," the first part of Coleridge Taylor's beautiful cantata, "Hiawatha," performed in its entirety in Welliilgtoh only last week by the AVellkigton Musical Union. Sir Edward Elgar, who has recently honoured by the late King, is of tho later school of composers, who, fortunate in • the possession of an exalted talent for. orchestration, lifts it, with musicianly skill, from the function of mero accompanist, to a. plan© as eminent, and in value as purposeful, as tho choral part. Tho orchestration in "The Black-Knight" is markedly beautiful for the variety of musical invention included, for ' the ear-haunting tonal.'combinations that vibrato with the meaning intended to be coriveyeed, for tho graco of melody inherent in the music. In tho case of tlio work performed, list evening, the music, .most adequately conveyed the shuddering fear and terror at the appearance of the dread shadow who — "Danced in sablo iron sark. Danced a: measure weird and dark, Coldly clasped her limbs around. From breast and hair ' Down fall fropi her the fair Flowerets, faded, to tho ground." The choral part was particularly well sung by a fresh-voiced choir, under ad'mirable control. The attack was crisp, the sound body hearty, and the shading ' quite good. That the. society could do w-itli a few mdro tenors was apparent/ where that section had. a lead, but the choir was so thoroughly drilled that even this deficiency was not a marked one. "Tlio Black Knight" whets the appetite for the same composer's great work "The Dream of Gerontius," to be performed at the society's next concert, and by the Sheffield Choir in Wellington next year. "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast" is a lyric poem of much charm, and, being well-known to Wellington music-lovers, does not call for analysis. In this fine sustained chorale—it lias only one solo break—an added'beauty is given to Longfellow's poem, which relates of "... . tile handsome Pau-Puk-Keewis, Ho the idle.of Yenadizze"; and of "lagoo, tho great boaster," and "his immeasurable falsehoods,"and how they performed at the wedding of "Laughing "\yater." Tho choir and orchestra under the baton of Mr. J. Maughan Barnett again did their . work thoroughly and with spirit. The soloist was Mr. Frank Graliam r of Christchurch, tho possessor of a big robust' tenor voice of somewhat uneven quality. His singing of' " Onaway, Awako " —an admittedly difficult solo—was fairly satisfactory. With the words in front of him, the soloist had no need to substitute others, as was the case in two or three instances. Mr. Graham also sdng "I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby" (Clay), and in response to an encore "Bianca, which displayed the singer's high register, if it served no other purpose. Mr, Horace' Hunt played Mr. Graham's accompaniments. Too niuch praise cannot be given to Mr. Barnett for his work, which was of the highest quality. Mr. Bloy led the'orchestra capably.