WELLINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1002, 17 December 1910, Page 6

WELLINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY

"THE MESSIAH."

An impressively large' audience heard tho Wellington Choral _ Society's . performance of "Tho Messiah" at the Town Hall last evening.; That it... was. a good, well-rehearsed rendition of Handel's great work there was not the slightest doubt, and tho ' well-defined' sincerity of both soloists and chorus was : rewarded with applause such as is seldom heard at an oratorio performance. Wo aro getting used to the variety -of accompaniments that aro accorded "The Messiah" -in Wellington. At one time the full orchestra was considered, an indispensable adjunct, but the advent of the big organ has made it a matter for doubt in some quarters as to whether the orchestra is worth while. One musical body decided on tho organ and strings, and Mr. Maughan Barnett !last evening relied solely on tho organ, at which ho presided in person, allowing Mr. Horace Hunt to wield the baton on a clear stage. By. another innovation, •the soloists, who usually occupy a position in front of the platform, were accommodated immediately - below the : organ seat and above the choir, which under the circumstances, was a wise arrangement which. worked. out with-per-' ,fect satisfaction to both soloists and audience. -The choral work of this society is always good. There is ever refreshing evidence that the chorus has been , carefully selected'and conscientiously rehearsed, and'the result is a bracing attack, clean phrasing, an excellent tone balance, and. commendable vocal quality (a virtue all tho more appreciated on account' of its .variety). It . was quite . 'exhilarating to hear this compact body sing such choruses, as' "And tho' Glory of tlio Lord,"' "And He' Shall Purify,.". "Glary to God," "His Yoke is Easy," "Lift TJp Your Heads,", and the "Hallelujah." An entirely new reading was. given to tho chorus - "For Unto. Us a Child is BornJ" It wis' commenced slowly, pianissimo,, 'and almost oddly staccato, and worked'.uj; in gradations to the emphatic "Wonderful , Counsellor!" and reverting again to'the original tempo and style whenever the fugue occurred. As tho chorus is one of great exultation, the reading will doubtless be taken exception to among some students of Handel.' Another quaint .effect was the deliberate tempo in wliich the chorale "Worthy is the Lamb" was ■ taken. The chorus "AH Wo Liko Sheep" was included, hut the final "Amen" chorus was omitted. .

The Choral Society was fortunato in its soloists. Madame Wielacrt, of Auckland, who sang the soprano solos,' is gifted with a strong,. . clear soprano, which filled every.corner of the big hall. Her tendency is to exert, the fullness of her powers,_ witli little variation, and as she is distinctly -temperamental, she hero and there approaches her work with the same spirit and abandon as would befit, an Italian aria. This was the. case in her. first solo, '."There Wero Shepherds," and "And the Angel Said Unto Them." Madame Wiclaert was much better ill "R-eioice Greatly," in which clear-noted runs' wero a joy to hear, and settling down to her work f she gave as fine a rendering of the beau-, tiful "Come Unto Him" air as has been heard for a long.time in Wellington. This.stria was marked with, admirable, expression, and an .entire absence of tho tonal lapses which: marked the opening solo. She also sang most charmingly' tho final solo "I Know that My ' Redeemer Liveth." Miss Brenda Stock, who sang tlio music, has a voice of rare beauty—soft,, round, and velvety, with plenty of power and • a 'fine range of expression. With experience, Miss Stock is fitted for a, career in oratorio. Slightly nervous, and without the acoustic measure. of tho hall, she was hardly at ease in her opening .recitative, "Behold, a Virgin," and lacked inspiration in "0 Thou that-Tellest,'.' but later, _in "He Shall Feed His 'Flock," Miss Stock sang most artistically, and_ with deep sincerity. She was also quite satisfactory in "He Was Despised." Mr. E. -J: Hill, who is always reliable, sang tho tenor solos accoptably, and Mr. John Prouse, in excellent form, gave a really fine interpretation- of the baritone music. He was notably good in ."The People that Walked in Darkness," and. "Why Do the Nations."

As 'previously noted, Mr. Horace Hunt gave the chorus its leads, and Mr. Barnett presided with judgment at the organ. His playing of the. "Pastoral Symphony" was an artistic delight.