BIG BOOKING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1150, 10 June 1911, Page 3

BIG BOOKING.

FOB THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR,

Up till last evening no fewer than 809season tickets (for the three evening performances) of the Sheffield Choir had been booked at'the Dresden Piano Company's warehouse. This means that 2400 scats' liavo already boon booked for the season at 7s. a scat, making a total of XBJO in, cash, So far the plans have only been , opened to those purchasing season' tic-' kets. The plans for booking for singlo concerts will not be opened until Thurs- i ■ day next. As many of the applications for season tickets are from the country, there promises to be a considerable influx • of people to the city, apart from tlia .. J Choir (200), and those travelling with tho organisation, .possibly another . 50 people. Tho Dresden staff has coped with the heavy work of booking, admirably. Wha.t. that work is may.be judged by clerical! '• labour entailed by (he application of one lady on Wednesday last, when the plan was opened. She required nine tickets,. each of which is divided into three see- 1 . Hons. On each section had to bo writ- ■ ten the block" letter, number of row', and; number of seal, so that nine tickets', meant SI markings on tho tickets, 27 _on the plan, a tick on a circular recording] , the names of applicants, and a tick on ' a check list. ' From this will be gather-, l ' cd tho extent of the clerical work entailed in the booking oflieo in connection with theso concerts. DR. COWARD ON LOUD SINGING. ; Tho perfection to which Dr. Honrs' Coward has brought choral singing by his methods of training tho bhcffield Choir, which will give performances ii Wellington on June 29 and 30, and Jul; 1 has led to exhaustive analyses of hii conception of what, a conductor shoulc be. The note correctness of his per. fonuanccs is proverbial, yet, curiously enough, he seldom stops his players or singers for a slip at rehearsals. Ho looks at. the performer, and if he sees that ho is conscious of his error, nothing move is said. But for developing a point in expression, where the question of evolving tho mentality of tho band or. chorus is concerned, lie will repeat a, passage •• many times. His ability to put his performers through exhausting repetitions, whilo at the same time preserving them from becoming impatient and restive, is nothing short of marvellous. Ask him about his methods, and he will tell you that "the public care little about methods: they judge by results." Yet some of his aphorisms on this subject . nro highly illuminating. For_ instance, ho, says that "loud singing, without evident control of the tone, degenerates into mere shouting; but. loml, louder, even loudest singing, if under the control of the performer, is simply a rich fortissimo, ■ moreover n Icgitimato artistic effect.