MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1693, 8 March 1913, Page 9

MUSIC.

t TBy Treble Clef.l Orchestral Concert. . After nearly three months' silence it should be a particular pleasure to hear the Wellington Professional Orchestra again. For various sound reasons tho Orchestra has deserted tho Town Hall, and has had the good fortune to mako an arrangement with Fuller and Sons for the use of His Majesty's Theatre—tho most comfortable and luxurious theitro in Wellington. The age of the hard, board-seated Austrian chair is at an end, as far as concert halls are concerned, and sooner or later the City Council authorities will iind themselves obliged to provide more comfortable chairs. To sit for two h airs or longer 011 a solid-bottomed Austrian chair, with, its straight back, is somewhat of an ordeal to anyone, and what is remarkable is that such seats were placed in the hall originally, all for the want of a little thought. Tile public- nowadays are entitled to look for a little comfort, and are getting it in every jiall and theatro in the city except the Town Hall.

Whilst on tho question, X Mould like to mention the inadequate maimer in which the entrance of the Town Hall is lighted. looking down from Winder's Corner, it seems quite funereal when compared with thu brilliant lighting schemes now favoured. To-morrow evening the Orchestra, strengthened and encouraged, is to ['resent iv sjilendid programme. Nothing cheap and trashy figures in it, yet every number is what 0110 might call cf the popular order to tho lover of bettor-clasj music. It will consist of the overture to "Raymond" (Ambroise Thomas), Overture to '"l'osainuude" (Schubert), "Gounod's "Saltarella," Mendelssohn's ' Spring Song," Liszt's "Rhapsodic'.' (No. '2), two of Moszkowski's "Hungarian Dances," and Rubinstein's "Trot de Cavalier." Compliment to Mr. Barnett.

All those iu Wellington who, in their hours of ease, take tho slightest interest in music, should unite iu paying Mr. J. Maughau Barnett a well-deserveil compliment by. doing all in their power to assist in making tho benefit concert to be given by the Royal Wellington Choral Society at the Town Hal! on Thursday next, a big success. Jlr. Barnett came amongst us uuhonoured—unsung! Only a few people who had met him at Napier knew his real musical worth. Mr. Barnett has proved himself long ago to be accounted one of the soundest musicians in Australasia, and as an organist, the writer, who has heard many play (including the Sydney organists on their own instrument), leans to the belief that he has no superior at present. Mr. Barnett was, and is (as far as 1 am aware), a brilliant executant as a pianist and has established firmly as a choral conductor who is always conscientious anil exacting. No conductor drills his choruses better than Mr. Barnett, and if he lacks that magnetic attraction of musicians, such' as Dr. Coward, which draws the best out of a chorus, ho does inspire a lot of enthusiasm and honest effort. The Choral Society's ehoius has been in the ascendant for some time i>ajt. Gradually the "weeds" have been rejected, and "voices" substituted, until (as Jlr. Barnett says himself) he would with his present chorus not be afraid to tackle any work of whatever magnitude. As a conductor of orchestra his musicianly intellect and energy have enabled him to accomplish much. He was responsible for (lie establishment of (lie tiist Municipal Orchestra in Australasia, and with the malerial at his disposal he did wonders. - Unfortunately, nearly all tho piofessional instrumentalists are engaged at the theatres and picture-shows (luring tho weokp and consequently their services are not available for week-night concerts, and the individual quality of the Municipal Orchestra is not so good as it might bo. Still, very excellent work has been dene— and the whole credit of if is due to Ml'. Bamelt, who has expressed the hope that the orchestra will not be permitted to "peter out."

A splendid miscellaneous programme has been arranged for Thursday uvi ning, and already a large number of tiikets luive been sold.