WELLINGTON LIEDERTAFEI

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 4

WELLINGTON LIEDERTAFEI

ITS "COMING'OF AGE" CONCERT,

The first concert of its season, which too Weuuigujn jjieuertarei gave in tho ':■'■ voucert ouuuioer or uie i.o»u nail last evening, was doubly interesting owing to mo lact that tuo society. ceiebrates mis year its •■coming or age." Unas ■' a record that it unguis,'wuu be proud of, as it is tuo oiuesi niilsical society in, Wellington, ana is tue oiny body ni the' city iiiut nas Bemud it a record ot twenty-one years' continuous work.' uuruig tiiat ponodtho society, under tuo union or our. Hooert raiser, who uas been associated witn it in tliat particular capacity since its inception, nas" wonted steauuy and conscientiously lor tuo lurtuernig of musical taste in Wei- . mutton, and anyone who was'present in.' we uoucetc Uiuinber-last evening could' '•lo.c'.bucaclmoivluugc tnat it has tecurecwore success than lalls.to many_ -musi--eal .'":' ■?•:',./. . . •The programme, which was. presented Under tuo uonuuciorsmp ot Mr. Jfarker,'.-, was worthy of, .tho occasion, and'must; , Burely.b'e-couuted as,pnc.,or-.the,'society'&.'' best eiforts of rcceiit seasons, .it'open*'•'. od' with a, set of live part-songs iroin. Elgait|s Greek Anthology, very beautiful conceptions, lull or contrasts and col-', our. Where all were so different it was difficult to pick and choose, but if & choice nad to be made one would bo inclined to think that tho hrst and tho last wore the finest., Another delight- ■ lul part-song was ' "Every Eustiuig Tree" (Kuwan), which was admirably buug ty the choir; . Other partsougs Were: "O, PeacelulMight" (E. German), which was another outstanding uumber of tlie programme—"the fairy- ' daunted glade, where laughiug olves,l with tiny feet, go tripping through tho meadow sweet"—being sung with charming . delicacy, ligntness, and elusiveuesa; "Sweet and .Low" (Barnby), und "Two Snails" (J.'.F; Bridge), tho latter being a lightsome story of tho-.' wooing of an English sna.il by a French snail—"She couid not feel' at homo in France, where, snails aro fried in f butter"—was tho sad ending of the story. Miss Phoeho Parsons, who' was in excellent voice, sang a "Pastoral" byLane, for which she was recalled, to bow her acknowledgments, and another song in the second half of the programme ''Sognai" (Schoia)—for which she re- ■ ceived, and had to respond .to, an- insistent encore. ' Signor A.'Pi TrudaV ' flute solo • "Aur. Alpes" (A. Terschak) was played with the artistic, finish thai is always to bo looked for in .his per» formances, and his audienco was determined to have him back again, in spit'u of the fact that Mr..Parker does uot countenance encores. Mr. A. S. Hilliker played the "Andante" from Concerto Op. 7 (Klengel), arranged for the 'cello, and for this ho, too, received an encore. The choral ballad "The'' Song of the Little Baltung" (Alice Ml Smith), for soloists and chorus, was tho longest number of the prograramo, the ' soloists being Mr. F. V. Waters, who was in excellent voice, Mr.' James Searle. and Mr. J. B. Fcrgusson. Tho • wholo poem pictured the strong, simple, , barbaric courage of tho Gothic prmco Athanaric, and his son Alaric, and the effemiimncy and cunning of tho Kaiser Theodosius lof Constantinople, whom they wont to visit, and ' who killed Atlianaric. Only a portion of the ; ballad could necessarily be given, but the choruses, with their sturdy 'rhythm,, were curiously fascinating, and most descriptive. "Cavalier Tunes," "Marching Along," and."Boot and Saddle" (Stanford), .for solo and chorus, with Mr. C.'Clarkson as the soloist, wore suue with excellent spirit and voice, and for them Mr. Clarkson was deservedly recalled; Mr. D. A. Kenny war \ at the piano.