MUSICAL UNION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 21 July 1915, Page 2

MUSICAL UNION

"LAST ?OST" AND "HIAWATHA."

The somewhat chequered career of tho Wellington Musical Union was advanced another step last evening, when it presented Sir Charles V. Stanford's choral and orchestral work, "Last Post" (words by \V. E. Henley) and two parts of Coleridge Taylor's beautiful cantata, "Tho Song of Hiawatha," under- the baton of Mr. Herbert K. Ulaughton, a conductor new to big work in t Wellington. The union anay feel reasonably proud of its perform mice, which gave unmistalcjiblo indications of better things to come. Tho chorus only numbered 100 voices ail told, and of those twelve only were tenors and fourteen baritones, so a choral balance was scarcely established. The bass section, small in number, was surprisingly good in quality and sound in their -work throughout the'performance. The tenors were weak, but the female sections were adequate, though a tendency to sing sharp was noticeable on the part of tho sopranos on more than one occasion. On. the whole, however, the chorus did remarkably well. There were evidences of sound drilling and a regard for accent, which would have been all the more effective had the orchestra been in greater sympathy with the voices. In the "Last Post," the band was rather badly out of tune, notably with the important bugle part (most admirably and feelingly blown by Mr. W. Bowman). The attack was weak and the playing ragged to a degree almost incomprehensible. This naturally, affected the choral work and marred the impressiveness of a notably good work. It was a happy thought to do the "Last Post' in such a time of national peril as the present, when so many of our gallant hearts have paid full tribute to King and country in Gallipoli. Stony-hearted would be those who could follow unmoved Henley's lines of the solemn chant that read:

"The day's Ugh work is over and done, And these no more will need, the sun: Blow, you bugles of England, blow I These arc gone whither all must go, Mightily gone from the field, they won; So in the workaday wear of battle, Touched to glory with God's own red. Bear we His chosen to their bed! Settle them lovingly where they. fell, In that, good 3ap they loved so well; And bo, they envoy to the dear Lord said, And tho last desperate volleys loosed and

sped, Blow, you baigl©3 of England, blow!'

Should the union essay another concert this year one might suggest that the "Last Post" be sung once more, preferably with an organ accompaniment. - The parts of "The Song of Hiawatha" selected for performance wero "Hiawatha's Wedding Feast" and "The Death of Minnehaha," two fine pieces of writing that reflect by contrast the great talent of the late Mr. Coleridge Taylor. Tho musical, rhythm adopted in both, parts is tho same, but in character there is a striking divergence of idea both, in the choral and orchestral parts. In .the "Wedding Feast,", tho music ripples along bright, melodious, and even humorous, swinging and dancing with all tho wainnth and pleasantry of summer-time in the forest. It tells in swaying measure of how "the handsome Ycnadizzi danced at Hiawatha's wedding," with the joyous shriek of the piccolo, the eerie song of tho oboe, and a faithful suggestion ol' the Indian Itom-toms picked out by thft double basaea and lympani as an (accompaniment; of how "tho gentle Chibiaboa sang in accents, sweet and tend';r," and how tho booster lagoo told "his immeasurable falsehoods." "In the Death ol Minnehaha" the sunshine fades from tho music, and the chill grip of winter, with famine and fever in its train, tones thb score a shuddersome fjrey. The orches tra was more at home in the "Hiawatha." music, and though it did not .present tho wonderful effects possible, a suggestion of Taylor's (tonal resource and beauty of design was conveyed. The chorus work was uniformly' good. Mr. Harry Phipps, the tenor soloist, had but the one number, the beautiful but far from easy eong, "Ouaway, Awake." Unfortunately Mr. Phipps appeared to be suffering from an affection of the throat as his t° ns vrai ' .cloudy throughout, especially so when using his upper register, when the voice was quite husky. Apart'from this defect he fang" tin solo'sympathetically and with intelligence. Mrs. Percy- Carter was too nervous to do-the music justice. Anxiety lent a. hard edge to her tone,' but she gave evidence of having a. presentable light soprano voice in the solo commencing "Wahonomin!" and later in "Then lie Sat Down,"' for which she was. applauded, Mr. Hamilton Hodges sang Hiawatha's lines with boisterous confidence, and showed plenty of defamatory power in the final solo; " . Mr. Claughton, the conductor, was alert and painstaking, and the general efficiency of the chorus gives promise of enjoyable concerts in the brighter future that is coming to the Union.