MALE VOICE CHOIR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2603, 27 October 1915, Page 3

MALE VOICE CHOIR

Possibly through loss of members tho Wellington Male Voice Choir (late Lieder--tafol) was far from being in its best form last evening, when the second, concert was given in the Concert Chamber before an audience almost entirely composed of the fair sex.. The aggregate tone _of the Choir 'hardly permits of anything , like justice being done to the very beautifuj numbers set for performance, and the frequent divergence from true pitch jarred •upon Die ear. The programme was really a delightful one. It opened with Schubert's glorious anthom, "Great is Jehovah," a number that affords delightful opportunities for delicate tonal colouring, and boasting a majestic' climax. The tenor solo was taken t by Mr. ; J. Searle, who was obviously overweighted. Another charming' number was Beethoven's pastoral glee " "Springrtime." . Further homage was paid to the season ' by the singing of Dudley Buck's canon, "The Spring is Come," but the spontaneous joy It breathes was but faintly reflected. The Choir also san» .the- part-song, "The Miller's Daughter (Harte), in which Messrs. K. M. Ballantyne and F. V. Waters sang the solo lines. That impressive miniature cantata, "The Nun of Nidaros," composed by Dudley Buck to Longfellow's tines, was repeated with fair success, and the same composer's beautiful part-song, ."In Absence," found the Choir in better' leart. Other numbers sung were Cobb's 'If Doughty Deeds," Coleridge, Taylor's rigorous part-song, "The Viking Song" verses by Dav.id M'Kee Wright), and Mr. a). A. Kenny's patriotic song, "New /Zealand," with the solo vigorously declaimed by Mr. C. Clarkson, and the accompaniment played by the composer _ (who appeared on the platform in khaki). The feature of the programme was tho .violin playing of Mr. Herbert Bloy, whoso technical skill and deeply sympathetic tone created lively enthusiasm. Accompanied by Mrs. Bloy, he-played the languorous "Romanza Audalouse" of Sarasato with rare effect and consumpiate understanding. As an encore Moskowski's "Serenade" was played on the muted instrument with delicacy and finish. Mr, Bloy also played the "Chant Sana Paroles" (Squire), "Butterfly" (Bohm), and the player's own "Humoreske," based on "Yankee Docdle,"- which exhibited his facility in all-round work. The accompanists were Mrs. E. C. Cashemaille and Mr.-D. A. Kenny. Mr. Robert Parker, as usual, conducted.