MALE VOICE CHOIR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2645, 16 December 1915, Page 7

MALE VOICE CHOIR

About ninety per cent, of the audionce present at the Male Voice Choir's concert in the Concert Cliamber last ovening was composed of the fair sex. The matter comprised in the programme was superfine in quality, and its rendition was rather better than usual. The bass section of the choir produced a good solid tone, and was quite capable of producing more impressive effects in tutti passages, but the tenors were not so strong, and, as often as not. sang in a throaty falsetto instead or from tho chest, reducing the tonal standard, both in quality and powct. The choir gave a pleasing reading of .the Brahms .'Lullaby/' but scarcely reflected the. note of joy so surely intended to be Storch's part song "Flow'ret 00 uay. Jintton'a " Warrior's Soug*"' was with a certain abandon, and the beautiful "Aye Maria" was nicely inr' ml 1, taking the solo part. The choir was very properly sub* du-ed to the soft serenity of the part song Earth and Heaven are Hushed in Slumber (Otto), but entirely missed the humour of Mallinson's setting of the familiar m ;?es I Know a Maiden Fair to See," entitled, in this case, "Beware," which is merely a delicious jibe'at the wiles of the lair in love-making. Mr. Charles if,, 11 4 ans m . O3 t ar hstically a "Serenade by Beschniitt, which has an attractive vocal accompaniment. The modulatioD and articulation of both solo and luthis number were very good. Mr. Hugn \\ nght was heard to advantage in tho eunzonetta, "Tears of Anguish" (lieichardt), in which a humming accompaniment lent enhancement. Other part songs or, the programme were: "Far From JJe (Egebsberg), "Youth Will Neads Have Dalliance" (Sullivan), with solo by. ?i r " 1. k'i rr ' "The Deil's Awa" (Archer), and, anally, the National All- - There were occasions during tho evening when unsolicited aceompaiiiments forthcoming from the adjacent Town Halt. On one occasion, tho choir was singiiig f.ho placidly-subdued part song "Earth aaul Heaven are Hushed in Slumber," when the bagpipes struck up "The Cock the North' with rather comical and i altogether disconcerting effect. Tho choir was assisted by Mrs. F. P. Wilson, who sang a trio of souglets by Hurlestone, entitled respectively "Bells," "Blossoms," and "Darkness." A quartet 01 strings, Misses Kennedy (2), Dorothy Mills, and Mr. J. S. Lomas, with Mr. Robert Parker at the pianoforte, played Handel's "Water Music' without developing a great deal of its intrinsic beauty. Air. Robert Parker conducted, and played the accompaniments whore needed.