SONG RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 162, 28 March 1918, Page 6

SONG RECITAL

BY JIB.. FEED. COLLIER. Mr. Fred. Collier came to Wellington with a good reputation from Victoria, j which he more than sustained at the very j enjoyable concert given in the Concert J Chamber last evening. He is a true basso eantanto, immensely powerful ,in tone, and refreshingly animated in style. His pronounced vigour, so rare in a basso, combined with his fine singing' quality,''big range, and dramatic sense, made an impression in favour of tho artist immediately in a well-studied and forceful interpretation pi the prologue from "I Pngliacci," which is considered 0 fairly severe test in dramatic yocalism. Mr. Collier sang- the prologue with absolute fidelity. to its changing moods, and was honoured with an imperative encore, which produced tho gay lilting "Floral Dance," which lie sang with captivating mirth and abandon. The singer was impressive, too, in the "Eri Tu" aria from "Un Ballo in Maschera" (Verdi), where his dramatic flair was again called into pluy. With capital spirit and a fine of vocal colour, Mr. Collier gave faitkful expression to , the widelydivergent demands of Liza Lehmann's "Cowboy Ballads.'.' "The Rancher's Daughter" is a emii-coimc fiong of a. rancher wl.o left liis girl,behind him foi another lariat-thrower to annex. "Nightherdinv,'' sirng is a cattle-ranch nocturne, and "The Skew-Ball Black" is a fiery nietare of a kick-up in.the stockyard. Other songs sunp p.icellcnllv well wero "Doses of Picafdv" (Haydn Wood), "King Charles," "The Pipes nf pan" (F;lnar) u "Four Jolly Sailormen. ,, and a stirring setting of 'Kipling's "Route March" by one Stock. Mr. Ccllier saw to it that he was well supported. Miss Teresa, M'Emw's escellontlr-tutored soprano was artislieallv exertcil in "Spring's Awakening (Sanderson), whose many little (rills and roulades make an anneal for vocal truth and ' agility never found wanting. Miss lU'Knrp" vvns also v-r.v effective in KiTisler's "Omdle Song," a vocal setting of the modioli*-- theme fho Austrian composer and violinist lisod in his beautiful "'Cnprica Vipnnois. , '- Other Knn>rs f]\r fnng wore "WnVo u<p. A pirliiHav" (CmvnnV nv<\ "Will 0' tho Wisn" (Sprosri. Mis* also li..ppily nwPP'ntPd vriH. M, roll'or in Ilio fi ; 'ots, "I'b"< Crucifix" (F.iuH .i"<l r>f Hoffmann." r Mr. Frank J«'"^"« miniirt >v BeoVor, "T,o Cyn*" (Sam - s nOT «V .."id Popper's "UavoHe ami "Momoiv." , ~ »j Tlio recital Rained in eclnt hv r ,, ' , . nrimirnWd -ccrmnariments of Mr. HnrnWl Whittlp. who roaclics a high standard in hh departmonf.