WELLINGTON HARMONIC SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 212, 2 June 1919, Page 6

WELLINGTON HARMONIC SOCIETY

first concert of the season,

organisation, which docs, not, a ■ „j ;f does not lessen the credit due ito the »cie& itself for the good ■ opinion the manv excellent, possessed by the conductor Sir Temple W hit . than to individual brilliance. It is the en semble Hint counts in a glee c.ub, and this society probably does better noik in this direction than any which has been in existence in Wellington for a .quarter of a century past. The programme of the first concert of tho season, which was submitted to a large audience at, tta Concert Chamber on Saturday evening, was admirably selected and planned. The part-singing was. of course, thtf outstanding feature. The opening number was that quaint old comic glee, Ihe Bells of St. Michael's Tower, but though the singer gravely sung of how R'chanl Penlakc at length was, forced to beat his scolding wife, there was Hot a sin? e smile visible on anyone s face in Ui« audience, and tbe thought passed that we do really take our, pleasures sadly. Evidently those present were so U6CII to part-songs being pitched in the pensive or seutimental mood that they could not iinagino any being actually comic. As a matter of fact there were plenty of them iu favour half a century back. •The great charm of "The Bells is the fine bell tone obtained by the massed voices—file explosive metallic note, tho swell, then , the fine graduated diminuendo. It Is not generally known that a bell-tone is really a chord. Tho choir illustrated this remarkably well, ilia song was encored. It was with pleasuie one noted the inclusion on tho programme of " \yo Waukin' O," the Robert Burns lament of tlie love-stricken maiden who cannot sleep and "bleers her oem wi nreetin'" for Her bonnie lad who comes not. It is a lovely ; part-song, and was sung with nice balance' and expression. Sloreover, tho choir sang the Sooteh words correctly—a raro virtue. One very fine choral number -was Cohu'idge-laylors ' "Tho Lee Shore" (lyrics by Tom Hood), an fatreniely melodious part-song, marked by splendid contrasts, and a broad hymnli'ke finale.' Tho society should certainly •sing this number heedless to sav, it was encored. Chalhnor s pretentious "A Song of tho Sea does not musically, rise to the poetic standard of the lyrics (by Il'enry Branch). Iliero are passages that were quite uninteresting,, though tho words cried aloua ior vivid musical expression. Tho accompaniment, capitally played by Mr. Haiold Whittle, was tawdry and unimpressive. Sir Whittle deserved a much better piano. Other part-songs were:-Th<r Dawn of Song" (Bairstow), Far Away from Ev'ry Pleasure" (Bishop), and Torrente in Summer" (Blear), a verv beautiful number, tenderly sung, and How Sweet'the Sfoonlight Sleeps. (Leslie). In the latter number the choir was kept down a little too much for tho proper preservation of tone. ' . The society produced a male quartet •from among its own members-Messrs. \. R, Bennett, G. M. Howe, W. Steven, and H. T. Barnes—who sang lhe Long Daj Closes" (encored) and 'In (Dudley Buck) very carefully and with good expression. The balance was good, the tone not so satisfactory. A departure from the vocal was made by tho introduction of an instrumental W r tat Mm Gladys Watkins (piano), Mr. Watson (first violin), Sir. George Hatpe> (sexond violin), and Sir. Wynne Watkins ('cello). With good relationship they played Bmini's. ."Hungarian T>ancc No. 5), always popular, and played it well, though it cojtld have been improved by the infusion ot a little mere Slavonic fire. Thfc encore was the threadbare "lutermwzo" from "Cavallsria Ru6ti* cana" (Slascagni), which is due for a long'respite. In the second part the quartet played the most melodious of tho Beethoven "Minuets," and as an encore "Ave Stella Maris" (Grieg) very nicely indefid. The quartet is fortunate 111 tho possession of Sir. Wat6on as lead. His tone and finish are quito out of tho way in their excellence. Sir. Temple White conducted throughout, which suffices to express ono's praise of the general performance.