MISS MILLICENT KNIGHT

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 56, 30 November 1926, Page 3

MISS MILLICENT KNIGHT

A VALUABLE MEZZOSOPRANO

Mips Millirent Knight, of Lower Hatt, who has been studying singing and languages at Home for a couple of year?, gave her first recital at. the Town Hall last evening. The choice of hall was somewhat unfortunate, as when only partly filled the great auditorium, with steel ceiling, is apt to cause an echo that is deflective to anv sound. Despite this handicap, Miss Knight succeeded in making a most favourable impression, one indeed that gained in impressment as the programme developed. This young singer is the fortunate possessor of a fresh, healthy mezzo-so-prano voice, full bodied, firm of tone, and fairly oven through the registers, and uses it with commendable intelligence, if not always with the maximum subtlety in the portrayal of the emotional moods. Whether it was nervousness or not, there was a tendency to samenoss evident in the delivery of the Italian and French songs which formed the first, part of tho programme, but ampin amends were made in the English bracket, and more particularly in the Ger. man group, yliich concluded the gramme. It will.be seen from this that an extended range of culture has not been neglected, for Miss Knight s enunciation in all four languages used was admirable. No one present last evening could fail to bend to the charm of Miss Knight’s beautiful singing of "Du hist, die Ruh," a charming song, from ino Schubert album, that was marked -by grace and sweetness. Brahms’ ‘Dcr Schmied” was another gem of song, tnj swinging vitality of which was caught to such a nicety hy the singer that )t' had to bo repeated. Then followed < wo exquisite songs bv Wolf. . ' genbeit" nnd "Dcr Gartner.’ in which the mood of the lyrics was nicely reflected. Of the English group of seven, modern songs, Miss Knight was paiticularly happy in "My Sweet bweeting” (Keel). "Bless Mv Brooms (Unixton), and in the coniically frightful “Terrible Robber Men” (Hughes). Others included iu the bracket were "Flow Not So Fast. Ye Fountains" (Dowland),' "Sweet Kate” (Jones), "Dawn” (Holst), and "I Have Twelve Oxen” (Ireland). The encore song. "Alleluia.” was sung with commendable exaltation of spirit. The songs of the.first half of the piograunue were divided into ancient and modern sections. The first included the recitative and aria. “Morir Vogl’io.’ "Gia il sole dal Gange” (Scarlatti), "Quella finmma cho m'aceeude” (Marcello), and "Armez-vous d’Un noble Courage” from Gluck's opera', "Iphigenie en Aulide.” Of the moderns the best sung were "Lamcuto” (Duparc) and the bright and playful "I.es Trois Princesses” (Vuillernioz). Other songs in this bracket were "l.e Moulin” (I’ierncj and “Chanson de Route" (Puget). Miss Knight also sang as an encore number "Drink To Me Only.” Miss Knight, was assisted by that capable violinist, Mr. Leon de Mauny, who gave a very fine reading of Handel’s “Sonata in A Major,” and later played with consummate skill and delicate artistry the popular “Chanson Jndoue” (Rilusky-Korsakov), and Krei'ler’s “’Fainbourin Chinois,” and in both instances had to respond io firm encores. Mr. Harold Whittle played the accompaniments with unfailing sympathy and artistry.