ORPHEUS MUSICAL SOCIETY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 137, 6 December 1929, Page 7

ORPHEUS MUSICAL SOCIETY

"THE PEASANT CANTATA"

The feature of the Orpheus Musical Society's final concert for the present season, given in the Town Hall Concert Chamber last night before a fair audience, was the performance of Bach's "The Peasant Cantata." This has never been sung before in Wellington, and very seldom in New Zealand, and most pleasing it was to listen to. It is full of joyful melodies, based on old folk songs, and is distinctly bright and gay. It records the rejoicing ot the villagers when the new Lord ot' the Manor comes on the scene, and is not .without its humour. The two soloists in the cantata were Miss Alma Clegg, soprano, and Mr. Ray Kemp, bass, and both entered fully into the spirit of the work, and sang their arias with understanding. Able support was accorded them by the chorus, who put plenty of vim into what was allotted to them. Some of the most attractive items in the cantata were perhaps the choruses, "Spring Comes Laughing," "Hey, Derry, Down Deny" (ladies' voices only), "And Now 'Tis Time to Go" (men's voices), and "Now Let Us to the Bagpipes Sound." "Of Flowers the Fairest" was the best of the soprano arias, attractive bass arias being "Good Fellows, Be Merry" and "Fifty Florins Seem a Lot." The whole cantata was admirably sung throughout, and showed thorough rehearsal. Upon its production Mr. Harison Cook is to be congratulated, as is also the pianist, Miss Hazel Rowe. The first part of the programme contained a number of delightful items. The choir sang "Welcome to May," which is founded on Mendelssohn's "The Bees' Wedding," and they sang it well. But even better did they sing Bishop's beautifully melodious part-song, "Sleep, Gentle Lady," an item which was repeated. Mrs. T. Watson, with her rich contralto voice, delighted with Sanderson's "The Glory of the Sea," for which she was rightly encored. Kriesler's beautiful "Cradle Song" was most charmingly sung by Miss Ngairp Coster, this item admirably suiting bee mezzo-soprano voice. Here again an encore was demanded and given. Mr. Harry Matthew sang with vigour two baritone iiolos, "The Lute Player" and "On the Koad to Mandalay." Somewhat of a novelty was a flute solo, Kohler's skilfully played by Mr. L. W. Eothwell, who had to respond with an eincore. Showing an ability rare in one so young, Master Billy Harris, a pupil of Mr. L. C. Walker, contributed Senaille's "Allegro" as a violin solo. To thie warm applause he responded with an encore. In this item the accompaniment wa*s played by Mrs. L. C. Walker; in the otfciers Miss Hazel Rowe was at the piano.