CHORAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

Evening Star, Issue 3696, 26 December 1874, Page 2

CHORAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

So many circumstances combined in favor of Thursday evening s concert being a failure that the manner in which it went off, as a whole must be considered highly satisfactory to the Dunedin Choral Society. We by no means consider it one of their best. The surprise really is that it deserves to rank so high in comparison with the past as to take so creditable a position in the record scale of their progress. The difficulties they had to overcome are mainly attributable to insufficient rehearsal, but this seems to have been more detrimental to the instrumental than' tiie vflcal division of the society. We do not think it necessary, por even advisable to criticise amateur performances too closely. They will not bear it if tested even by very ordinary professional efforts, In general terms, then, we may remark that the choruses were fairly rendered ; and this is the more surprising as a verv large number of vocalists took part in Friday’s concert who had not attended practice for some months past. We arrive, thus, at the conclusion that cultivated talent in Dunedin is so widely diffused that, with ordinary industry, concerts of a very superior character to any we have been in the habit of hearing may be produced. The solos, duets, ami quartets went well. This, as a matter of course is the more easily accounted for as they are allotted to selected voices. The bass solos and recitations, “ Ob rest in the Lord,” “ God ig a spirit,” and other se'ections were well rendered and deserve special mention. Theinstrumentahstsmustered very strongly, and were more than usually effective, having the benefit of the assistance of Mens. Fleury and Messrs Hemons and Rutter, all of the orchestra of *he English Open}, Tp?«pe. aud several of Mr Martin’s pupils, who are attaining considerable proficiency in the _ use of wiipl instruments. Uie chief deficiency on Thursday evening was the' absence of violincellos in the stringed band. This is the more to bo regretted, and is somewhat surprising, for the violoncello can take its place well in drawing-room music; no stringed instrument is sweeter or more capable of expression. The viola and the violincello am too much neglected in onr orchestras. With the powerful assistance we have mentioned the band was very effective, but though in the main the reading was good, there were occasional evidences of want of thorough training and of insufficient rehearsal. how and then in their zeal to keep strict time a cadenza would be spoiled—the Tenders and conductor being altogether ignored by some who had not learnt to keep one eye on the copy of their music and the other on the baton, A. littjo careful practice would enable them to avoid thesp errors, which, in such cases, become very apparent. More than one case of this kind occurred. It always reminds one of a race to be first in at the death Barring those drawbacks, Mr Little, aided by the professional gentlemen, brought his band through very creditably. We have thoughc it our duty to offer these remarks, because in withholding unqualified praise a reason should be given ; and we trust that, instead of plain speaking offending, it will be the means of inducing more careful attention to the essentials to a really gpod musical performance. It is plain that the will only is needed to peqder the Dunedin Choral Society one of the ablest in the Colonies, and we trust that aim will be kept steadily In view, A nose sh-nv lately took pLce in little own of The largest and uglies' got the first prize. Ei »ht noses eomi eted. An eminent Epg ish divine said in a sermon recently preached in London, tha‘ ‘ if .‘cripturo said one thing and the London ‘ Times auotjior, 500 people out of eve>y 510 would believe tfce *