THE DUNEDIN CHORAL SOCITY.

Evening Star, Issue 3803, 3 May 1875, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN CHORAL SOCITY.

To the Editor.

>SiR, —The Dunedin Choial Society is evidently suffering a relapse. The effort of Christmas Eve was too much for its exhausted vitality. _ The reaction has set in violently, and the condition of the society appears to me to be worse than at any previous period. True, there were more performers on the platform on Thursday evening than when the “ Prodigal Son” was sung in Decrniber—the number of instrumentalists and the contraltos being fully double on the former than on the latter occasion, but the music was not nearly so well rendered. I presume those who had the leading parts assigned them did their best; but I think it is at least open to question whether or not the best selections possible were made from the material available. Was it necessary that the same individual should sustain one character throughout? It was a choral society, not an operatic com* any which rendered the music, ami there was not the least necessity for maintaining the personal representation all through. There is not a doubt on the mind of anyone who has attended many of the Choral Society’s concerts but that the performance on Thursday evening would have been very much improved and vastly more interesting had there been a distribution of the leading parts over a larger number of the members. But the lesson of Thursday evening is, I think, this T’lie management of the Society is utterly wanting in sound judgment, and is incapable of properly conducting the affairs of the Society. If this were not so “ Maritana” would not have been sung. Why it was selected for performance by the Society I have been utterly unable to discover. No one member of the Committee I hj ive met with will admit his approval of the selection, but says he thinks it was a mistake. What is wanted to interest a. choral society is good choral music, compositions containing choruses in which all the Society may be interested, interspersed with solos, duetts, ami Rich like for variety sake, not a lot of solos and leading parts, varied with a snatch of chorus now and then, as is the case with most operas. Then, had the management possessed ordinary foresight, they would not have fixed on a coni* position for which they had or could get no baud parts without paying twenty or twentyfive pounds for having them written out. However, as the constitution of the Dunedin Choral Society is final and unalterable, and the committee self-elected and beyond the leach or control of the performing or honorary members of the Society, by any other means than the total withdrawal of the member from the Society, I suppose things will have to go on as at present for a little longer, when I fear tinSociety will break down from sheer inaction.— I am, &c,, Crotchet. Dunedin, May 1.