RETURNED SOLDIERS' CHOIR

Evening Star, Issue 19659, 12 September 1927, Page 2

RETURNED SOLDIERS' CHOIR

IMPROVEMENT MAINTAiHEO Activity still murks the doings of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Choir, and, being wisely directed, the keenness, corporate as well as individual, ensures continued efficiency for concert purposes This was amply proved at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night, first and second tenors support one another in fine style; the basses, though Jacking profundity—-for New Zealand does not plentifully grow men with heavy and deep voices—are able to get solidity and tone that tell in the soft singing; and somehow or other the choir seems to cozen listeners into the belief that all the men are of equal singing value, which is, of course, an artistic delusion in any choir—a result constantly sought for even in the greatest, and only attainable under skilful directing. Mr John T. Leech is doing good work as conductor. It was pleasing, also, to observe that the public patronage is well sustained. There was a good house. Extra care about the appointments was a further matter of congratulation, the platform being appropriately decked in the national colors with . “ Anzac ” ns an overhead banner. Only one matter calls for amendment. Mr Leech is irresolute about encores. When the time is getting on he should not give way, for it generally leads to some having to leave without hearing the later items. Forty-nine singers mustered for the occasion. They gave Mr Paget Gale’s arrangement of the National Anthem with nice expression such as indicates duo preparation _ This arrangement, thus sung, grows in favor the more one hears it. The good beginning was followed by an eminently-satisiying delivery of ‘Britain, Ask of Thyself,’ from Elgar’s ‘ Coronation Ode.’ The chorus is of noble construction, and it was sung with breadth, compactness, and impetus, expression and character being such as would bring credit to any choir. The rousing bass solo, interwoven in a telling-manner, also came out well, thanks to the combination of feeling and force that Mr M. 0 Sullivan brought to bear. Aht’s ‘ln Sunny Devon ’ was another acceptable part song, taken lightly and in tripping style, the pianissimo endings tapered elf elegantly Form was also sustained in Schumann’s ‘The Minnesingers,’ it being sung with the required sense of motion, words quite distinct, expression just as it should be, description well varied and never made violent. ‘A Prayer to Isis’ may be forgotten, since a'single failure in so many successes must bo-explainable. As a fact the voices lost touch with each other, and then as a body they lost the pitch. Probably the remoter men did not hear the organ. ‘ The Forgo Song’.made amends. After a lochle start it went .well, proving that the men know it thoroughly and felt free to enjoy it themselves. The drums chorus from ‘The Daughter of the Regiment’does not make a great part song—Donizetti perhaps wrote it in one of his uninspired moments —but its treatment by this choir calls for praise, if for nothing else than that the words were rattled off clearly at speed. The ‘Enskay Love Lilt’ came out as a lovely demonstration of tone, balance, and soft expression, the bass part noticeably rich ‘ The Song of the Bow ’ calls for no comment except that it was pleasant to hear these men so decisive about the pronunciation of “ Inggland.”. Sometimes we hear a pedantic leaning towards “ Eng-land a foreign perversion, offending the ear. The solo work at this concert was quite worthy. Mr J. A. Wallace gave of his best material in choosing the

‘ Kreutzer Sonata,’ and bis scholarly playing was helped very much by bis wife at the piano, Mr Stan. Jeffs’s light and well-controlled tenor voice was hoard to advantage in Ivor Novellu’a song ‘Megan.’ Mr W. Strang got the right atmosphere in the Maori war song ‘ Kainate,’ and pictured the scones effectively. Miss Elspeth Denholm, being in glorious voice, stirred the audience with her soprano songs, particularly Elgar’s_ ‘ Foeths Life.’ This young lady can individualise her songs, so that each has beauty of its own. Messrs Sattorthwaito, Parker, H. Paterson, and White were encored for their quartet. Miss Madgo Yates’s reciting was amongst the very clover features of the concert. Her voice is as yet too light to carry well through a pianoforte accompaniment in a big nail, but when released from that handicap in the second part this young lady revealed amazing ability. She talks as eloquently with her hands as with her tongue, and is the makings of a mistress in her art.

Mr L. A. James had a heavy night’s work at the piano and got through it with marked skill and judgment.