ROYAL MALE CHOIR

Evening Star, Issue 23382, 27 September 1939, Page 11

ROYAL MALE CHOIR

For its next concert, to be given at the Town Hall on Monday, the Royal Dunedin Male Choir will present an attractive programme of 12 choir items. Having sung a considerable number of new compositions at recent concerts, the choir has selected a programme consisting almost entirely of music regular patrons are well acquainted with, there being only ono new number. Among items which have been presented with considerable success previously are three hv Sir Hugh Roberton —‘ The' Old Woman',’ a work of exceptional beauty of sentiment and* musical quality, which will reveal the choir’s competence in quiet, restrained singing; the popular ‘ All in the April Evening ’; and the amusing negro spiritual, ‘ De Battle ob Jerico.’ Two Scottish songs which should be- popular are an arrangement of ‘ Loch Lomond ’ with solo for Mr W. E. Snow, and 1 Ho-ro My Nuthrown Maiden,’ a Gaelic song of considerable verve. 1 Sweet Kitty Clover ’ is a favourite, and ‘ Full Fathom Five ’ was presented- last year. Gounod’s magnificent paraphrase of the 137th Psalm, I By Babylon’s Wave,’ will do much to enhance the reputation of the choir,. An arrangement of the hymn ‘ The Son of God Goes Forth to War ’ will be accompanied by Professor W. E. Galway on the Town Hal! organ, and in an excerpt from Humperdinck’s ‘ The Miracle ’ a hidden sextet of ladies will sing the opening ‘ Ave Maria,’ followed by the Male Choir in ‘ Lord of Glory, Power and Might ’ to the Latin tune on which is based the well-known ‘ Sun of My Soul.’ A stirring Italian opera chorus, ‘ The Bandit,’ will give th_e choir an opportunity for virile singing, while ‘ Morning Hymn’ (Henschel), the only new composition, is of definite worth. Chief among the supporting attractions is the Technical College Orchestra, under the baton of Dr Vernon Griffiths. This combination of 120 instruments is composed entirely'of pupils at the King Edward Technical College, and in addition to its own items the orchestra will accompany the choir in ‘ God Defend New Zealand.’ Mr J. R. Bennett will be the choir soloist, and Master Ken. Walker, the boy contralto who scored great success at the recent competitions, will be heard in items. The box plans will open at Degg’s to-morrow, when programmes will also be available.