R.S.A. CHOIR

Evening Star, Issue 24282, 25 August 1942, Page 5

R.S.A. CHOIR

PERFORMANCE IN CONCERT CHAMBER A large and appreciative audience was attracted to the Concert Chamber at the Town Hall last night to hear the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ 'Choir in its first concert of the 1942 season. An attractive programme was presented by the choir. Under the baton of Mr L. B. Borrow, with Miss Sybil Baker at the piano, a wide selection of part songs was given with close attention lo detail, good balance, and fine lone control. Mr Sorrow's interpretations were followed intelligently, and the atmosphere of the numbers was maintained. It was noticeable, however, that in some songs of the more robust type there was not the usual response, a result, no doubt, of the heavy demands on the choir by military duties.

The best renderings by the choir undoubtedly came from a bracket of two short numbers, ‘ The Old Woman ’ and ‘ Maureen,’ by Sir Hugh Roberton, One of the two, ‘ Maureen,’ in which the soloist was Mrs Hall Masters, was perhaps the better. Another well-modulated item was Walton’s ‘ Softly Fall the Shades of Evening.’ This, and Geibel's ‘ Stream of Silver Moonshine,’ were both very well sung. A part song that received a heartening response from the audience was 1 Old Mother Hubbard.’ It was an enjoyable piece of work, well handled and controlled.

Choir members who rendered separate items included Mr S. Jeffs, who presented a tenor solo, ‘ Cartload of Hay,’ by A. E. Adams. This number deserved the applause given. A quartet by Messrs R. Hughes, T. Ballantyne, H. Grant, and L. Goughian sang Sprague’s humorous number, ‘ A Catastrophe,’ with spirit. Mrs Hall Masters’s mezzo-soprano solos were sung with marked depth of feeling and fine vocal control. ‘ Nob Understood,’ her encore number, was her best song of the evening. Mrs John McFarlane, contralto, was in excellent voice. In the duet, ‘ Mouni aiu Lovers,’ by Squire, which she sang with Mrs Hall Masters, the two gave an enjoyable rendering. Immediately successful were humorous recitals, given m an inimitable manner, by Mrs H. A. Flamer. A special number, in response to a call for an encore, was a song-poom, ‘ Florry,’ written by Mrs Roberta White, of Anderson’s Bay, for Mrs Hamer. Miss Nancy Finder gave a musiciauly interpretation of the violin solos, ‘ Gavotte,’ by Bach, and ‘ Taraborin of the Queen,’ by Moffat, and selected Maori songs were given by members of Mrs Parat a’s Maori Party. Pol dances were included and warmly appreciated.