The Cantata and Concert

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 127, 19 April 1890, Page 3

The Cantata and Concert

Although the night was dark, and beavj showers of rain fell at intervals, the attendance at the Cantata in the Assembly Hooms 'on Thursday night waß very good, »nd the front seats were moderately well filled. The Introduction was not played b*> the orchestra qnite so soon as wp« arranged owing to the rain making some of the performers somewhat late in their arrival. HoweVer, a few minutes after eight o'clock 'the music commenced and was so fax satisfactory. The chorus .*« O'er the verdant plains- of Bethleham," by tho company, went very well, but its complete success "Was prevented by the basses and tenors •being placed so high up on the stage that "their voices were lost in the space above it. Had they been placed otherwise this -and the other choruses would have been heard to greater advantage. The tenor ■ *alo " O be not afraid " was very well rendered by Mr Alfred Eade, who was in ex•oellent voice. This was followed by the , i<shorus "To God in the Highest, Glory." v >Misß Belive (treble), Mrs Lissaman (alto), Mr Eade (tenor), Rev. limes- Jones (bass) aang the quartet. " As a fair dream is fading " with good taste and expression. Mr Eade followed with the recitative " When the Shepherds they said." The orchestra played the march, at the conclusion of which the chorus "We go by angel bid•den." Miss Bray (treble), Mrs Lissaman <alto), Mr.F. Goodhehere (tenor), Mr John Bartholomew, (bass) sang the quartette -• By th© Herald Angel guided" beautifully, the voices blending in harmony, which ~was very pleasing. ,The solo "O. T'was "not a vision we saw" was to have been taken by Miss Nellie Beattie but as that .young lady was taken suddenly ill with La Grippe, Miss Belive undertook it at ~the last moment, and it goes without saying she did it the fnllest justice. Miss Belive and Miss Ada Roe then sang the duet ** W * wiH Publish to ''all '"isn around" very swee lj. The chorus "Olist tothe grand chorus we heard", wei.t rati c better than »ny which had preceded it. In the solo and chorus "I ponder o'er tLe words Diyii c," Miss Bray rendered the solo with taste and feeling and the chorus was very elective. w With weary weeks of travel" was sung as a chorus instead of a quartette I -and the change was, perhaps, an improvement. The solo " O come, all ye faithful" (Adeste Fideles) was very nicely sung by Master Diamond, and the chorus which followed was well rendered. The"Hallilujah Amen " chorus was really well 6ung and the basses* and tenors were heard muoh better than in any of the preceding ■choruses. This finished a performance -which although not without its defects, was, taking it' altogether,, very pleasing. The orchestral accompaniments were a most valuable aid in keeping the choruses together. Special mention must be made of Mr R. F. Haybittle, the conductor, to whose indefatigable energy so much of the suocess ofthe piece was owing. Mrs Macarthur was the leader of the orchestra and was most efficient. Miss Goodbehere, as pianists, also rendered useful aid. In concluding this notice* we must express the wish, which we hqve heardfrom many, that the cantata will be repeated. It is well worth it. The concert which followed was an additional pleasure. Miss Belive opened the proceedings be singing " Live* my love. 1 ' She also sang in the duet "I would that the Love" with Miss Ada Roe, ■which was given very nicely, the voices of the two young ladies harmonised sweetly . The Rev. Innes-Jones sang " Ora pro INobis" very well indeed. Miss Bell, a visitor to Feilding, sang "Dear Heart" and fairly took the audience by storm. J_t the conclusion of the song an encore -was imperatively demanded, to which she iindly responded with "Yes or No," when she was again greeted with a perfect storm of applause, which she deserved in the fullest acceptation of the term. This vonng lady has the most beautiful and. best cultivated voice of any visitor ,who has been heard in Feilding for many a long day. Miss Bray was next on the programme and sang "Yesterday" very pleasingly and was greeted with applause. The performance concluded with " We'll run them in" by Messrs R. F. Haybittle and F. Keen, and it is needless for us to say that they .kept the audience in roars of laughter. The National Anthem played the audience out. -..