HARMONIC SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1969, 16 June 1880, Page 2

HARMONIC SOCIETY.

There was a very large attendance last night at the Oddfellows’ Hall, when the Harmonic Society gave their fourth and final concert of the season. The principal portion of the programme comprised Smart’s cantata, “The Bride of Dunkerron,” which was performed for the first time here. The music is almost entirely of a highly dramatic and difficult character, and to a great extent somewhat beyond the powers of the society, vocally speaking, as at present constituted. Those numbers which were of a simpler construction went excellently, but as a whole the performance was somewhat disappointing. The lady who sang the soprano solos did so with much artistic skill, and showed a thorough appreciation of the composer. This was particularly noticeable in the recitative “ Beloved,” the aria “ Our home shall be,” which was beautifn’ly rendered, and the duet, “ Here may we dwell.” The florid music of the aria was interpreted with a skill and precision which made it one of the most enjoyable numbers of the work. The gentleman to whom the tenor solos had been allotted was somewhat overtaxed, the dramatic character of the music in the majority of his solos being rather out of his line. He sang “ The full moon is beaming,” a composition of ballad character, very nicely indeed. The bass solos required a voice of more volume and power than that possessed by the gentleman who sang them. The choruses were fairly rendered, but there was a decided want of weight in the basses, which detracted frofn their full success. The best were “ Ha : l to thee,” for ladies’ voices, and a staccato chorus, “ Lost, lost.” The orchestra, under Mr Landergan, worked admirably throughout, though it would have been an improvement had there been more strings. The second part comprised instrumental selections, part songs, and vocal (OlOf