VISITING MUSICIANS GIVE GREAT PLEASURE AT B.M.S. CONCERT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 12

VISITING MUSICIANS GIVE GREAT PLEASURE AT B.M.S. CONCERT

A delightful musical programme which give the greatest possible amount of pleasure to the listeners was arranged by the' Hastings branch of the British Music Society and lield at the Hastings Women's Communitv Club last evening. The spacious club louxxge, which was fitted to aapacity, was .decoraAed with lovely bowls of pink cherry blossom and lilac and bowls of tulips and 5vas an ideal place in which to hold the concert. . The programme presented was given by two artists from Wellington, Miss Ava Symonds (violinist) and Miss Elgar Christie (vocalist) and it would be difficult to praise sufficiently these two very talented musicians. Evefy item was listened to with muclx enjoyment and the applause accorded the artists was sufficient evidencc ';hat all present very much appreciated'having the privilege of hearing such a rare musical treat. At the conclusion of the programme the B.M.S. president, Dr. K. E. Uxompton, thanked tho performers for a xnost enjoyable evening. He said that Miss Ava Symonds had several times been heard at B.M.S. concerts in Hastings and that it wras always a delight to listen to her brilliant playing. He hopedi that the members would be privileged to hear her many moro times. Dr. Cromptou also said tba.t the members were partieularly pleased to have an opportunity to hear Miss Elgar Christie and were proud of tlie fact that she really came from Havelock North, Ho said that her voice was most charmirtg and that she had developed it in an excellent way. He thanked Mrs. Ina Stephens whose brilliant accompanying had added considerably to the pleasure of the evening. Dr. Crompton also thanked the members of the Hastings Women's Gommunity Club for allowing the B.M.S. to usG their rooms. "Tho two organisations really work along the same lines," said the speaker, "in that each is trying to raise the standard of culture. We, in New Zealand, boast of our higb standard of living and though we have reached a high standard of material comfort wre are too satisfied with material tlxings and should aim to reach a higher standard of culture. I hope that we may continue this co-operation and thus lielp to reach the end which both. are trying to attain." Tbe programme was as- foilow s : — Sonata No. 2 (Delius),' Ava Symonds; (a) Farewell Ye Lirnpid Springs (Handel), (b) Deh Vieni (Mozart), (c) Hark! The Ech'oing Air (Purceli), "Elgar Christie; introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (Saint-Saens), Ava Symonds ; (a) Du Bist Die Ruh (Scliubert), (b) The Rrincess (Grieg), (c) The Lilacs (Raclimaninofl), (d) The Dew it Shines (Rubinstein), Elgar Christie ; (a) Slow Horsps Slow (Mallinson), (b) The Rosebud (Mallinson), (c/ Hindu Children's Rain Song (Mallinson), (d) The Lost One (Bantock), (e) See Where My Love Amaying Goes (Lidgey), Elgar Christie; Prelude ank Allegx'o (Pugnaixi-Kreis-ler), Ava Symonds. Encores given iucluded "Melody" (Gluck, arranged by Kreisler ; £iThe PoemeV (Fibick) and "The Bee" (Schubert). (a) Snowflakea (Lehmann), (b) My Lover Come Ariding (Yaughan de Leath), (c) Blackbird's Song (Cyril Scott), (d) The Buckle (Arthur Blxss), (e) O That It. Were Sol (Frank Bridge), Elgar Christie. Encores were "1 Will Give My Love An Apple (an old English folk sang) and "Cam Ye By" (Benjamin Burrows). Miss Ava Symonds wore a gown of blue andi silver brocade withi draped corsage caught with a spray of lily of the valley. Miss Elgar Christie's trained gown was of black matalasse with a large rose design and a cluster of flowers finishjrxg the corsage in front. Mrg. Ina Stephens wore deepest blue with a frill of net edging the hem and a cowied neckline.- All three were presented with very pretty posies. Mrs. Ginn, of Wellington, who also pjlayed some of Miss Christie's accompafiiments, wore a gown of brown georgette threaded with gold and a matching fur-trimmed cape. At the end of the evening a light suppet xvas enjoyed. Among the audieace were: Dr. and Mrs. K. E. Crompton, Miss G. Grant and Mrs. Grant, Mr. and Mrs. A. Christie, Mrs. G. Kirkley, Mrs. W. G. Slead, Mrs. H. M. Bishop, Mr. and Mrs. H, Lovell-Smith, Mrs. A. I. Rainbow, Mrs. W. H. McOaw and Miss Mary McCaw, Mr. and Mrs. H. Gilbertson, Mrs. and Miss Clayton, Mrs. A. Lockie, Mrs. Huglx Small, Miss E. Lugieby, Mrs. W. Lockie, Mrs. D. W. Hursthouse, Miss M. Wastney, Miss A. Seal, Miss McNeill, Mrs. H. S. Robiuson, Mrs. W. Bridgman, Mrs. 1. H. Blair and MisB Mary Blair, Mrs. A. Lock and Miss A. Lock. Mrs. A. H. Eddie, Mrs. Edridge, Mrs. A. E. U'Meara, Miss M. Baird, Miss Commin, Miss F. Parkinson, Miss Lyndal Candy, Miss Naixcy Mortimer-Jones, Miss Erude, Miss Dorothy Dobree, Mrs. Gordon itoaeh, Mrs. It. Payuter, Mrs. L. J. Harvey, MrB. Hedley Harvey, Mrs. Landon-Lane, Mrs. Corrigan, Miss E. 1'ickett, Mr aud Mrs Brook-Tayloi*, Mr and Mrs. W. E. Bato, Miss A: Adkins, Mrs. W. B- Nicoll, Miss H. Pope, Miss E. Wilsoxx, Miss P. Wood, Mrs. E. MilJson and Miss Margaret Millson, Mts. Donald Robertson and Miss Cecily Ivobcrtson, Mrs. A. E. Palmer, Miss Iv. Hiekson, Mrs J. Wright and Miss

Z. Wright, Mrs. W. A. Greer, Mrs Guy Roclifort and Miss®Ahx Hoclifoi't, Miss 1). Williams, Miss P. Agnew, Mr. H. Dixon, Miss E. Hoby, Dr. Gerda Eiclxbaunx. Miss F. Fox, Mr. and Mrs. Claughton, Mrs. Macdonell, Miss Clarkson, Mr. and Mrs. J. Banks, MisB Vogtherr, Miss Shattkv, Mr. W. Eush and Miss Helen Rush, Miss N. Crawford, Miss F. McLe'nnan, Mr. and Mrs. David Christie, Mrs. H. G. Carr, Mrs. Muorliduse, Mrs. B. Duke.