Last Night's Concert.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 126, 4 May 1883, Page 2

Last Night's Concert.

\ The Choral Society gave their third j concert last evening m the Foresters' Hall, to a Tery scanty andience. On the programme we noticed the appellation " Second Ordinary Concert." The name was scarcely appropriate, as the concert was, we venture to say, the most extra-ordinary one ever givpn m Manawatu or anywhere else. . With the exception of the pianoforte overtures, and one or two vocal items the programme was a sad bungle from beginning to end. The conductor, we thought, appeared more at home when he used a supple-jack to beat time with. We were last evening momentarily exp cting to see the baton lately presented to the. Society, by the members, glide perpendicularly from his hand on to the head of some unoffending fair one m front ; but we are happy to say no one was hurt. Beating musical time, m the conductor's opinion, mean h hewing imaginary an^lps, circles, squares, triangles, and all manner of shapes m the a'r, and pitching himself about m the most ungraceful and ludicrous manner. The concerh opened with an overture by the Society's pianise, Mips Atkinson, rendered m her upual faultless style, and would have been better en} avert by the audience had not the secretary and premier tenor of the Society made hira» self unnecessary officious and objectionable, by skooting about the stage like a parched pea m a frying-pan, lighting candles, &c, which under proper management should have b en seen to beforehand. The song, " Anita," was sun r tastefully, hut the lady who rendered it we ilo not consider is the possessor of a sufficiently powerful voice to sing m public. The male quartette, 11 To all you ladies now on land," was noticeably discordant. The solo, " Friar of orders Gray," was not a success, the singer, who has a good voice, having evidently cot sufficiently rehearsed his music with the pianiste, and broke down woefully m the first verse, scrambling through the second somewhat better. In the second part, the solo, " Good Company," was well sung. The duet, ' The Sailor Sighs," was not a success, the conductor taking the tenor without knowing his part, and spoiling what would have otherwise been an effective item, the pure tones of the alto singer ringing out clearly against the flat and uncertain notes of the baritone tenor. The alto solo, " Ye Happy Birds," was prettily rendered, and duly appreciated. The conductor next attempted to sing that grand song " A Free Lince," but failed fearfully. The climax of the farce was reached when the duett; " All's Well," was attempted, the nasal vocalization of one of the singers forcibly reminding us of Mr Maccabe's parody on "My Jane." Why the other singer, who has a good tenoi voice, consented to take part m such an exhibition we cannot conceive. The next trio, "When the Soft Moon* beams/ was a pleasing contrast to the last item, the second soprano especially singing with much taste and expression; Asa rule the choruses were not at all well rendered ; light and shade, time and expression, being noticeable by their absence. The attendance was the smallest we have ever seen at an entertainment m Palmers ton, and a number of those present we believe held honorary members' tickets, admitting them free, so that financially, as m other respects, success was not attained. An amusing feature was the ineffectual effort made to control their visible mr clinations by a number of the singers, at the athletic performances of the conductor when beating time. He wore a sevesely solemn visage, but his attitudes wore the most comical we eve^remems ber to have seen. Several of the singers had enough to do to keep from laughing outright, and a number of the audience were totally unable to conceal their mirth, some going outside to give vent to their feelings. It is to be regretted the concert was such a fiasco, as the public maintain that with a conductor having any pretensions to competence m that position , the success of the Society would have heen assured.