THE CHORAL SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 63, 6 August 1879, Page 3

THE CHORAL SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

The Feilding Choral Society's Concert on Friday evening, pased off very successf o"y. The night was beautifully fine, ? and the room was well filled with an an : preciativ6.aud ; eace. It is not usual to criticise severely the effovis of amateurs, stOl we would suggest that on future- occasions the programme might he very much improved by being! made more diversified. Oh Friday" evening it was confined almost exclusively to high-class music. We venture to express Our opinion that, m mixed audiences, such as we can only have m Feilding, this is a mistake; and that a slight admixture of music of" a lighter character would] have been* an improvement. The songs seemed to have been selected with a view to effect; rather than ! to please the aud'eiice. The performance of high-class music, no doubt, has its advantages m elevating and refbihg the taste, but until the people have been educated to 'appreciating its merits, the exclusion of music of a more popular kind we consider injudicious m concerts intended for the entertainment of all. With ■-.: this slight drawback; the concert passed off very well, as was evidenced by the applause so freely accorded to those who took part m it. ! The overture- "it Barbieri- de Sev^lia," commenced the firstpavfc of the programme; This was played by a lady, well known m musical circles, with her accustomed brilliancy of execution. The glee, '< Here^ m Cool Grot," went very well '.:■''? The Sexton was sung by a gentleman possessing' a fine bass voice, m good style, the accompaniment being well played by a young lady of tetfder years who exhibited a proficiency rarely attained by one so young. "Bid me discourse,*? was pleasingly rendered by alady who delighted the audience at the late enptortaiumenfc afc Halcbmbe. The glee, "See the Chariot at hand,'* was well rendered, with the exception ''of a couple of bars- at the termination, which were a little faulty. " The British Anchor," was well sungby a gentleman not unknown to the amateur stage. M Phillis is piy only joy," was ren- ( dered cL^arly and well, exctpl ing the sustained notes. "The Harmonious Blacksmith," a solo onthe.piand, was played by ! a. lady, who delighted the audience by the brilliancy of execution, shown 'in this difficult piece. The glee, ■" Ye spotted snakes," by the members of the Society, eclipsed their previous performance, and was^greafcly •! applauded. "The storm," brought out a' fine baritone voice, and was sung m capitol style. « The Goathefu," was judiciously omitted, and a very pleasing substitute was found m "Treasures of the Deep," which was very nicely rendered by the lady who had previously played the solo on the piano, and hearty applause. A quartette by well known amateurs, brought the first part of the programme to a close. The setond part commenced with a solo on the piano, which was well received. "Where art thou, beam of light," *by the members of the Society, was decidedly their best achievement. " The Vagabond," w as not so successful as the singer's other piece, "The British Anchor." " Under the Greenwood," \ a duet,; by the lady who had charmed with "Bid me discourse," and a gentleman, was t enthusiastically encored, and on repetition proved still more successful. "Sleeping, I dreamed, love," was rather tame. The glee, '"From Oberon m Fairvland I , ' by the members, was rendered m pleasing style. <f Life's • rivwi" waawell eung by the gwwUemau

who had sung "JjThe Sexton," but was not equal to his previous achievement. "Do not mingle," was splendidly sung by the lady who had made such a favorable impression on tlie audience by her pleasing rendering of the " Treasures of the Deep." The sweetness .. and expression with which this operatic gem was given, elicited a rapturous encore which was gracefully complied with, when another song, though not so effective,- was loudly applauded. The favorite glee, " Hark the Lark," by the members, despite, a little tripping at the start, was very effective. "Tell me, my heart," by the lady who had taken part m the duet, was most pleasing rendered, the tones coming forth clear and silvery as a bell. The vocalist received a hearty and well deserved encore, and wai equally successful m "Should he upbraid," which was substituted m complying with the demand. The quartette and chorus; "Rule, ?Britannia," we have seldom heard given m better style by amateurs. The National Anthem, m which the audience were invited to join, brought the concert to a close. We cannot help remarking that .the concert would have been more enjoyable, brt for the presence of a few hobble-de-hoys, endowed with strong larrikin proclivities, whose conduct was at once offensive and objectionable. It is a pity these gentry do not confine their attention to scenes where their vagaries would be appreciated, and not prove a sou-rce of annoyance to others. The Choral Society are greatly indebted to the ladies from a distance, who rendered such valuable assistance on Friday evening. Had j it not been for their service, the concert would have been denuded of a great portion of its attractiveness. We; must not omit a word of praise to thelodies; 'also who played the accompaniments. To Mr. Dowling, the conductor, is mainly due the credit of bringing out ' the concerted p?eces so effectively. We must conclude by expressing a hope that it will' not be long before the Choral Society favor tte public with another of their agreeable entertainments.