HARMONIC SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 269, 13 November 1874, Page 2

HARMONIC SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

The produc ion by the Society of a selection from Weber's opera Der Frehchutz last night met with so large a measure of success as to prove that the undertaking, though ambitious, was wel within the capacty'of the Society. The opera itself abounds in charming melodies and tuneful and stirring, anl, moreovtr, easy choruses, and, though a large part depends for effect npon instrumentation and scenery altogether beyond the resources of the Society, and cons quently was necessarily omitted, the remainder ia very well adapted to its means, and likely to give pleasure both to pc formers aod listen; rs. That this was not altogether so last n'ght, so far us the eh.'ruses are concerned, apjeared to a gnat txtent to be due to two reasons feebleness of the male and ato parts, and evident want of practice on the part of the tenors and, bassos. We regretted lhe large nnmber of s -empty places where tenors, bassos and altos used to sit, and were surprised to see that the dearth of altos had not b:en rerneliel from the sopranos, amongst tbe large number cf whom sire many wlio could have done good service on tlie other benches A ronductor's skill, hwever great, is thrown away where I performers arr. so ignorant of their parta that j thoy have no timo to look at him, and again, no amonnt of tra:ning and practice can give a sitfcfactory rendering to actions where the parts are so ill balanced as was >he case last night. Notwithstanding these difficulties the (onductor my well be congratulated upon the result of all his hird work, and we trust tbe pjrformers will be encouraged to still further efforts ia a similar dirtcion. That there is a large amount of ta'ent among their ranks tbey may be assured, snd we may fairly say that many of the solos and duets heard last night were very far indeed abovo the average, and more than atoned for any other shortcomings. All were well done, but we must specially mention Agnes' exquisite " Prayer," which could hardly have been better or more feelingly sumr, and well deserved its hearty encore, whilst the difficult rapid movement which follows went equally well, though with perhaps hardiy sufficiently flre. The cavatina «* Altho' a clond," to our mind the gem of the opera, was sung by the same young lady, and though net so loudly applauded, pleased ns quit. as much as ber former effort. The sparkling duett between " Annie" and "Agnes" was perhaps as we'l rendered by both voices as the two songs to which we have referred, and the power an I flexibility of v. ice «hown by the young lady who took the part of " Annie," mtke us hope that in future she will be more often heard than has hitherto been tbe case. The little banljrorked away manfully, and considering the task it had before it, acquited itself w»li. On the whole, we say again that the Society may be well satisfied with the result o* last night's concert, and encouraged by it shortly to produce some other great work, ?\when we trust there may be no room even for the amount of fault which we have been compelled to find in this case. The second p«rt of the concert wai made up of some.fairly well mng glees and several solos— the\ latter serving to renew our acqunintance with an old friend, who, warmly greeted as he stepped forward, won a most cmhusiastic encore for "The Skipper and his Boy." H^ then s»ng a fine oil song "The Mountain Maid," which p'eased vi even more than his first effort. We understand that the foctety will at once commence the practice of an oratorio, to be produced about Ch istmas time.