HARMONIC SOCIETY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10295, 2 June 1919, Page 2

HARMONIC SOCIETY

AN ADMIRABLE CONCERT

A remarkable feature of the first con cert of the present season of the Wellington Harmonic Socie.y at the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Saturday evening was the tact that . the programme was made up entirely of concerted pieces ot music. There were -u«solo items, and the concert was- a welcome relief from the ordinary entoi -lainmeht in which single performers, pass along in mediocre monotony. Also, only two of the part songs were accompanied. Mr H. Temple White, the conductor of this compact little musical organisation, can generally bo relied upon' to prepare something particularly agreeable in the shape of good as Well as attractive music, and Saturday night's concert certainly added •to the credit of the society. The opening part song, "The Bells ot St. Michael's Tower” (Stew am), was encored, together with "Far Away from Every Pleasure” (Bishop) and “The Lee Shore” (Coleridge Taylor). The dramatic construction of the last-mentioned was much adihired, and this item was one of the most pleasurable of the evening. "As Torrents in Summer” (Elgar) and the choral ode of Challinor, "A Song of the Sea,” were strong features of the programme. The work of accompanist was performed by Mr Harold Whittle with his unfailing skill. The male vocal quartet comprising Messrs V. R. Bennott, G. M. Howe, WSteven, and H. T. Barnes, were very wfirmly received for their two contributions—“ The Long Day Closes” (Sullivan) and “In Absence” (Dudley Buck), and, responding to encores, added “Spin. Spin,” and “Little Tommy Went A-fishlng.” Two - instrumental quartets were given by Miss Gladys Watkins (piano), Messrs Norman Watson (first, violin), George Harper (second violin), and Wynne Watkins (violoncello). They were particularly enjoyed. In the first instance, one or Brahms’ Hungarian Dances was given, with the intermezzo from "Cavalleria Rusticana” (Mascagni) as an encore. Subsequently a minuet of Beethoven was followed by “Ave, Marls Stella”' (Groig).