PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 139, 30 September 1876, Page 2

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

The Philharmonic Society is to be congratulated upon the genuine success which attended their concert last evening, as also upon the admirable and judicious arrangement of the programme. The concert wa s divided into three parts, the first portion being selections from Handel's "Messiah;" the second, devoted to performances on the fraud piano and harmonium ; while the third, and concluding part, embraced songs, duets, and quartettes. No doubt a great deal of the success must be attributed to the abls manner in which Mrs. MedlandNewsham acted as conductress throughout, an efficient aceompanyist being a most valuable aid to vocalists. Although, from the beginning to the close, there was nothing that the most critical could take exception to, yet, in our opinion, the Society's greatest strength lies in its choruses. This may, in a great measure, be attributed to the limited number of the .Society to whom were allotted the various recitative and airs, the chief burden of last evening being borne by a few of its most prominent members. However, it is a consoling fact, that those who were brought forward proved fully competent to the heavy tasks imposed upon them. " The Messiah " opened with the recitative and air, by Mr. Wade, " Comfort Ye," "And Every Valley," followed by what was undoubtedly the finest' chorus of the evening, "And :fh4:Glpry." Mr. Wade appeared to be ;&£oring from the effects of a cold, added to

which he was somewhat nervous, and as a consequence, was not so effective as he otherwise would have been; but later on iu the entertainment, he seemed to have surmounted those difficulties, and in his rendering of the song "Once Again" fully atoned for any previous shortcomings. Of the recitatives and airs in the oratorio, the honors must be divided between Mrs. L. Reade for "Oh, Thou that Tellest Glad Tidings in Zion," and Mrs. Clowes for her faultless execution of " And, lo I the Angel of the Lord." Messrs. J. and D. Booth rendered good service, the former appearing to great advantage in "Thus saith the Lord," and " But Who May Abide ;" although the latter gentleman's deep bass was admirably suited to the air " The People that Walked in Darkness," we noticed at times it being slightly erratic, and inclined to be jerky. The somewhat difficult and trying air "Rejoice Greatly" was given most creditably by Miss Jeanie Honor, as was also that of "But Thou Didst Not Leave," by Miss B. Hardy. The second portion of the programme was allotted to instrumental selections from Mendelssohn, Roubier, and Baumbach, the whole of which were executed in a masterly manner by Mrs. Medland - Newsham. "" Silvery Showers," by the last-named composer, elicited, as it fully deserved, long and enthusiastic applause. The same lady then gave impromptu selections on the harmonium, in the course of which several Scotch airs were introduced, amongst which was, "Oh, Where, and Oh, Where, has My Highland Laddie Gone ?" concluding with " The Last Rose of Summer." Mrs. Newsham is a most accomjjlished musician, and her execution on both instruments last evening was the subject of general remark and admiration. In the last portion of the concert, the palm was borne off by Mrs. L. Reade, who sang the plaintive melody of "The Mountebank' with such pathos as to call forth a vociferous demand for an eaeore. Although a veto had been very properly put upon encores, the applause was so genuine that a response had to be conceded, aud Mrs. Reade in her second effort excelled herself in the affecting ballad, "Strangers Yet." Next in order of merit, came Balfe's duet, "The Sailor Sighs," admirably rendered by tne same lady and Sir. J. Booth. Of the solos, the " Oh, oh, Hear the Wild Winds Blow," by Mr. J. Booth, and the " Come Back," of Mr. Holdsworth, are fully deserving of mention. Of the glees, quartettes, and part singing, it is unnecessary for us to speak, as we have already stated that in the matter of chorusses and part songs, the Society possesses its main strength and is as near perfection as possible. Taken as a whole, the concert of last night must be classed as a genuine succeess, and reflects the highest credit upon the Society individually and generally, a fact for which it is wholly indebted to the ability of the lady who acts as conductress and preceptress to its members. If it had a fault, it lay in the extreme length of the programme, which took nearly three hours to get through.