STUDENT MUSIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24400, 11 September 1940, Page 9

STUDENT MUSIC

TRAINING COLLEGE CHOIR AN INTERESTING CONCERT If any evidence were needed of the attention paid to music in the education of school teachers in Otago, it was provided convincingly by the concert presented by the Dunedin Training College Choral Society in Wallace Hall before a large audience last night. In a programme marked by several outstanding renderings, most of the numbers reached a commendably high standard. It might be said, however, that the concert showed the value of the work being done, not so much by what was attained as by what was attempted. It is important that those to whom is entrusted the early education of children should have a due regard for their musical appreciation. On the work he is doing with the Training College students, therefore, Mr George E. Wilkinson is to be commended. as well as on the way he brought his choir and orchestra through an interesting programme last night. The choir suffered from that prevailing fault of Dunedin choirs, a lack of balance between the male and female sections (in this case it was something like 64 women to 16 men). Therefore, allowance had to be made for a certain lack of body, but in some of its more vigorous numbers the choir indeed achieved a very fair measure of success. One of the best of the choral items was “ Beyond the Spanish Main.” by Armstrong Gibbs, an attractive part song, while the concluding number, the polonaise ‘‘Christmas Night." of Rimsky Korsakov, was also sung with a fine regard for the spirit of the composition. Dunhill’s “Tubal Cain ’’ found the choir hardly at its best. The number was rather on the imposing side and better suited to more matured voices. A pleasing number was "Shepherd’s Song” (Elgar), sung by the ladies of the choir, in which they achieved some effective harmonising, while the men, led by Mr T. Pedlar, gave a vigorous and popular rendering of a brace of sea shanties, “Hulla Baloo Balay." and “Fire Down Below.” The combined choir was alsp well at home in Grainger’s arrangement of “ The Hunter in His Career.” which was sung with zest. Perhaps the best, as well as the mosx popular, number was Mendelssohn’s lovely duet “ I Waited For the Lord,” in which Misses M. Elder and J. Gasparich were accompanied by the choir. Both the soloists and the choir entered into the oratorical spirit of the mece and the audience keenly appreciated it. Among the vocal soloists. Miss P. Capper displayed a sweet soprano in Handel's “ Silent Worship,” a simple piece but nevertheless characteristic of the composer. Franck’s "Panis Angelicus ” was effectively sung by Miss E. Clyde, with a violincello obbligato by Miss E Frye and choir accompaniment. while another number in which choir and soloist combined well was “O Peaceful England,” from “Merrie England.’ in which the solo was sung by Miss C. Warwick. Other soloists were Mr Pedlar, who sang “ For England.” by Murray. Mr I. Jenkin (Willeby’s “ Sea Gipsy") Miss B. Kirkness >“A Mood," by Travers), and Miss N/ Burns, who sang “ Villanelle ” (Dell ’Acqua). One of the most attractive items was the clarinet duet “Canzonetta” (Ames), by Messrs L. White and J Ritchie, who gave a pleasing interpretation of the piece. The Training College orchestra was heard in two numbers, Elliott’s “ Minuet and Intermezzo ” and “ Evensong,” by Martin Accompanists last night were Misses K, Bell, H, Birt, M. Mowat. N. Pickett and Messrs R. Perks and Wilkinson