MUSIC IN PATEAD.

Patea Mail, 5 April 1881, Page 3

MUSIC IN PATEAD.

The fifteenth ordinary concert of the Patea Harmonic Society on Friday was successful be5 r ond recent experience. The audience was larger than usual, the hall being well filled ; and there was an expectation that the operetta announced for the second part would prove a happier selection as a set piece than some recent experiments of a high and dry sort. This expectation was fulfilled. The first half of the programme comprised songs, choruses, and instrumental pieces. The band made a good impression with the pretty “ Fantine Waltz,” played as an overture. Three choruses, all familiar and excellent, were rendered with easy precision for an amateur society, the defects being in quality of voice and uneven balance of parts rather than in execution. The conductor makes- up his chorus, like his band, by welcoming and embodying any number of voices that happen to join, and leaving sections of the chorus to balance each other as they may. Hence there could be nothing gained by directing criticism to a defect that docs not admit of remedy with amateur devotees. High quality of voices in a chorus can be secured only in a relative degree. The society seemed weaker than usual in good trebles. The tenors were again unequal to the weight thrown on them. The basses cannot yet be complimented on a full body of tone. Altos were rarely heard at all ; while contraltos were in excess of strength, as usual. These inequalities may be noted as unavoidable at present. A chorus requires perfect balance of parts for successful rendering ; and the society’s performances have to be judged conditionally, by allowing for known inequalities. Judging accordingly, tbe three choruses in the first part were rendered in a manner to give pleasure to the audience, and to afford to performers the sweet gratification of a conscious success. The “ Huntsman’s Chorus ” from the opera of “ Dor Frcischutz,” full of breezy vigor ; and the two softly tuneful choruses in the “ Lammerrnore ” opera, “ From yonder vale and hill,” and “ Hark, how for thee,” were rendered with careful expression, including the delicate tenor solo in the last chorus. It is noticeable that, in part singing, the voices do not strike in with full-toned force. Some one voice seems to lead in each part, and if that voice be not true to time, the other voices in the part remain silent or make only an uncertain murmur. In one chorus in the operetta, a whole bar seemed to be lost by tenors and basses, instead of answering the maidens’ chorus with a quick resjionse of male voices. This habit of waiting for leading voices, or want of individual precision, is the principal defect at present. The steadiness was good throughout. Among successful songs in the first part, “ Let me dream again ” was sung with nice taste by Mrs Cowern, whose voice is very sweet within its range. “ Wrecked and saved ” is an effort requiring pathos and power, to mark the transition from despair to sudden hope and rescue. Mr Taplin excelled himself in this song, and earned an encore. “ Sing to me a merry lay,” by Miss Gowland, was a pleasing performance as a first solo in public ; a little tremulous, but sweet and tasteful. The encore she gave was too long. A purer pronunciation of certain words would improve more than one soloist. Such a simple word as day is supposed to be improved by singing it day-ee. Mr King’s flute solo was a nice example of skilful fingering. The baritonesong, “All that glitters,” was wanting in quality of tone, though a fair effort, which gained an encore. The pianoforte solo seemed like a medley of fingering exercises cleverly run off. Mr Weiss made a good effort to express the tender poetry of Schumann’s “Memories,” and almost succeeded.

A new operetta by Mr Birch, a lately risen star, formed the second part. “ Evclccn, the Rose of the Vale,” is gaily tuneful, rather light and airy, yet brilliant throughout ; being in these respects a cheerful contrast to many heavy pieces at previous concerts. The selection of this piece was a happy hit, and the whole audience were interested and pleased in a marked degree. Several of the choruses arc worth preserving for future repetition, and might be set among heavier music like sparkling gems. The band showed to advantage in the overture ; followed by a captivating chorus full of tripping joyousnoss, “Away to the meadows, away.” A contralto ballad with semi-chorus was followed by a baritone solo, “ Scenes of my childhood,” sung by Mr Neill with

careful expression. This tender and very pleasing air is one of several gems in the piece ; and its rendering was highly creditable, earning an encore. There was too much evidence of effort; and tbe words were blown through the teeth. Most amateurs are afraid to open the mouth, as if it were unnatural or indelicate ; whereas professional singers give full play to the vocal organ, and pronounce words with round fulness. So genera] is this defect, that few members of tbe society sing words distinctly enough to convey sense to the audience. Enunciation is an important condition of successful singing. The chorus and serenade, “ Cheerfully tripping along the gay mead,” with contralto and tenor solos, was bright and gleesomc. A Maypole dance afforded a welcome interlude for tbe band, although the dancing mob of villagers was visible only to the mind’s eye. A lovely ballad followed, “ Then for thee I breathe a sigh,” sung by a tenor whose voice was unequal to the task. Another tenor ballad was omitted, the singer having a cold. The next notable passage was a splendid treble song, “ Why is Richard not here ?” sung with Mrs Hurst’s usual power and clearness, yet with a hardness in the upper notes, as -if her fine voice were overworked. Of course she gained an encore. A bass song, “ My own, my native land,” should have been a success, the singer’s notes being full and good in the lower register ; but somehow be got out of scale a full tone in the higher passages, and produced a discord with the piano. It is to be regretted the accompanist had not the tact to stop and leave the singer alone. This song could not have been practised sufficiently at rehearsal. An exquisite duett for tenor and treble, “ The harvest moon,” must be set down as the brightest success of the evening. Mrs Hurst is sweetest in dulcet passages of this sort, and Mr Taplin’s voice blended well. How liquid too was the piano accompaniment ! Of such music there cannot be too much, and we hope to hear this duett again. The final chorus, “ Sing merrily, sing cheerily, with hearts so light and gay,” was a fitting close to a bright and joyous opera of the Vaudeville school.

This concert as a whole, but chiefly for the second part, was the most pleasing and in that sense the best that has been given in Patea for a long time. Concerts that do not please the bulk of an audience cannot be called successful in any sense worth recording. Pieces which are known to be unsuitable for public performance by a musical society might be confined to private rehearsal. How much more satisfactory it must bo to performers to know that their public efforts have conferred pleasure and evoked applause ! The applause at this concert followed each song or chorus almost of necessity. Sympathy had been secured, and with sympathy went applause. The band gains strength and improves with practice. The piano accompaniment appeared to be equal to requirement. A really good pianist would, however, be an acquisition to the society.