Musical

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 38, 16 December 1893, Page 9

Musical

HANDEL’S MESSIAH,

Whatacrowd! Magnificent house! Worthy of The Messiah ! A credit to Invercargill! Won’t Mr Gray be pleased ! These are but echoes of the remarks that buzzed through the theatre on Wednesday evening as the people flocked hi to pit and stalls and circle, and even on to the platform behind the circle where no seats are provided. The audience was representative of Southland. The faces of well-known settlers, of leading business people, (and £of musical enthusiasts from the Mataura |to the Aparima and beyond, could be picked out on every hand. The stage arrangements and appointments were just as perfect as the excellent taste and practical skill of the conductor could make them. Our popular Mr Gray, excited, eager, forceful as ever, got a hearty round of applause as he took a position in command of his forces, orchestral and vocal, and lifted his baton to open the attack on that most renowned of all oratorios, Handel’s Messiah. It may be said at once that the entire performance was received with manifest delight, and the Choral Society not only justified again its right to exist, but more emphatically than ever its claim upon the more consistent support of the general public With so excellent a piece of work under review, and with so much to praise, criticism may seem to some an easy matter. But then, to praise with discrimination and to blame with justice yet with kindly temper, ay, there’s the rub ! We take the names of the soloists in order as they come in the book of words.

Of Mr H. Weir great things were expected, because of his high reputation, and also because of his having been brought from a city so famous for its devotion to musical culture as Christchurch. Certainly few tenor singers have taken part in our oratorios and concerts here possessed of a voice so full and mellow and sympathetic as Mr Weir’s. His efforts, and they were by no means lacking in vigour, did not seem to distress him in the least. He was evidently of a mind to give a good account of himself. In this he succeeded. But why should one with such gifts discount their effectiveness by bringing the vibrato into requisition so frequently as our visitor does ? (Drizzle doesn’t always improve a shower!) Or why roll words at times along the roof of the mouth until the angles of enunciation are rubbed off, and at other times, though not so often, invest them with the least suspicion of the nasal ? Why should an artist so much at home with his work as Mr Weir appears to be, actually shout when he gets hold of a note well within his range until one is forced to wonder how loudly a note can be rendered without falling a victim to a commonplace definition of noise ? A truce to criticism. Mr Weir is an able singer, and will always be welcome in Invercargill, to sing as he sang on Wednesday evening, “Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.” A full share of the heavy work of the evening fell on Mr J. Taylor. This gentleman is a Hercules in singing. The heaviest music does not tire his voice or tax his courage. His superior gifts are ;vell known and no one among our male singers is more popular. On this occasion he was fully appreciated. If Mr Taylor would only take the hint so often given, and put fire, feeling, and soul into his work ! No singer, however gifted, can maintain his succcsss if he decline the suggestion of his audiences. Mr Taylor’s performances are always good—very often superior—but never an inspiration. What a splendid chance for passion he had in “ Why do the nations so furiously rage together? and why do people imagine a vain thing?” Yet, although-this was his best effort, he did not do his rare gifts justice. When this singer wakes up he will make his audience sit up and no mistake. Why should not the

owner of such a magnificent bass voice aspire to be a great exponent of the creations of. musical genius ? Miss Innes was in capital form. She sang “ Behold a Virgin ” with great good taste and lively force. She not only sang the music, but she ' interpreted the heart and spirit of her words by the music to which they were set. Such character,, such power, such genuine feeling made her contribution very refreshing to her audience. More of the contralto work should have been put in the hands of this fine singer. Mrs Boss did her difficult part well and in a most cheerful way. She has long retained the affectionate respect of our song-loving community, and deservedly so. She was warmly applauded by her fellowworkers, which was a fine tribute. No young singer could have expected such manifest admiration as Miss Lithgow secured, flow well she earned her decided success! Such a delightful rendering of that beautiful sentence, “He shall feed His Flock like a Shepherd,” is not often heard in our town. In voice, in manner, in expression, and in all the graces that constitute capacity to interpret high-class song Miss Lithgow is rapidly improving. It was a mistake to give such a difficult air as “Come unto Him” to Miss Kirwan. Her sweet, but not strenuous, voice was unequal to the task imposed. Yet all praise to her for doing so well under so impossible a burden. Her excellent talents deserved a better opportunity. The solo of the Messiah is “He was despised.” Miss (Little no doubt felt that in essaying to sing it she was taxing her powers to, the utmost. Her sweet mellow voice, so quietly pathetic at times, has no store of robust strength within it, and not a tragic note. Yet she did her best. But she would have been heard to greater advantage in a much smaller place. The singing of Miss Geddes in “I know that My .Redeemer liveth ” was exquisitely beautiful. The audience waited upon her notes with deepest enjoyment. Loud and long-sustained applause crowned her magnificent interpretation. Mr Grenfell did not rouse much enthusiasm by his singing of “The Trumpet shall sound.” He could have clone much better. He is a fine, hearty fellow, well liked and has a useful voice and much courage. The choruses were uniformly good—never better rendered here; such seemed to be the genera] testimony. The three best may be noted as “ Unto Us a Son,” “ Hallelujah,” and “ Worthy the Lamb.” The orchestra was in capital fettle and merited much praise. Miss Findlay did her duty as pianiste well—very well. Mr Gray—who could take his place F—so energetic, so particular, so nervous, so tasteful, and so enthusiastic ! Long live and long reign the conductor of the Choral Society.

The performance of Thursday evening was quite up to that of Wednesday, and in the opinion of some considerably better. Tor instance, Mr Taylor put more power into his singing, and effectually won a hearty demonstration of admiration from the audience. The attendance was not adequate to the merits of the performance. Mr Weir and Mr Gray were the recipients of floral tributes.