MALE CHOIR RECITAL

Southland Times, Issue 24868, 7 October 1942, Page 3

MALE CHOIR RECITAL

Appearance Of Ariel Singers A feature of the second recital of the Invercargill Male Choir’s season in the Victoria Concert Chamber last night was the presence of a second choir, the Ariel Singers, among the assisting performers. This women’s organization has already established itself in popular favour, and its appearance at the Male Choir concert introduced it to a wider public than it has perhaps enjoyed before. The Ariel Singers are a small body of about 18 singers conducted by Mr L. E. Dailey. They sang part songs extremely sweetly, their items ranging from the dramatic to the melodic and the amusing. Their selection included “Go down Moses” and “Nobody knows de trouble I’ve seen” (Burleigh), “Three green bonnets” (d’Hardelot), “Caller Herrin’” (arr. Fletcher), “A Celtic lullaby” (arr. Robertson), “The Irish Reel” (Joze) and “Philosophy.” The Male Choir was in excellent voice. It was its second appearance under the conductorship of Mr Charles Martin, and it upheld the high standard of its first concert of the season. A group of sea shanties was particularly popular with the audience. They were “Billy Boy,” “Shenandoah” and “What shall we do with the drunken sailor,” the shantyman being Mr L. Stevenson. Other items by the choir were “The Sabbath call” (Kreutzer), “Creation’s Hymn” (Beethoven), “Hymn to Music” (Buck), “Soldier, rest” (Somervell), “Lullaby” (Williams) and “Hame, hame, hame” (Taylor). An instrumental soloist was Miss Mary Gilbert, who contributed two groups of pianoforte items. She gave a sensitive interpretation of Chopin’s Nocturne in F Sharp and displayed a sparkling technique in Grieg’s “Pappilons.” Other items were a Strauss Serenade and Danse Negre (Cyril Scott). The vocal soloists were Miss Mary Nichol and Miss Grace Hunter, sopranos, both of whom sang delightfully. Miss Nichol sang “A blackbird singing” and “The brightest day” and Miss Hunter sang “Alleluja” (Mozart) and “Who’ll buy my lavendar?” Mrs L. E. Dailey was the accompanist for the Ariel Singers and the solo singers.