IRISH TENOR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 581, 6 February 1929, Page 15

IRISH TENOR

MR. O’SHEA’S CONCERT SECOND RECITAL Gathered widely from the storehouse of melody were the numbers sung by Mr. Alfred O’Shea, the IrishAustralian tenor, at his second concert in the Town Hall last evening. The programme was much more suited than that of Saturday night to prove that the mellow-throated artist who has sung as principal tenor with Melba and Dal Monte, is wonderfully versatile. Supporting the principal were Miss Ina Bosworth, talented violiniste. Miss Mavis Grevatt, harpist, and Miss Theo Halpin, solo pianiste and accompanist. Smooth and beautiful were two Handel numbers sung by Mr. O’Shea. The first, “Sleep! Wry Dost Thou Leave Me/ 1 was a wonderful beginning, and it was followed by “Where’er You Walk,” over which the singer’s voice swung easily in silvery tones. Rachmaninoff’s song, “Oh, Cease Thy Singing, Maiden Hair,” demanded good control, and it was a triumph especially in the rapturous phases. “Had I the Voice of Morven,” by Colin Campbell and “Eleanore” (Coleridge-Taylor) were unusually interesting and successful numbers. “A Leve Toi Soleil,” from Gounod's “Romeo and Juliet, ’ was caught and held in masterful fashion. An enthusiastic audience demanded many encores. Mr. O’Shea will include in his programme to-morrow evening: “La Fleur” (from “Carmen”) (Bizet), “At tlio Mid Hour of Night” (Cowan), “Serenata” (with violin obligato) (Torselli), “A Song Remembered” (Eric Coates)., “I Hear a Thrush at Eve” (Cadman), “Agnus Dei” (Bizet) (with grand organ, violin and piano accompaniment) and, by special request, “Ombra Mai Fu,” with grand organ accompaniment.