BRASS AND VOCAL MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 897, 14 February 1930, Page 15

BRASS AND VOCAL MUSIC

ARTILLERY BAND AND CHOIR

Well-chosen classical compositions, that carried a popular appeal, were presented in an excellent concert by the Artillery Band, in conjunction with the Puccini Musical Society, in the Town Hall last evening. The entertainment. arranged to augment funds to send the band to the contests, maintained a good musical standard, and was deserving of greater public patronage than was accorded it. The house fully appreciated both the brass and vocal music, while the combined efforts of the choir, accompanied by the band, which figured prominently in the programme, were distinctly meritorious. Under the baton of Mr. Wynne Smith, W. 0.1., who incidentally arranged the music for numbers sung by the choir with band accompaniments, the band gave a good fortaste of its form for the contests. The march. “Torchlight,” was, perhaps, its best performance, the band not being at its best in the test selection, Beethoven’s “Pathetic.” In accompanying the choir there was a tendency to heaviness, with a consequent overwhelming of voices of the soloists in some of the numbers, this drowning effect being particularly notieeable in the singing of “The Calf of Gold.’’ Still the choir restored the balance largely by its volume, and generally the combined performances were exceptionally good, and a marked improvement upon the choir’s previous concert.

The ever-popular grand quartet of •Rigoletto,” with Misses D. Jenkins and I. Dobbs, and Messrs. G. Fagan and J. De Montalk as soloists, was greeted with vociferous applause. The choir was also most impressive with its singing of the “Grand Church Scene” (Faust), the solo work of Miss D. Jenkins and Mr. R. Fisher being particularly good. The Toreador song, frojn “Carmen” in which Mr. H. Valentine was soloist, the rousing “Funiculi - Funicula,” in which the solo part was sung by Mr. G. Fagan and the tuneful “Lucia di Lammermoor” grand sextet, sung by Misses E. Herbert and J. Dobbs, and Messrs. T. Mitchell. C. Johnson, H. Valentine and J. De Montalk, also enjoyed much popularity. Outstanding in vocal work were the performances of Signor Costantini and Mr. C. Johnson, in the duet, “Solen. Questora,” and Signor Costantini and Mr. G. Fagan in a splendid interpretation of “Crucifix.” Miss H. •Harris’s fine mezzo-soprano voice was heard to advantage in “Arise O Sun.” Delightful violin and flute solos were given by Miss T. Lockwood and Mr. G. Poore. Mr. McElwain convulsed the house with a humorous monologue. The accompaniments were capably played by Miss K. O’Leary and Mr. S. Adams, Mr. H. Hiscocks presiding at the grand organ.

Among the synchronised pictures that have claimed equal success with the 100 per cent, dialogue productions, three stand out pre-eminent. These are “The Divine Lady,” 'The Four Feathers.” and the vivid and tuneful “Hungarian Rhapsody.” This latter masterpiece is packed with the music of Vienna and Budapest. and is scored with waltzes, czardas, and the exotic and unusual rhythms of theHungarian folk songs.

Fannie Brice has completed Be Yourself " and in this, her second talkie, she supported by Robert Armstrong. Harry Green. Gertrud# Astor and Pat Collina*