PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue XXIII, 8 May 1901, Page 2

PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

The third concert of the New Plymouth Philharmonic Society took place at the Theatre Royal on Tirsday evenin?. The dress circle was fairly well filled, as.wore alsDthe front texts in the ground flo ir, but tho back seats were devoid of occupants, a fact which showa that tho'as'e of the masses for better class music has not yet ben cultivated. The chief item on the programme was Stanford's setting of Lord Tennyson's ballad "The fiovenge." The score of this work is generally recognised as a v»ry fair specimen of the compsfer's stylo. Tlu music is not to much difficult as catchy, but is par'icularly trying to amateur voices, and for effective rendering requires crifpness as we'l as purity of tone. Tha'd aresomo very ett'ectivo and mslodious passages interspersed with artistic interludes for the orchestra, on tho latter devolving the important duty of filling up, as it were, tho caps in tho story. This is especially noi<eib!e at the finale which the orchestra takes up when the singers •sop, and tho musician finish tho fhosno in founds without words. It is just on" of those pieooH whieh demand thoroughly fyuipa'hetic tre.i'ment, and yet fioin its very ratine has on many musical peop'o an effect wlich engende s a nervous dread o f failure. Tliii w.SS miuiifts'; in the performance on Tuesday, for while tho performers '.vet a evidently striving to do jus'ice to tin wo■■!•-, there was absent the spirit ' f en hu.si.ism which secures success. Howcv •!•, the attempt was by no means a failure, and though the rendering was tomewh.it depressing an 3 "s'ow" there w;ra rtdeeming pwivj, s which show.d that car,ful nttontion hid been 'liven at tho practices. In some pat ts the singirg was not only cfle.tivo but '■'r-iiiaticaud p o.ed that the S cio'y iial inide tfi-od progress. All things c ms ; <!e,od/tho perl'.ira,:!iii:' w<s f -Illy eivdin.l»! ■, though in 1 fa and vim, and at i's o.iic'usion the applause of a f.'if-n..11y audienc? win 1.,u I and r:<>V,:.;cd. T"e -eeoiid part opoeod with an or.iliestial s lee ion "San Toy." The oivln s'ra fo'.tain-. a bony <f musici'irs ■a ho poses, ability and s'ciil, which if ■■vfcis'i'ally ussd, so as to .'-peak, " i.ii.-.e tho I'ool','' bu!. there is .p's 1 " nn <h ■'■•■■ \ back, there is rather too mueh iudo-t

pendeiice. In Mr. Haigh the orchestra has a leader who performed bis task with his habitual delicacy, and one whose elan is ma'ked by the absence of that vcrea which renden the performance of some violinists so objectionable to the unmusical public. The : vocal' items were all well applauded, aud several singere wre loudly encored, especially Mr. Tubilco. Mr. Cooke gave a remarkably fine performance on i the violin. The concluding icem by ' the Society " Song of tho Viking " was i rendered with much spirit. The Society ' i-t doing good work, and under Mr. ' Fotcher's able guidanco should be a ; factor for good in elevating musical 1 taste in the district.