MENDELSSOHN CENTENARY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 122, 21 June 1909, Page 2

MENDELSSOHN CENTENARY

i <i m ° of ">e above composer • t O A!a ? 0 ce ' B brated at 1 r • on frwrsday evening •Ist by the rendition of selections from his works by the choir, accompanied on I to T! y M , r " B - N - Hom «l «*»»• I i»t of the church. Performances of this character are all too rare in New Hvmouth, and those present owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Menaud and fail choir for their praiseworthy effort to present acceptably gome of the composers noblest musical thoughts. Tho voluntary prior to the recital proper wa» the nocturne from the music to "A. Midsummer Night's Dream," which wu played with great taste, thom& nerlmps louder in parts than the cbaracter «! the music required. The succeeding number, Organ Sonata No. 1 in F n'l'i"!'" w "» also finely played, demonJfatmg alike the varied rv*ourcea of the orpin and the skill of the performer. Selections from "Elijah" lollowed, the Rev, Warnw giving a touching rendering of the baritone aria "Lord God of Abraham, A quartette, "Cast Thy Burden, was well rendered by Baker and Messrs. Bannister and Baker,' as also the trio "Lift Thine Kve»by Messrs. Stnndish, Fenton and Him), the well-known uria "O rest fa th« i rccelvc< l devotional treatmont • by Miss R. Baker. Several recitations were given, notably tlmt bv Mr. Nixon, "teec now lie Bleepcth." The tko eho- 1 Tu 08 ,," watching owr .Israel" and i !t ' ln " "'"lure," were finely sung by the full choir, especially the former. A hymn, " Abid« with me," was sung while a collection was taken for the organ fund, which, judging by the nuioher? present, "ought" to liavo l*no#ted materially. One of Mendelssohn's shorter sacred cantatas. " Lauila Ki(n," was then given, and, well as the -elioir had hitherto acquitted themselves, they sang even belter than before. Detailed linliee of caeli movement is hardly needed, but ninoiig the best numbers wens Hie soprano solo by Miss Fenton, "Lord at nil times," and the chorale* "Praise Jehovah" and "Save the People,'' both of which were sung with a Unimex, and at times energy, Twnark"blf for so comparatively' ntuall a chorus (about 40 voices). At the conclusion the audience were dismiiud witb the familiar "Wedding March," which sveined to indicate in performance that, the organist wns timl, as well he might lie after the arduous task of aercinpnnying tliroughont the recital, not • to mention his solo playing. We desire to congratulate Mr. Aennud and Ilia choir on a performance which was distinctly above the average, and hope that they will continue from time to tamo to give us similar recitals, which as oases in the musical desert of New Plymouth. In the absence of a regular choral society we look to the clioir and " organist of St. Mary's to whet thai musical tastes of our citizens with such , recitals ns the above, with the reexil? i that em long our reproach may be fjiyj moved and a choral society worthy of the name established herq. ,