MALE CHOIR CONCERT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1918, Page 4

MALE CHOIR CONCERT.

A SUCCESSFUL-PERFORMANCE. Despite the uninviting slate of tin weather, there was a large audience at the Good Templar Hall last night, v.'.ten the New Plymouth Male Choir gave tlt« first performance of its final concert programme for the season. The concert* mark the close of the choir's fir.it your 4 work. The success that has aileniii'd its efforts, and the appreciation «i'U>v*i by the public, have amply justified i-:>i venture, and should be suiliuent inc.?"tivc to the organisation to enler into its next season's work with every e mifidenco. It is a matter for cai-grali-la-tiou that such a combination as that -.f the choir has been maintained I'lr,/.' 1 nil the difiieullie.-i ;i.ieudf.nl. Mi.fi ,-. 1 i-iillii-sj: - up of rnr.i foi- iiii'iitavy *».:>.;•■>, Last night the choir too!: the" piati'm- <\ about fifty strong. The voices in i'ia main were balanced, excepting a weakness in the inner pari*, whi-h i:>came apparent in the heavier puuir: •* of some of their munlus-i!. The i|i!iil- ■,• of the second bu«R?.< was dl'linctly g„ I hut the first ten.ii-s, as is not infreque- .- ■ly the case, showed a tendency to nt.-a.'r, through faulty pruii.iKio:'. ninl consequently lacked' flint roundness of quality 'so essential to ruv.-..>-si\il part sii,';li r. There was a tendency (o toiiproi-.ui;*-'.':.-tion at times, and faulty ei.ur.cin'.;.>-! robbed many passages of whm won' I have been, but. for thr.l, very il-dsli'l effects. The general result, howevd. ,<..., distinctly pleasing, and ihe ni!.i ; - -6 showed its appreciation unroiptnl.'ai.iy. The choir's programme wa i well eiios:ii, and revealed the excellent training fj which it had been subjected fo,- tlie'p.vfonnanee. Its first item \vr..i A. it. Storch's "Battle Prayer/' which was rnv; with devotion, and in the true liti:'/)sphere belonging to the piece. Kre-.j;-■>•'« popular "The Chape'." followed, and .' >r the final number of the first part an arrangement of 11. 1!. Button'..; "Al!.-,:i Water,'' the change of rio-ii". native to the song being well ivii;>cL\i. !:i ',',3 second half the choir opened with a very fine production of Paliafd's 'Tie W.c'j of the Torrent," the descriptive c.!';cU being produced with a ple:i!!i'ri,» amount of tone coloring. For thh i:iimb?r tlio choir w"as heartily encored, mid, :i lively rendering of the popular liunliirj song, "To the Death.'' In Fran*: Ab.'a "Merry May" the singers appeared heavy, and hardly infused the nece.isa.ry ripi-ling joyousness into (he \vori:. The 'fin-'l number was an arrangement of Dsl,V,i "Excelsior.' 1 ' Though the phrasing in this number was somewhat loos?,''r.".l the attack and release ft lim?3 indecisive, the g?neral efi'ect was pioa-b'", and an encore was demanded, t'-e choir responding by humming thn well-known hymn tune "Sandon." '. ha quartcite. party of the choir—Mesir-. F. Hooker, \V. U. Held, X. Day and V. As'ic—gave a very lively rendering of "Four' dolly Smiths" (Leslie), and for an enore kiij the humorous "Pussy's in ti-.o Weil."

The soioists of the evening were ".Vs, Colin McLaren (Toko) ar.d the Rev. N. H. Papakakura, and both scored instant successes. Mrs. McLaren, who possesses a rich contralto voice of v.-.v.p'v culture, sang for her first song Moss's "Floral Dance." Though it is a song not customarily chosen by ladies s-'O gave n, spirited performance, and for an "encorj gave a war-time monologue, c:u:;lcj "Spotty." For this Jin. 'McLaren v.r.s compelled to return, and sans with .nw'i effect "Mellisande in the Wood/' V>'<a was also paid the compliment of a dj-.ibla encore in the second half. Her fir?t va; - was "Rose, Here is My Heart" (Woods)! and the encore, Sanderson's popular "Up From Somerset." Her last so'ng was a war song, entitled "When It°Stnkps Home." The Rev. N. H. Papakakura opened with McFadyen's somewhat exacting "Inter Nos," 'which appeared not altogether to suit the singer. He was encored, however, and was much more at ease in Del Riego's "Oh, Dry Those Tears." In the second part he sang two songs which have not been heard before, entitled "Thy Words" and "Kiss Me, Beloved," written under the pen name of F. W. Wright. The songs are compositions of Mr. F. W. G. MeLeod, L.T.S., and showed a great deal of individuality. The announcement of this name of the composer at a later stage of the concert provoked the heartiest applause. That they suited the temperament of Mr. Papakakura was at once evident, and he sang them with that ease and finished production for which he is so well known. As an eneore he gave Cadman's beautiful little song, "I Hear a Thrush at Eve," and in response to a further call gave Willeby's "Coming Home." The same singer, with Mr. Norman Day, gave the duet "Farewell to Summer''" (Noel Johnston). The voices blended beautifully, and the item was one of the most pleasing of the whole programme. For an encore they sang "Somewhere a Voice lis Calling" (Tate). The instrumentalists were Mr. Arnold 0. Sturrock, L.M., T.C.L., and Mr V W 0. MeLeod, L.T.S. Mr. Sturrock chose for his pianoforte solo Chttai'ihadn's "Autotnne." Ho suffered an unfortunate lapse of memory, but wa9 recalled and gave a bright production of Dvorak's "Humoresque." Mr. McLeod's eorne: solo was "Pilgrim of Love," by 'Hartmann, which gave the soloist good scope for his executive ability. Mr. MeLeod woduced a clear, melodious tono throughout, the depth of which was even more pronounced in Sullivan's "Lost Chord," which was given as an encore. The accompaniments throughout tiie concert were effectively played bv Mr. Sturrock. Mr. MeLeod conducted the choir, Before the last Item was given, Mr. Walter Ambury, one of the'vice presidents of the choir, expressed the thanks of the members for the support given by the public, and asked for a continuance of their patronage. He referred to the difficulties experienced through so many men being called away to the war. and urged those able to do so to become active members of the choir. The concert, which will be repeated tonight, opened and closed with the sineing of the National Anthem.