CHORAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1921, Page 4

CHORAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

A PRAISEWORTHY EFFORT. The Empire Theatre was well filled last night when the New Plymouth Choral Society gave the opening concert ; .of their first season. The audience showed their appreciation of every item on the programme in a liberal spirit, encores being numerous and well deserved. It can fairly be said the choir gave in all their numbers an intelligent and tuneful rendering of their items. Whatever slight imperfections were noticeable were mostly such as are to be met with in amateur concerted singing, and will disappear as the society grows older, one great point in their favor being the ready response to the conductor’s baton. That they have been carefully and well led was apparent, and all their numbers showed a fine appreciation of the respective themes. The opening number “O Gladsome Light” (Sullivan), was treated with commendable reverence artl tunefulness, and the part song from Gberon (Stevens) went with a rollicking swing in the first part, though in the last two verses the organ-like movement was not sufficiently pronounced. Their rendering of Rossini’s Carn ovale was excellent, the choir entering with heart aud soul into the spirit of this charming piece, than which nothing could be more suitable for such a choir. The ballad, “England, My England,” well deserved the insistent’ encore it secured, and it was certainly one of the choir’s best efforts. The extra number “Departure,” was also effectively rendered, and the same may be said of “The Fisherman’s Good Night” (Bishop). It would probably have been wiser to have held over “The Heavens are Telling” (Haydn) for awhile, but the choir tackled it with energy, if not with that perfect smoothness which is associated with this grand oratorio excerpt. The concluding item by the choir was Pinsuti’s “Good Night, Beloved,” one of the sweetest and most melodious examples of this composer’s work, the interpretation of which depends so much on the lingering tenderness in contrast to the staccato phrases. However, the choir and the conductor (Mr. H. L. Cooper) may be heartily congratulated on the success achieved, and the society is certainly a very welcome asset of the town.

A contributing artiste was Mrs. F. C. Ferry, a soprano with a pleasing and cultured voice, whose singing gave great pleasure and elicited enthusiastic applause and the granting of substituted numbers. Her moat taking item consisted of the bracketed numbers, “Orpheus With Hi,-i. Lute” (Sullivan) and “Se Saran Rose” (Arditi), which elicited a double recall due to the admirable rendering of “Daddy and Babsy.” Needless to say that Miss Constance Leatham was accorded a great reception. Her pianoforte solos were a great treat to all the lovers of good music, and on each appearance she was recalled for more—and readily acceded to the demand. Commencing with Chopin, Miss Leatham for the encore gave Debussey’s “Golliwog’s Cakewalk,” which might well be taken for a travestry of Chopin. In the second part this gifted and brilliant musician gave a faultless rendering of Rachmaninov’s Prelude in G Minor, the substituted number being a paraphrase of Verdi’s Rigiolitto, which certainly proved the most delightful item of the concert. Mrs. Stuart Russell, a favorite elocutionist, contributed several artistic recitations, being recalled for an extra number at each appearance. That the items were well chosen was evidently admitted, and that they were delivered with taste and elocutionary grace goes without saying. They consisted of “The First Quarrel,” “Ode on the Death of Favorite Oat,” “The Old Stage Queen,” “The Song of the Market,” “The Culprit,” and gave a most pleasing variety to an otherwise excellent entertainment. Favorable mention must also be made of a capital rendering of Bishop’s “Hark! ’tis the Indian Drum,” by six ladies of the choir—Mesuames Wilkes, Anbury, Morrison, Misses Chong, Cooper and Leitch—which had to repeated. Miss C. Douglas accompanied the choir on the piano with great success, her work being accurate and sympathetic, while Mrs. L. G. Grace (Hawera) did equally meritorious service for Mrs. Ferry. The public will certainly look forward with pleasure to the next concert by the society.