THE ORATORIO.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 60, 15 December 1871, Page 3

THE ORATORIO.

TnE members of the Auckland Choral Society arrived by the ‘ Golden Crown ’ yesterday, at Tararu, about 12.30 p.m., and were driven from the wharf to the church direct, where a rehearsal of several of the solo parts and the choruses took place, under the leadership of Mr Joseph Browne. Great fears were entertained the evening before last that the weather was going to break up, but the rain, which was very much needed everywhere, only came down during the night time, having the effect of keeping down all dust, and making the atmosphere cool and pleasant during the day. Notwithstanding the counter attaction of the Opera the building was comfortably full, the number present being about 500. The church was well lighted and seated, and everything -was in perfect order, for which, considering the difficulties they have had to contend with (the workmen being in the building up to the last moment), the committee deserve great credit. The oratorio was undoubtedly an unqualified success from beginning to end. Wc have heard it performed several times in the colony, but never have we heard it so well gone through as it was last night. Besides the local amateurs who took part, there were about 60 visitors from the Auckland Choral Society, to whom we were indebted for a really first-rate orchestra. The total number singing in the choruses, together with the orchestra, was 100. The sopranos and basses were nnexccptionally the best we have heard in the province, and the tenors -and altos were, perhaps, nearly as good, nut were to our mind not quite strong enough for the other parts. As regards the solos, we must give precedence to the soprano parts, which were rendered with a taste and feeling much above the usual standard of amateur singing. Mrs Mitchell we cannot praise too much for the sweet and touching manner in which she sang the parts allotted to her, but more especially the air “ Come unto him, all yc that are heavy laden,” which we have never heard better rendered in the Colony, and which was listened to with the most wrapt attention by the whole audience. In the air, “ I know that my Redeemer liveth,” she, if anything, excelled her previous performance : in fact, it would be hard to say which was the best of the two, both being so exquisitely given. Miss Harker sang the soprano solos allotted to her very sweetly and tastefully, though her voice is not, perhaps, quite strong enough for a building so large as the church. The alto solos were all sung by Miss Tyler, whose voice is one of the best of thatclasswehave heard at any amateur performance for a longtime. The parts we thought her best were the airs, “ He was despised and rejected,” and “ He shall feed his flock like a shepherd,” the latter especially being beautifully rendered. Mr Newberry, in the bass solojn, sang with more taste than wc ever remember to have heard him do before, and in the airs, “ Why do the nations so furiously rage ?” arid “ The trumpet shall sound ” was particularly good, the latter pleasing us, if anything, more than the former, being, we think, more suitable to his voice. The tenor solos we cannot speak of in terms of any great praise, therefore we will be silent on the matter. The best rendered choruses were “ All we like sheep,” which, in all the parts was remarkably well sung, more especially in the bass solos, which were about the richest we have heard in the province. “ The Lord gave the Word” also showed how well the bass parts were understood, and the “ Hallelujah ” chorus, which was given with an amount of fire seldom equalled at a performance of the Messiah by amateurs only. We must not forget to give a word of praise to the orchestral part of the performance, which was particularly excellent throughout, especially in the Pastoral Symphony, which has evidently been well practised, and is thoroughly understood by the musicians. Wc congratulate Mr Browne, the conductor, and all concerned on the entire success of what we consider without doubt the best performance of the Messiah that has ever taken place in the province.