Choral Society's Concert.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4975, 19 December 1884, Page 2

Choral Society's Concert.

THE "MESSIAH*."

The Choral Society gave its first performance since its re-formation last night, and a very fair attendance greeted it. Many of the numbers of Handel's masterpiece were omitted, but the programme as presented was ; n attractive one. The concert was under the conductorship of Mr Grigg, who ably wielded the baton, and accurately kept both orchestra and chorus in unison. Mr W. Steward acted as leader of the orchestra, which was composed of stringed instruments, and rendered most efficient service. Mrs Kirkpatrick presided at the piano with her usual and well known ability. The choruses were very evenly given, and showed great care on the part of the performers, when the shortness of the-time the oratorio has been in rehearsal is considered. The leading items of the evening were entrusted to soprani Mesdames Kilgour, Payne, and Dodd, and Misses Coney and Belcher; contralti, Misses S. Coney and/ Puckey; tenori, Messrs Steward and Weston; while the deeper voices were supplied by Messrs Coney and Hudson. Pressure on out space prevents our particularising each number, but the most noticeable were—" I know that my Redeemer liveth," which waa almost faultlessly rendered by Mrs Payne; "O, Thou that tellest," sung most expressively by Miss S. Coney, whose lower notes and clear pronunciation were especially good ; Mrs Kilgour earned well merited applause for her splendid rendering of "He was cut off," and "Thou didst not leave," by the same lady, was tastefully given ; Miss Coney's solo, " How beautiful are the feet," showed a careful appreciation of the com* poser's work; and Mrs Dodd expressively did justice to "He was despised"; Misses Belcher and Puckey, and Messrs Hudson and W'eston, sang the quartette " Since by man came death," with precision ; the Misses Coney gave a careful rendition of the beautiful duet, " He shall feed his flock." To Mr Coney was en* trusted the bass solo 9, and he povrerfally and accurately sang the music placed in his charge—his best effort was, "But who may abide " ; Mr Steward sang the recitative, " Comfort ye my people," very gracefully, but towards its conclusioa made an attempt to improve on the com-. position which it would be as well to avo|d a repetition of. Taken altogether, the concert was a great musical success, and we would advise the committee of management to carefully consider tbe advisableness of repeating the programme on Christmas evening.