VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1939, Page 2

VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR

CONCERT TOMORROW NIGHT. • Tomorrow night at the Opera House the twenty boys of the celebrated Vienna Mozart Choir and their conductor, Dr Georg Gruber, will make their only appearance in Masterton. Much is expected of this historic organisation with its unrivalled tradition of polyphonic singing dating from the sixteenth century. It is only within the last ten years that the boys' choirs of Vienna have turned their attention to secular music, giving concerts throughout Europe and in Great Britain and the United States with extraordinary success. The greater part of the credit for this success is due to Dr Gruber, who has been the principal conductor and trainer of the various choirs. Apart from the presentation of operettas in costume, the outstanding feature of the present choir’s programmes is the wide range of folk songs.from places so far apart as Lithuania, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Spain and Argentine. Dr Gruber has made a specialty of collecting these songs in the course of his tours with the choir. He has arranged them for boys’ voices, usually in four parts, and has been rewarded by the critical approval of musicians all over the world. Tomorrow night the boys will sing a group of these folk songs, as well as selections of madrigals and motets. The operetta will be Gluck’s humorous “The Deceived Cadi.” Plans are at W. G. Perry’s, where 2s 6d day sale tickets will also be obtainable tomorrow.