ORCHESTRAL CONCERT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1941, Page 7

ORCHESTRAL CONCERT

A PLEASING PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME IN MASTERTON LAST NIGHT. HIGH STANDARD SET. A pleasing, well-balanced programme of light classical music was presented to an appreciative audience at the second concert this season held by the Masterion Orchestral Society, in the Opera House, Masterton, last night. . „ . The concert was the best given for some time by the Society and was a fitting climax to a season of hard work and the difficulties associated with wartime. The conductor, Mr C. W. Kerry, and his band of artists have carried out consistently good work, making the society an asset to the town. A high standard was maintained throughout the concert. Good expression and finely graded finales were consistently secured. The movements in which string and wood-wind instruments combined were full of merit. The brass instruments were very effective but at times tended to be rather loud. The orchestral numbers were mainly of a popular nature. The audience enjoyed such old favourites as “The Bohemian Girl” overture, with its tuneful melodies, and the martial swing of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” with its concluding song “Land of Hope and Glory.” These, with the characteristic waltzes of Col-eridge-Taylor made up the first part. Fittingly there were included a Cossack march, a scene “From a Russian Village” introducing the well-known “Volga Boat Song” and Sibelius’s tone poem, “Finlandia.” A waltz by Alford/and an intermezzo (Gossec) with the conductor’s own descriptive work, “The Clock,” made up the concerted work on the second part. The audience gave the composer a wellmerited tribute of applause. The Mozart Sonata for piano and ’cello, capably interpreted by Miss Gwen Grieg and Mr E. F. Wilson, was a typical number ' and well deserved the enthusiastic reception it was accorded. The vocalist was Mr A. F. Thomas, of Wellington. He possessed a good, resonant baritone voice which he used very effectively. His clear enunciation throughout was a feature of his numbers “Bois Epais” and “Oh! Could I But Express in Song” (Malashkin). He so pleased the audience that he had to respond to many encores. The accompanistes throughout were Miss Grieg (piano) and Mrs E. Speight (organ) and'both gave effective assistance for the whole programme. As the functioning of the Society depends upon the continued support of its subscribing members, it is to be hoped that its work of bringing worthwhile music before the public will be carried on. The personnel of the orchestra was: Soloists, Miss G. Grieg, Messrs A. F. Thomas, E. F. Wilson; conductor, Mr C. W. Kerry; pianiste, Miss Grieg; organist, Mrs E. Speight; violins, Misses E. Beale, E. Donald, E. B. McGovern, F. Youngquest, Mesdames E. F. Wilson, J. Pointon, Messrs S. Taylor, W. Parker, T. tidy, D. Tagg'; viola, Mr J. Grey; ’celli, Miss I. Donald, Mr E. F. Wilson; basso, Mr R. Davies; flute, Mr J. Connell; clarionet, Mr W. H. Snowsill; saxophone, Mr W. Ashworth; cornetti, Messrs R. Cottle, R. Sayer; tromboni, Messrs D. J. Irwin, W. J: Palamontain; euphonium, Mr M. Paris; tympani, Mr Miller Hope.