Music by the Modern Britons...

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 472, 9 July 1948, Page 17

Music by the Modern

Britons...

the Auckland Lyric Harmonists Choir last year presented a programme of works by the contemporary British composer, Josef Holbrooke. The performance was a success and the choir has been encouraged to prepare another concert ‘of modern British compositions. This year’s concert will not be broadcast, but listeners will have an opportunity of hearing most of the items in a series of three broadcasts’ to be given by the choir and supporting groups from 1YA. The recitals will be given on Wednesday, July 14, at 8.6 p-m., and on the two following Wednesday evenings. The first broadcast wili be given by the Lyric Harmonists Choir and items comprise "Song of Our Fathers," by \ LTHOUGH warned of failure,

Rutland Boughton, "Dreams," by Granville Bantock, "The Blue Bird," by C. V. Stanford, "A Credle Song," by John Ireland, "Advance Democracy" and "Hymn to the Virgin," by Benjamin Britten, and "Save Us, O Lord," by Edward Bairstow. The Auckland Girls’ Choral Class and the Ina Bosworth String Quartet will be heard in the second programme. Choral items will be four Songs of Innocence"The Lamb," "A Cradle Song," "Infant Joy" and "The Shepherd"-by Walford Davies, and three hymns from Pan’s Anniversary-"Of Pan We Sing," "Pan is Qur All" and "If Yet Pan’s Orgies" -by Geoffrey Shaw, while the Quartet will play "An Irish Melody," by Frank Bridge. While Christian and pagan religious influence is seen in the compositions included in the second broadcast, in the last recital the three items sung by the Lyric Harmonists, "Battle Hymn," "To the Unknown God," and "Funeral Hymn," owe their composition to’ the inspiration of Hindu thought. Gustav Holst, composer of the fourteen choral Hymns from the "Rig Veda," from which the choir’s selection was made,

early became deeply interested in Hindu philosophy and learnt Sanscrit so that he might study the ancient writings in the original. The choir believes that its presentation of this work will be the first in New Zealand. In the third broadcast there will also be a performance by the Ina Bosworth String Quartet of "Lento espressivo" and "Moderato" from String Quartet, Op. 73, by Armstrong Gibbs. Claude Laurie conducts the choir, and it will be accompanied by Geoffrey Skerrett, a young pianist who recently arrived from India. Accompanist to the Girls’ Choral Class is Phyllis Aspland.