£600 For The Relief Of Distress

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 17, 2 November 1934, Page 35

£600 For The Relief Of Distress

‘Splendid ‘Total Reached. By. Wellington Community Singing CommitteeFamous English Musician to Speak From 2YA-New Musical . Combination Makes Its Appearance Next Week.

HOUGH ‘"Owen1l’s" ‘estimate ‘of 4500 people was perhaps: ‘Tather a generous one,’ there’ was ‘a. good house at the final ‘community: sing of the season in Wellington, held ‘in the Town: Hall last Thursday. Good humour was in the air from ‘the start; and’ though the singing was feeble at first, by the end of ‘the. ‘evening ‘everyone was singing lustily, and enjoying. it, too. , His Worship the Mayor, Mr. T. ©. A. Hislop, unfortunately had another engagement, but :he came along to the sing first, to express his thanks to. those who had helped in the work, which has raised over: £600 this year-for the Mayor’s fund for the relief.of distress, Listeners had only half the fun that evening: to enjoy ‘the sings properly one must be in the hati. and singing, too, but in spite of this listeners all over New Zealand ‘have taken a great interest in th> sings throughout the season, and kept Mr. -Palliser. and his assistants very busy acknowledging donations. HDPRE would really have been every ‘excuse for those who went to the-hall just to hear the entertainment provided, with no intention, of joining in-the singing, for..items were given by Mrs. Wilfred: Andrews, Mr. H. F. ("Tony’’) Wood, Miss Iris Mason; Mr. Sid Bernard, Mrs. Mercer, and Mr. Rudolph, whose saxophone item which surprisingly turned into a yodelling solo was one of ‘the most popular numbers of the evening. Providing the accompaniments was Frank Crowther’s Novelty Orchestra, and of course Frank himself was the pianist for the singing. For three hours and more the popular trio-Owen and Frank and Will-en-tertained ‘and cheered the audience in the hall, and a far greater audience which extended all over.New Zealand as well, and then, "Cheerio, everybody, .. till next year." Their reward is in ‘the regret which everybody felt on leaving the hall last Thursday night; some of the btightness and cheeriness which is so hard to find, and which those three ‘dispensed ‘so unfailingly, will be. sorely missed for.a time. ° A? NEW miusical.combination — wiil make its debut from -2YA next week; this is the Stanley Oliver string ensemble, which has just been formeG by the talented conductor-of the Wellington Choral Union. Far its first number over the air in New Zealand the ensemble will play Bach’s "Concerto in D Minor," for. piano and strings. The-solo pianist willbe Miss Valerie Corliss, whose playing needs no introduction to Wellington musiclovers. ‘HE great Bach wrote comparatively few works for a single clavier with orchestra, and authorities are generally agreed that the one in D, minor, usually referred to as "Number One," is the best.of them, It is sup-

posed: to have been composed at Cothen, whither Bach had gone in 1717, as Kapell-Méister to the Prince of AnhaltCothen. The Prince was an enthusiast’ in. the cause of music, and had a warm affection, for his Kappell-Meister-on personal’ as well ag musical groundsand‘Bach often went with his patron on the journeys which the young Prince had to’ take, Chamber. music, in the’real sense of. the term, was Johann. Sebastian’s chief concern there; it: was only’ in 17238, when he became Cantor at Leipzig, that church and organ. musie began to occupy the larger share of his thoughts. The. Cothen period was thus rich jn the production cf instrumental’ works, in most: of. which, no doubt, the composer himself took part.. It is easy, as well as- pretty safe, to assume that. he. enjoyed. writing ‘concertos such ag this, finding himself at home -in a form which, in his hands, began to aanticipate the. present-day principle of giving the solo instrument passages of brilliance, and sometimes even cadenZas, . 7 ON Tuesday, November 6, listeners to 2YA will be entertained by "The Circassians," Wellington’s newest musical society, in a concert relayed from the Town Hall. "The Circassians"’: number S80 voices, and appear on the stage in specially designed uniforms in keeping with their name. Evergreen items which will be heard over the air include "Hail, Smiling Morn," "The Gipsy Chorus" from "The Bohemian Girl," and "Kentucky Babe." . The assisting artist is Sydney ‘Bernard, who, in company with Frank Crowther at the piano, will present several xylophone solos. Thomas Wood, the con-

ductor .of "The Circassions,". is also to appear asa soloist, and will sing select‘ed numbers from his repertoire. Concerts given by "The Circassians" are proving immensely popular in Wellington; and invariably draw: full houses. A VERY famous musician will be heard from 2YA next Sunday evening, when Dr, Sydney Nicholson, who was organist at Westminster Oathedral, is to speak on. "Those Who Sing." Dr. Nicholson will arrive in ‘Wellington only a day.or two before he is to speak... On the same evening from 2YA will be played 4 recording made at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1933, during the Festival of English Church Music, of hymns sung by massed choirs, numbering 4000 voices, directed by Dr. Williamson. , ; A NEW singer will be introduced to Wellington listeners on’ Monday next, November. 5; this is. Mr.~ Will Coleman, who has been. engaged by 2YA to give a recital on that evening. Mr. Colemanzis a young Wellingtonian with a very attractive light tenor voice which shows exceptional promise. ISTENERS who heard Paul Vinogradoff play "The Wanderer" from 2YA last Tuesday, were greatly impressed with his fine interpretation of this work, which was' first written by Schubert asa song only, but later was developed as a pianoforte solo, taking the form of a fantasy in four movements, which are played continuously. In the second movement, adagio, where the original theme of the song has been included, there is a wonderful description of a storm, ,