ENTERTAINMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8215, 12 August 1915, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

ASHBURTON CHORAL SOCIETY

FIRST CONCERT.

Up to the present, the Ashburton Choral Society has had a comparatively brief but somewhat chequered career. First established in July of last year, under the conductorship of Mr F. H., Morton (an ex-organist and choirmaster of St. Stephen's Church), it continued more or less successfully for a period of about three months. It bad at its commencement about 60 singing members, but many of these soon became apathetic and disinterested on account of one reason or another, and it was eventually deemed desirable- to suspend the /society and the works it /then had in hand for a period of six 'months. In March last the socioty was reorganised, and Mr C. Spencer Compton (at that time organist and choirmaster of St. Stephen's Church) was appointed conductor. Since then it has maintained an existence,' and at present has a roll number of 35 singing members.

[ Last evening, at the Theatre Royal, the society gave ' its first concert. The hall was comfortably filled. 'The programme consisted of seven choruses or part songs by the'full company, and individual items and trios and quartettes by various members. Speaking generally of the choruses, it may be said that their performance was marred by the loud, forced, and oftimes raucous singing of the sopranos. In the fortissimo passages the singing was harsh, whilst in the section marked and undoubtedly meant to be siing pianissimo the sopranos invariably sang out of tune. There were cases where little attention was paid to attack and release. Three of the choruses were selected from Gaul's cantata, " Joan of Arc," and the first ("A Shepherd Maid has Passed") was probably the best of the three. The commencement was not made uniformly, and the whole item was by no means finished in style. Eaton Faning's part song "Moonlight" was perhaps the choir's best"~number. It was unaccompanied, and the attack was even : but the soft passages, especially in the few closing bars, were not sufficiently subdued. In response to an encore the choir repeated the item, and on this occasion was heard to better advantage. " Good-night, Goodnight, Belo%*ed," a sweetly pretty part sons: by Pinsuti, was the choir's concluding item. In this the sopranos sang out of tune, and made a ragged finish. The combination was weak in contralto voices—and even more so in tenors.

Messrs H. S. Gardner, A. Sutherland, P. McG. Murray, and P. Walker contributed a couple of quartettes. The party gave a pleasing and bright rendering of " Spring's Delight" (Mullcr), and was warmly applauded for its encore number, "The Soldier's Farewell." Their voices blended well. " The Tickling Trio" was rendered by Messrs Gardner, J. Templeton, and H. A. Gates, and was thoroughly appreciated by the audience. The' trio was a humorous little part song, although Mr Gardner appeared to treat it somewhat as a< sentimental item. He did not enter into its spirit as the remaining members did. A mixed quartette party, consisting of Mesdanies S. Bonnington and .IT. A. Gates, Messrs Gardner and S. v Fenton, contributed " Joy and Sorrow" ("Rose of Persia"). The soprano was manifestly weak, and the performance did not have much to commend it. Miss Gladys McEwen gave a careful interpretation of the violin solo, "Scandinavian Dance" (G. SpainDunk). Mr H, M. Segers provided an ambitious number in "She Alone Charror'th my Sadness" (from Guonod's " Irene"); he has a melodious baritone voice, which should improve with continued training, but his item demanded more vigorous treatment. Little can be said of the remaining numbers. Mrs E. G. Craighead contributed Bishop's well-known " Should He Upbraid," Mrs H., A. Gates sang "My Dear Soul" (Saunderson), and Mr J. Templeton "The Veteran's Song." The ladies' trio—"Pure as the Air" (German) was marred by hard singing on the part of the soprano. The conductor (Mr C. Spencer Compton) is to be congratulated on the way ho handled the material at his command Mrs H. J. Chapman, Miss E. Cox, and Mr Compton played the accompaniments.