MUSICAL TREAT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 256, 16 August 1950, Page 4

MUSICAL TREAT

CONCERT FOR CHILDREN’S FUND

Rare in both senses of the term was the treat afforded music-lovers when Mrs A. T. Smith’s vocal Study Group, with assisting artists, presented last evening a programme in aid of the appeal for the Children’s Fund. The group sang four brackets of songs comprising 16 numbers in all, and it is no. reflection on the accompanist to say that the only thing one could have desired would be that there had been more unaccompanied singing. What was presented was delightful. Nearly all were '/sung with Miss Chloe Lill more than competently accompanying at the piano. The cornet playing of Jack Ibell has brought credit to his band and his town, and last evening was most satisfying, while Mrs Patricia Gibson showed executant abilities of high order in her piano solo presentations and also showed herself a mistress of the difficult art of accompaniment. The programme was as follows: “I Know a Lovely Garden,” “Pastoral” (Carey) “Ships of Arcacly” (Head), and “The Coming of Spring” (Handel), the Study Group; soprano solos, "The Stars Above” and “0 Lovely Maid,” Miss A. Kingsbury;' cornet solos, “Zelda” and “I Hear You Calling Me,” Mr J. Ibell; piano solos. “Rondo and Capriccioso,” and “Fantasia Impromptu,” Mrs B. Gibson; “The Shepherd’s Song” (Elgar), “The Snow” (Elgar), “Marianina” (Italian folk song), “Alleluja” (Mozart), by the Group; soprano solos, “Ave Maria” and “La Golondrina,” Miss R. Clement; cornet solos, “The Last Rose of Summer” and “So Deep is the Night,” Mr J. Ibell; “Waltz Song” (Faust) (Gounod), “Kentucky Babe” (Geibel), “Down in the Forest” (Landon Rom aid) and “The Bells of St. Mary’s” (Adams)', the Group; piano solos. “Valse Brilliante” and “Tarantelle,” Mrs Gibson; “Highland Laddie” (traditional arr. Bantock), “The Rosary” (Nevin), “Tales from Vienna Woods” (Strauss), “When Children Pray” (Fenner), the Group; vocal solo, “God Bless the Children,” Kathleen O’Keefe.