AUCKLAND LIEDERTAFEL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 183, 2 August 1913, Page 10

AUCKLAND LIEDERTAFEL.

TWENTY 1 JTRST, BTKTHD AY. The-twenty-first 'birthday of -the. Auckland liedertafel was fittingly celebrated last evening at. the Town (Hall. There was not- a spare eeat in the. spacious buiMing, and tiro concert was one of the most-successful and enjoyable that the Society has giv-eu. ]n addition to marking the Society's " majority," the occasion was also notable from ±he Eac-t ; that it was the hnadredih. concert given by the members—the average working out. at a-bcrat fivea, yeax, Vhadt, when we consider 4he high stamfer,!' of the. work done, is littl<- sirort- of remarkable- Most I musical and other societies in Now Zea- ' land have their nps and downs—mostly downs in immr casps. The Liiedertafel has never looked back from fhe day it was fooxKied; in 1892. The ara.l secret of the success of the Liedertafiel lies in the enthusiasm which -the-memhers bring "to 'their work. They sing because they axe fond of it. EnEhnsiasm alone, however, is not ■sufficient' to command, saccesß. One has to co-reader that critical ■body, the piiHw. The Eiedertafel was -tu.liemery fortmcLte in hasdng for its f-onmter-and first tesder-suoh a thorough musician end discrplinarian as Mr. ArSatr Towecy. Under Iris capable baton .the Society reeefrv=ed a thoTOTtgh traimag, and the foxmdaiaons were laid of the trsditsons which to-day make the Liedertafel what it is. Dnring its long career the Society has practically had only two conductors, and to this con'bin•Tiity must be sfctribatetl no small measure of its present virility. In X>r. Thomae. who took over the command when Mr. Towsey left Auckland in 1905, ■fhe Society "has a leader who is th<iron<rh.ly imbued wnth the ideas without, which it. would be irrrpof*able for the Society to maintain its hiscli place in the j appreciation of thr public. j

Ija-st evening during the interval the doctor's services were acknowtecigetl in a graceful manner by decorating him with the insignia of life-motnberehip. Mr. fieorge Reid, who has been a member since the Society began, in making tbe presentation, explained, that, the highest honour the Society Bad to bestow was the gofcl badge wotb by life■memiberß. Up to tile present five peopV i-hswe received this distinction—Madam •Chambers. Mr. Arthur Towsey, Mr. Wrignt, Mr. George RoWts, and Dr. Thomas. Mr. Keid voiced the froeicty's desire to show ite appreeiafcion of the abilities of I>r. Tbornas as condwetor, its pTatitude for his invariable coirrtesy To every member, and its estimation of him as a gentleman with wT>om tney were all proud to be associated.

Theseeentimenfes were loudly applauded by the large andicncft, and the applause was renewed when Madam Chambers stepped forward and pinned the neat Jjold badge of the Society on the lnpi-1 of the doctor's wat.

Dr. Thomas said lie found il- difficult to express iiis appreciation of toe compliment tin Society had paid to him. lie epoke oi the excellent feeling thai had always pervaded the ranks. H>ver since fee had tatretn over-<the-leaderphip, ht> had lwter hn<i a nnmat's uneasiness, n.Dd he 'had always* experienced the nlmost consideration from the members.

Tbe work of flic Society la*t. pvpiling was fnlry worthy of the high reputation fL has gtained. \Lr. Arthur Towaoy. who is-at present living at TaunKurunui, came down to Auckland as the. guest of the Society to take part in the celebra.ti.ons, and. lie conducted the members in ■Krugh's "THark the-iMcirry Drum.' , which ■wa9<th» first item ever performed by the laeder-tafel. When Mr. Towsoy appeared he -was most enthusiastically received ■by both members arrd 1 the audience. A vociferous -encore naturally followed, and the Society gave •' When. Evening's Twilight." The reception was one of those Incidents which, in some measure, compensate men like (Mr. Towsey, who hare devoced much, time in furthering ihe cause of music. '"To-Arms' , (Maunder) was undoubtedly the "-piece de resistance " of the. Society's contributions. The stirring manner in which Maunders fine work was rendered showed tire Sock-ty at its ihest. Other pieces vhich stood out in a generally excellent programme Wfre Paliard's pictirresqaely descriptive work, " The Voice of the Torrent.' , and Truhn's " 0 Sorrow Not." Dudley Buck's " Bugle iSong." with organ ami piano accompaniment, although ileveTly rendered, was not so satisfactory as some of the other part-songs. ~ Thp Goslings"' one of the Liedrrta-fel's best humorous pieces, was. of course, much liked by the audience. The solo? in "' The Lark now leaves"' and " Inrape of the Rose"' were taken by Mr. ('. V. I'erfeejt and Mr. W. Aspinalf. Mr. J. W. Ryan gave "The Kingrers," Mr. T. M. Johnstone " Never," and Messrs. K. EL Dellow and T. B. Row-e the duet. ,x The Lard is a Man of War.' , -all the aoovp being

In addition the Society ha-d tin; a-seiet-anee of Madam Chambers, who is always Mich a. favou-rrte at theso controrta. .She sang "The Beat of a. Passionate Heart" and " Morning and You "* chaTinnrgiy. Mr. S. -Kcrnaeth Phillips contributed Rn?sim's " largo al Kaetotirm " from *I! Barbiere"; Madam Chambers, i&s (i. Evans, Messrs. A. H. Riph-y and R. H. DeUow gave Pinsnti's "Sfoonfigbt and Mnsjc" and Dr. Thomas played Elizabeth's Pnrycr from " Tantthaoser " as aJi organ sok>. Altogether the programme was on every way w-orthy-of the important efent in the history of the socm*lv which was beinp celebrated. Mr. Tj. Q. Wlitt&ker acted as accomparrist. and also eombreted the TJederta/el m Dudley Buck's '• Bngle Song." Madam Chambers was accompanied by Mies Bsaie Holland.