AUCKLAND CHORAL SOCIETY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 211, 5 September 1924, Page 8

AUCKLAND CHORAL SOCIETY.

ELGAR'S. "DREAM OP GEEONTTOS." • I There was a large audience in the Town Hall last night to hear the Auckland Choral Society's performance of Elgar's famous oratorio "The Dream of Gerontiusb' Though the music is of an exacting nature and is not undertaken by any but highly trained vocalists and instrumentalists, an organisation like th Sheffield Choir and orchestra, who performed this work with marked success during-its Dominion tour in 1011, the local Choral .Society made a very creditable display in its" performance of this difficult creation. In parts the soloists wero noticeably overtaxed, and the choir found places not easily conquered, while the high degrees found the sopranos sometimes unequal to the demands of the music. Yet, notwithstanding these defects, an effective and pleasing reading I was obtained of the work. The orchestra was better equipped for the performance ; than the vocalists, and in some in- J stances its playing readied a high level. , Strings executed the music decisively ' and gave clear leads. Wood-winds lent special help in the colouring ot the themes and modulations, whilst the brasses were generally equal to all de- I mauds. . This much discussed choral composttion of modern times was produced at the Birmingham Festival of WOO and since then it has had. wide popularity in most of the musical centres of Great Britain. The music rises to great dramatic dimensions, and is entirely \ original and intensely expressive. The j old oratorio scheme, with its set numbers, is replaced by one more continuous. Eigar has done for oratorio what Wagner did for opera. The solo voices

are charmingly treated, the choruses arc productive of the highest realisation, | and tiic orchestration exhibits extra- | ordinary ingenuity and skill. Tlie vocal j j ensembles are of much power and in-1 .crest, whilst the climaxes are pulsestirring and effective to a degree. The work is scored for a very large orchestra, strings aro occasionally divided into fifteen, eighteen, or twenty parts. Tbe entire draft of the composition is perhaps the fullest and most complicated in j English music. Tlie part of the Angel was carefully presented by Mrs. Cyril Towsey. She sang impressively in the I nria "Thy Work is Done/ and in the ! reflective "It is because,"' and the beauI tiful instrumental writing was adequately performed by the orchestra. | With "the tenor she gave a successful ' rendering of the duo "'Now That the Hour is Come."' sang the judgment theme "There Was a Mortal," in a ! devotional style, and made a telling | climax in the solo leading into the great hymn, "Praise to the Holiest."' To an! j effectively performed harp obligate by i Miss Mavis Grcvatt, the soprano sang ; devotionally "It is the Voice of Friends,"' ;and gave an exultant rendering of "Praise To His -Came.'" The tenor, Mr. H. Gasquoine, though over-weighted in many of the passages, gave a studied rendering of the music, his most acceptable being the prayer I "Jesu, Maria." '"Rouse Thee, Mv Fainting Soul," "Santas Deus," and "Firmly I Believe." He was not always' equal to the demands of ".And Crueller Still." and the intricacies of "Another Marvel." He sang with a solemn effect "But Hark 1" a grave' mysterious harmony. a!nd an expressive rendering of. the final; utterance "Take Mc Away;" i The roles of the Priest and Angel of the Agony were capably sustained by Mr. Len Barnes. He contributed with deep feeling the prayer of; the Angel of the Agoriy for the soul of Gcrontius, and the orchestra accompanied with fine reffcet in the closing "To" That Glorious Home,". whilst the transitions by the orchestra- were most impressive in tire ■Adagio, modulating into the semi-chorus "Be Merciful." The choir, numbering jsome ISO singers, grappled earnestly with its work and ga.ve, as a rule, very creditable readings of the difficult music. A nicely subdued delivery was secured of "The Kyrie," and the cliorus "AH , Holy Angels," with its ' intricate net work of quavers was carefully vocalised. Nicely expressed was the "beautifullywritten "Be Merciful,'"' and capably, rendered was the prayer of assistants "Mary Pray For Me." The Litany was impressively treated and "Go in the ! Name of Angels" was delivered with j force and decision. The fiendish Demon i scene was derisively uttered and the I dramatic query "What's a Saint?" and the mocking laughter of demons "Ha! Ha!" was realistically expressed. The massive harmonies of the great livnm "Praise to the Holiest" were grandly unfolded, and some telling climaxes were secured: The high notes in the finale "Praise Glory, Praise" taxed considerably the powers of the sopranos. i l.xjircssively delivered was "Be Merciful" i and the softly breathed chant in unison, : "r_oi-d Thou Hast Been Our Refuge" was admirably sung. The fine prelude, interj hides and rich orchestration were played lin a style wiiich delightfully. reflected the designs of the music and showed that | the instrumentation had received I studied preparation. Mr. Colin Muston ! conducted with his unfailing enthusiasm | and skill, and is to be congratulated on : securing such a creditable representation of such a difficult oratorio. Miss i Whitelaw led the orchestra with dis- | Unction, and Miss Mavis Grevatt made an efficient harpist.