SONG RECITAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 174, 25 July 1935, Page 10

SONG RECITAL.

Tasteful judgment was displayed in the arrangement of the programme presented at Miss Reka Paterson's song recital given in the Lewis Eady Hall on Tuesday evening. Miss Paterson, whose contributions included lieuer, operatic arias and modern art songs, has a soprano voice with a wide range and of pleasing quality. The young singer, however, was not able to do herself justice, owing to the handicap of a severe cold, which, no doubt, accounted for an occasional loss of pitch and lack of control. Nevertheless, her efforts were much appreciated by the audience, and she was recalled several times to give additional numbers. Miss Paterson opened with a group of three of Schubert's lieder, "My Sweet Repose, " "Whither," and "To Be Sung on the Waters," and followed these with the aria "Si, Mi Chiamano Mimi," from Puccini's "La Boheine," Liszt's "The Loreley," two operatic arias, one of which, "Omio Babbino Caro," from Puccini's "Ginni Schicchi," was amongst the best of her performances, and concluded with a group of three songs by modern composers, "Lament of Isis" (Granville Bantoek), "Rain" (Pearl Curran). a most appropriate selection, and "A Night Idyll" (Raymond Loughborough). The assisting vocalist was Mr. Robert Simmers, the well-known baritone, who sang the following songs with his accustomed artistry and gift of tasteful interpretation: "To the Forest" (Tschaikowsky), "When the King Went Forth to War" (Koeneman), "We Sway Along" (Mallinson), "Over the Steppe" (Gretchanenoif), and "Love W.ent a Riding" (Bridge). Mr. Alan Pow provided sympathetic support in the accompaniments, and also played the following piano solos: Chopin's Preludes in A Flat Major and C Minor, and Etnil Sjogren's

"Erotikon," all given with taste and nice tone. Both of the assisting artiste had to add to their programme numbers in response to applause. Besides their solo numbers, Miss Paterson and Mr. Simmers sang two duets, "Mono! Morro!" (from Verdi'e "La Traviata"), and "Why Hast Thou Taught Me" (from Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci"). The second of these was more successfully given than the first (the performance of which suffered from a fall in pitch) and brought forth a demand for a recall, which was taken, after which a number of floral tributes were presented to the young singer. A word of praise is due to those responsible for the beautiful decorations on the etage.