LYRIC SPEECH CHOIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 238, 8 October 1936, Page 3

LYRIC SPEECH CHOIR.

AN INTERESTING RECITAIi. An entertainment of a most interesting and unusual character was presented in the Lewis Eady Hall last evening, when a verse-speaking recital was given by the Deepdene Lyric Speech Choir, under the conductorship of Mr. Dennis Johns. Choral speaking, although somewhat of a novelty in the Dominion, has been practised considerably in other parts ot the world, more especialy in the British Isles and America, where a number of verse-speaking choirs have been formed in late years. Last evening, under the direction 01 its conductor, the Deepdene Choir, composed of some thirty mixed voices, spoke the lines of a number of songs and ballads in unison. Synchronisation was achieved by keen attention to the baton of the conductor, who also controlled thereby the phrasing and the varying moods of expression. By employing voices of appropriate timbre, individualy and in groups, many artistic effects were produced in the interpretation of the various numbers, which were grouped as follow: "Songs Oi the Open," which included "A Smuggler s Song'' (Kipling) and Newbolt's "Drake a Drum"; "Rhythmic Fantasies," represented by Belloc's "Tarantella" and "The Kallyope Yell," by Vachel Lindsay; "Lyric Poems," among which were The Blackbird's Song" (Henry Kingsley) and "An Indian Squaw's Sopg" (Morgan); "Modern Ballads," such as "The Crowning of Dreaming John" (Drinkwater) and "The Highwayman" (Noyes); "Fairy Poems," these being "The Elfin Dell, by Johannes Anderson, and "Overheard on a Saltmarsh" (Harold Munro), also Gloria Rawlinson's "Where Elf-horns Blow, added as a recall number. All of these were given thoughtful interpretations, while the blend of the voices and their synchronisation were excellent. Most commendable, too, was the clarity of -diction. One of the most artistic performances of the evening was that of Mr. Dennis Johns in a group of three monologues. "Riding Through the Broom" (Whyte Melville), "The Smoking Room" (Kelly) and "Will She Be Waiting Up?" (Hayes), for which he was deservedly recalled to give an encoie number. , , Musical interludes were provided t>> ■Madame Aileen Johns, who gave most acceptable vocalisations of three c trasted songs, those being Bantocks "Lament of Isis," "I Came AVith a Sons (La Forge). "A Birthday (Cowen), als< "My Praver" (recall number), of wh<oh every word could be heard, and Miss Tria Lockwpod, who .gave tasteful (interpretations in four solcw "Vnpf-nrnil Fallal, "Plavera (Granadosl. Nocturnal Tangier" (Godowsky) and kov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee. Not the least pleasing feature of the evening was the work of Mrs. ' in the piano accompaniments, which werr both sympathetic and unobtrusive.