Tauranga Choral Society's Christmas Concert

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14858, 21 December 1948, Page 2

Tauranga Choral Society's Christmas Concert

Good Sunday Evening

Performance

Seasonal Programme

Presented

The Tauranga Choral Society presented a programme of music appropriate to the Christmas season in the Town Hall on Sunday evening. There was a largo attendance of the public, including many young neople. The concert, commencing at half past eight, followed the usual Church services. The programme, while not ambitious, included some interesting and traditional Christmas carols, “The Earth in Quiet Slept” (Manx), “Lixtle Jesus” (Polish), “The Croon Carol” (Old German), “Once Long Ago” (Russian legend), “Silent Night” (Austrian), “The First Nowell” (English), and a minor eh oral work “Bethlehem,” by J. H. Maunder.

The assisting vocalist was Mr Gordon Sutherland, who sang three numbers bv modern composers. The choir, composed of about forty-five voices, was fairly well balanced, the inevitable weakness in the tenn> - part being the missing factor. The quality of the singing was good, the smooth tunefulness of the sopr-mos being especially noticeable. The work was sung with an assurance that had come of adequate rehearsal, and there were many instances of suitable expression. from pianissimo to forte. Due, maybe, to the acoustic qualities of the hall, the enunciation of words fell short rf the standard that would have enabled the audieneo to follow the story of the Cantata. This, briefly, norfrayed the bringing of gifts to the nowlv-born Christ r-hild, by the shepherds and the Kings. In Part 111, “Our Gift,” intonation was well maintained.

The solo narts in the Cantata were sung -by Mrs Hugh Silvester and Mrs J. Moss (soprano). Messrs David Lacey (tenor), Gordon Sutherland (baritone) and Claude Edwards (bass). Each of the soloists sang well and with due interpretation of the work. Mr Gordon Sutherland, in his group of songs by modern composers, again gave great pleasure, his well-trained baritone voice and excellent diction givfng full meaning to the songs sung.

The pianoforte accompaniments throughout were provided by the Society’s pianiste. Mrs R. J. Irvine, and her work was an outstanding feature of the concert. The playing was intelligent and discriminating and the pfano-part was a completely satisfying feature of the evening’s music. With the lady soloists, Mrs Irvine was. at the close, the recipient of beautiful floral tributes. The Conductor, Mr Ronald Herman. demonstrated his control of the chorus and at no time left any doubt as to the care that had been taken in rehearsing. The Society has received welldeserved congratulations upon the success of this its eighth public performance.