MUSICAL UNION CONCERT.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12602, 19 September 1906, Page 9

MUSICAL UNION CONCERT.

ST. PAUL."

The concert given last night by the Musical Union at His Maje-ty's Thentp. was decidedly the least successful of the season. "St. Paul," the oratorio selected for tht* occasion, is of a character whicli, in addition to being exceedingly exacting generally, demands the most artistic treatment on the part of the soloists. It consists mainly*- of recitatives, and tho o. unless sung exceptionally well, fail fiat. Tho Union, with pcrhap-- one exception, were unfortunate in their soloists, who were all more or less o/vrrwi ightcd and failed to bring out tiie character of the music. The ore In -tra too. in parts was very ragged, notably in the accompaniments to some of the recitatives. It is only justice to tho chorus to say that the work dene throughout by them was exceedingly creditable.

Mrs Glover-Eaton, who sang the soprano s-olcvi, phrased well in tho recitative-. She has a soprano voice of considerable iange. but somewhat lacking in sympathy. This was particularly noticeable in fur lir-t aria "Jci usaieni, Thou that Kilhst the Prophets.'' She was fairly good in the urio-o "I will Sing of Thy Groat Mercies" and in some oi' the ixcitatives, notably "And Thero Was a Man at Lysrra' and the one following. Mi-s Alcorn, who has a mezzo soprano voice, wa.s quite overweighted with the contralto solos. The same fault was appaienc as in tho soprano, viz., a want of sympathy and the requisite p;nver to interpret the characteristics of the music. This was specially notioeablc in the' beautiful arioso, "But the Lord is .Mindful." The tenor paix proved too much for Mr Schwartz, and lio was at times wo fully out of tune, a fault particularly marked in the recitative, ".Men, Brethren, and Fathers," while tho fino aria, "Be Th'QU Faithful," wan quite beyond him, and there was a lack of smoothness in his singing. Some of tho recitatives wero fairly well given. Mr George Marsh was by far tho most successful of the Iniffi so'oiishs. Though rather overweighted at. times, ho sang tho air, "Consume thrin all." and the arias, "0 God have Mercy," "I Praise Thee," and "For Know Ye Net," very fairly indeed, and was al-o good in some or the recitatives. The duet by Messrs Schwartz and .March, 'For so Hath the Lord," went well, but the quartette was not n success. Of tho ononis work tho opening chorale, "To Gcd on High." "Stone Him to Death.'' "Happy and Blest" (in which the 'cello accompaniment, was good), and "O Be Gra-ci-eiis," were perhaps deserving of mo(>t praise. The orchestra opened well, playing the overture with a geed deal of effect, but in the accompaniments to the recitatives, which form the greatest part of tlie orchestral work, they wero sadly lacking in iinish.