THE CROSSLEY CONCERTS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13363, 3 March 1909, Page 7

THE CROSSLEY CONCERTS.

The final concert by Madame Ada Crossley la&t nigra was most successful, both artistically and as regarded tho attendance. The programme was a very excellent- and attractive one, and all the artists —who-, as it were, were sin_Un_; t'noir swan-songs so far as Christciiurch was concerned—-seemed to vie with each other iv excellence. Tho ; great recitative and aria, "My Heart j is Heavy," from Thomas's opera j '•Nadessa," was Madame Crossley's j first number, and she sang it with a grtat amount ot success. The recita- 1 live was finely given, with excellent ' phrasing and a uiorou__hly artistic in- j terpretatiou of its spirit. In the aria Madame sang witn considerable success I throughout. She was rtgularly be- j sieged with flcral tributes, which were I heaped u_;on the stage. A charming j n umuer, "I'ne Gleaner's Slumber Bong," was given as an encore. In ' ihe second pftrt Madame Crossley sang G. Ji. CiuLsain's "Liie's Gilts," which was rather a colourless composition. In response to enthusiastic and persistent recalls Madame _aye no fewer than three encores. Tncse included, "Oh I Tnat Wo Two Were Maying.' which ' >he sang witn tho utmost pathos, "The Gobhns Will Catch Yon." and "God Bo With lou." All of these were adnnraoiy given. Mr John Harrison exceued himself in alt his numbers. His o_.eii.ng one was "salve Diuiera,'' from "t'suH," which was beauuiuliy sung. In this tile artistic tone smiding, which, in addition to his splendid execution and power is one of the notable characteristics of Mr Harrison's sinking, made his interpretation oi the number a le-liy line exposition of the art of vocalisation. Mis encore numbers to tia_ -ior there were two, comprised, ••iiccause' and " 'lis the L-ay"— both ot which were excellently sung. It was, however, in his encores to his item in the seoond l.art —a charming song, "O Flower of the World," by \\ oouforde I'indeii—tiiat Mr Harrison was heard to such groat advantage, these were, "Come into tho Garden, Maud " and "Uit in the Stilly Night. ' IU the former it may bo said" that the manner m which it was sung was quite a revelation so far as the song itself was concerned, we have aad it here in a va.iiety or tenors of more or less Tame, out none h■•is. ever approached for finished execution, Marii.t.i of colouring, and wealcii ot expression the interpretation given to it last night by Mr Harrison finally tine was hi. singing oi -Oft 11 the Sti.iy Night,'' that charming lament for c-iie glory of clays departed wi ich is so essentially Irish in its pathos. Tiie tenderness and delicacy or the singing of this was splendid, and ns a whole such tine vocalisation throughout has rarely been heard here as that of Air jtjarrisou last night. Mi- Jay Ryan was hardly happy in his selection of solo liumoors. He is essentially and emphatically a ballad singer, and is notably successful in his Irish songs, which, being native and tx> tho manner born, he sings adinir ably. but neither "The Bedouin Love Song" nor "Tho Sailor's Grave' suited his style. Mie- was far better in tho two Irish songs, "The Irish Emigrant" and 'Off to Philadelphia," which ho gave for encores. Both of these "were very well sung indeed. M Leon Sametini played Bach's aria for tho G string with nmioh breadth of tono and artistic success, and* he was also very good in the quaint Handel "Minuet.'' The encore number was excellent. This was an air from "Lucia" unaccompanied, and was beautifully played. The duet, 'The Moon has Raised," was excellently sung by Mi Harrison and Mr Ryan. A characteristic dance, which waa admirably played, brought an encore, to which 51. Sametini responded with, what was undoubtedly his most successful number. This was Schubert's "Aye Maria," played with all tho pathos and religious feeling which the composition demands. Mr Grainger's first number was a bracketted one, comprising a Waltz Op. 31) and "Hungarian Dance" No. 8. Both were well played, the latter especially so. The eiicore was Grieg's "Spring Song," which was also finely interpreted. Air Grainger's stylo is hardly virile enough to do full justice to the maasiveness of the Schubert-Tausig "March Militaire," but it was played with a good deal of fire And spirit. Herr Benno Scherek was at the piano, and his artistic aoooippanimonts added greatly to the undoubted success of the concert.