MUSICAL UNION CONCERT.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13612, 22 December 1909, Page 7

MUSICAL UNION CONCERT.

Departing from the custom usual ac this season"of the year, the Union last night gave "Elijah. Mu *V* lovers here are well acquainted witn rh:s work, a* it has been, sung a- gooc* many times. Tho production last tugnjwas'an excellent one- as a -whole, ana though some rmperfections wero notieosible, the- I'nion. generally epeakmg, may be congratulated on closing tlieir year's work successfully. '"Elijah H pssentialh a work in which the base soloist has the lion's share, and no on© better than Mr Prouse conld have been selected in the Dominion for the very exacting task. Ho sang the K»itatives with th«» widow and the Priests of Uanl splendidly. Mr Prouse was excellent in* the beautiful air "Lord God of Abraham." and in tire recitatives with tho youth Mr Prouse s full resonant voice and artistic interpretation invested the music with much disnitv. His least satisfactory number was 'It is F.noiisth.' , In the first part of the air Mr Prouso hardly invested his interpretation with that abandonment of grief which is tlie characteristic of the composition. In the final passages, it is tnu\ he cave the TOUfio that quality: but sneaking generally, tho number was lnckinaj somewhat in pathetic power. Mr Prouse was heard to advantage in the concerted mu«ic, espeoialiv in 'Cast Thy Burden." Mrs Cower Burns in the sonrano solos die-plav«-d a tendency to force her voice unduly at times. ' She was very Rood in tho recitatives for the widow* com-wr-neimr with "What Have I to Dt> With Thee?" , and also in the quartet "Cast Thy Burden." In "Hear Ya Israel" alfo Mrs Burns showed an artistic contention of the spirit of the music, and it was admirably simg- Mrs Pidseon saner with threat success thft recitatives allotted to the angel, and was also excellent in the quartet. The lovely nir "O Rest in the Lord" was marred somewhat by the time being tn'en slightly too fnst; otherwise- Mrs Pidgeon san* it very well indeed. Mr Robertson-Suggars, to whom was allotted the tenor solos, made his debut as a soloist with tho Union. His voice • is more of a light baritone than ft tenor, and is somewhat deficient i<l tonal cinality. a defect which was particularly noticeable in his singing cf "Then Shall the Righteous." His interpretation of "Rend Tour Heart*" Mas fairly successful; but there "was throughout hie shieing a lack of sympathy and melodiousness. Master Gurnsev sanp the .solos of the youth, admirably. In the concerted number, "He Shall Give His Angels," the voices hardly blended well j but the quartets "Cast Thy Burden" and "O Come Every One" were finely given. The : choruses, except that tfie sopranos at times were somewhat too prominent, were excellently given, especially "Help Lord." "Yet Doth tho Lord," and "Thanks be tp God." The orchestra worked well throughout; their Accompaniments were well subdued and sustaining, and the overture was played with a good deal of success. Mr Geo. Bonnington t>layed the 'cello obbltfcato to "It Is Enoueb." Dr. Bradshaw conducted, and Mire Packer led.