METHODIST CHOIR UNION.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15219, 5 March 1915, Page 10

METHODIST CHOIR UNION.

As the first of his great choral works, i Mendelssohn's "St. Paul , ' has nearly.reached its eightieth birthday. In- ; voluntarily it challenges comparison . with his later masterwork; "Elijah," which leaves, however, this earlier test of his powers as composer of oratorio j far in the rear. "Elijah 7 ' outpaces

"St. Paul."' not merely by the significance of its arias, the grandeur of its choruses, but equally by the dramatic development of tho underlying text. Quito recently a picturesque adaptation for the stage of the virile work has been attempted in England; a consensus of critical, opinion favouring the daring disregard of convention. In '"St. Paul" too .much prominence for purposes of dramatic effect has been bestowed upon tho recitative; nevertheless, of beauty, there is abundance. Of that, tho choruses "Lord, Thou Alone, Art God," "Happy ami Blest. '-Rise up! Arise!" and many of the soli bear ample testimony.

The Durham street Church was crowded last night, when the Methodist Choir Union, in full strength,. reI hearsed the oratorio. The Rev. Mr j Knight set an example worth imitation jby giving at the opening a brief out- | lino of its story. The choir, with a iiare display of male singers, produced ,' a fine tone —quality of power and j sonority predominant in soprano and bass. Their singing of "Happy and Blest" with excellent tone gradations and admirably supported by .Mr 11. T. j \Yhittingham. did full justice to tho 'lovely chorus. But in all they had been carefully and intelligently schooled, and Mr Ernest Firth held full control over his imposing forces, wielding tho baton with much ability. In tome' instances, as in "Stono Him"to Death" and "Riso Up! Arise!" one could have wished for some infusion of Dr.I Coward's spirit and vividness ofconcepj tion into the choir. We act yet too j much under the spell of tradition in 1 choral work, with its frequently resulting monotony. The soft tones in 'To God on High" lacked tho beauty of sustained resonance.' Mrs GowerBurns's voico has not yon recovered from a lonjj. indisposition, which told heavily against the recitatives falling to her share, but she sang very tenderly and with charmii.g purity of tone tho beautiful aria, "Jerusalem, Thou That Killest." The alto is but sparingly employed, yet in her single fine aria "But the Lord is Mindful," Mrs Ernest Firth won all hearts with her interpretation. A heavy burden is placed upon the shoulders of the tenor. Mr A. E. Petty, who recited ably, though too uniformly, in the style of the "Passion" recitatives. He eang very feelingly, and best of all "Be Thou "Faithlul. ' Mr L. Barnes's greatest success was achieved with the solo, 0. God, Have. Mercy." a very meritorious reading indeed. Ho also deserves the more credit for the artistic way in which he suppressed himself in the duet. "Now we are Ambassadors." I; is rarely such effacement is met with. The greatest task was placed in the hands of the organist, and we have never heard Mr Whittingham acquit himself ably than last night. Mrs Firth's .aria and the chorus '"How Lovely are tho Messengers.'" were encored. Tho audience included a very large number of members of the -Methodist Conference, who seemed greatly impressed with the perforhjar.to.