AN EVENING OF SONG

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21120, 22 March 1934, Page 17

AN EVENING OF SONG

MISS ALICE CHAPMAN'S RECITAL Miss Alice Chapman's song recital Ja the Jellicoe Hall last evening brought a fresh, charming, and youthful voice to the service of an interesting group of modern songs, three by Schumann, an old English group, and Elsa's Dream, from Wagner's "Lohengrin." Miss Chapman sings pleasantly, without ever forcing her voice into more than it can do. When, therefore, she attempts a pastoral <tmg, like Fritz Hart's setting ot Blake's "How Sweet is the Shepherd s Sweet Lot," or the quiet "Lotus Eower" of Schumann, both well suited to her voice and style, the result is unusually agreeable. Technically is voice is under good control, save for an occasional high note which fen £s some slight hardening of tone, ad breathing is well managed. Schumann's "Devotion"' was inclined to fa., into short sections, which a more sustained style would have been to disguise, though her singng avoideu heaviness. To trie considci3b»j item oi a very short programme. "Elsa's Dream," Miss Chapman brought the best of her ability. Diction was good in English and German songs: these included Martin Shaw s "Summer," Dunhiirs "Dandelion." Schumann's "Green Hat," and "Early One Morning," "Come. Lasses and Lads.' "Love Has Eyes." and a Russian folksong. Miss Bessie Pollard's accompaniments were well judged and balanced.

Three well-kncwn soloists lent their services to the singer. Mr Noel Newson played Brahms's Rhapsody in G Minor and Schumann's Romance in F sharp major with his usual directness and precision, though none of the pieces in this group, which included as well a Liszt concert study and Chopin's C sharp minor Scherzo, was suitable to the upright piano that he had to play on. The Liszt and Chopin tempted,the pianist's fingers to too great speed; both had their risky moments. Debussy's Brugeres was played with beautiful tone and phrasing. Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee was touched of! neatly; Poulenc's charming and amusing Pastourelle, two empty trifles by Chasins. and a rather spiky Intermezzo by Brahms were also given. Miss Lucy Cowan recited "Dick Whittington," by an unnamed author, and "Disobedience" from A. A. Milne's "When We Were Very Young" series, With such manipulation of her voice that the listener lost track of what she Jvas saying. Two humorous numters, "Seeing Him Off" and "Charlie" were given later. Mr J. Tennent sang with well controlled voice Verdi's "II lacerato spirito" and Allitsen's "Lute Player." More care to beauty of sound would nnprcrve this singer's already good voice enormously. An encore from assured us that it was "Good to Hear God's Wind Rush By."