LIEDERKRANZCHEN CONCERT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21648, 5 December 1935, Page 6

LIEDERKRANZCHEN CONCERT

PLEASING SINGING A WELL-SELECTED PROGRAMME ! A well-selected programme of music for soprano and contralto voices was ! given by the Christchurch Lieder- • kranzchen last night in the Radiant • Hall, the work of the choir being : very ably directed by Mr Alfred . Worsley, and well assisted by the society's pianist, Mrs F. W. Simpson. Interesting three-part, two-part, and unison songs by Thiman, Rowley, Boughton, Colin Taylor, Bernard ■ Johnson, Bainton, Ireland, Walford • 'Davies, Wolstenholme, and Parry fig- . ured on the programme, these choral ( items being interspersed by songs, ' dugts, and one instrumental item, Liszt's Pianoforte Concerto (E flat) ; played by Wynne Lorraine Simpson. ! The programme opened with some ■ fine, rich unison singing in Parry's ; "England," and gome excellently ' blended three-part work in Walford ; Davies's "A Song of Rest." The can--1 onic two-part song, "In Praise of May," of John Ireland, which fol- ' lowed, expressed all the joy of a Shakespearean May dance. In Bainton's "Bridal Song" and Thiman's "A Farewell," the movement of the vocal parts showed to advantage the three differently coloured strands of tone, soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto, and in the more chorda! work of Bernard Johnson's "Echoes" these colours, formerly heard as separate strands, became most beautifully blended. Particularly beautiful was the pianissimo ending of this number. Other pleasing three-part songs heard later In the evening were Colin Taylor's "Dream Pedlary" and Rowley's "Spring's Awakening." Mrs Mary Garland uses her voice with ease, and makes excellent use of head resonance. Her quality and the manner of her interpretation admirably suited the spiritual purity of her song, "Elizabeth's Prayer" (Wagner). For encore she sang Elgar's "Pleading." Mrs Broadbelt gave a wellfelt rendering of Grieg's "Autumn Storms," followed by Dunhill's very beautiful song, "The Cloths of Heaven." The chief solo item in this programme was Liszt's Pianoforte Concerto in E flat, played by the child pianist, Wynne Lorraine Simpson. Her octave work, her clean-cut runs, and her clear pedalling show her to be the possessor of an excellent technical foundation, and her tone-quality in the non-brilliant middle section, contrasting with the capricious work of the following portion, shows that she has imagination and a good ear for colour. It was quite a remarkable piece of playing, and was well worthy of the rousing applause which the young soloist won. Miss Simpson was very ably assisted by Mrs F. W. Simpson, who played the orchestral parts, arranged for second piano. Debussy's "Girl With the Flaxen Hair"—a prelude almost too delicate to be touched—was the well-earned encore which Wynne Simpson chose to play. Gentle, expressive treatment was given by Mrs H. J. Quarrell to her solo, Armstrong Gibbs's song, "Ann's Cradle Song," and to her encore, "The Sky Above the Roof" (Vaughan Williams); and Mrs J. E. Mason, in her solo, "Serenade," by Strauss, kept the movement advancing admirably across the difficult time-background. Very clear, too, Is her diction. Her encore was Rimsky-Korsakov's "The (Rose Enslaves the Nightingale." Miss Adele Innes and Mrs R. Sherris gave an active rendering of Mendelssohn's duet, "I Would that My Love," which was well contrasted by their (flowing interpretation of the same composer's "Sabbath Morning." Dvorak's "Harvesters' Song" was effectively sung by Miss Lilian and Miss Constance Church, but they were less successful in Henschel's "Morning Hymn," the intonation at the climax being untrue. "The Ballad of Sir Humphrey Gilbert," Wolstenholme's piece of descriptive writing, was given a colourfully expressive interpretation, making it one of the outstanding choral items on the programme. Immediately preceding the "Parting Song" the choir sang Rutland Boughton's "The Piper's Song," a number which made an excellent finale to a good evening's enjoyment, E.J.