LIEDERTAFEL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21967, 16 December 1936, Page 3

LIEDERTAFEL

SMOKE CONCERT

For the final concert of the year, the Christchurch Liedertafel gave a pleasing but essentially recreative programme at the Armagh Street Art Gallery Ja.st night. Numerically the choir was not strong, but the vocal quality throughout was excellent and their melodious legato was delightful. These qualities were heard to advantage in Ockeley's "Evening and Morning" and West's "See Amid the Winter's Snow." This latter piece, a carol appropriate to the season, was arranged for solo voices and chorus by the choir's conductor, Mr A. Worsley, the solo parts being effectively taken by Mr J. E. Mason and Mr R. Allison, the well interpreted chorus sections giving pleasing contrast and unifying the whole. With the exception of "A Vintage Song" (Menlelssohn). which received a very characterful interpretation, the more virile partsongs were rather lacking in strength of accentuation, due in one instance at least (Bantock's "Marching Along"), to some slight uncertainty in the parts; yet even here a right spirit of enjoyment was conveyed to the appreciative audience. Solo items by members of the choir added to the evening's enjoyment, the soloists being Mr Thorpe Cherry, Mr K. Cochran, Mr H. J. Francis, and Mr J. E. Mason. Mr Cherry gave a finished interpretation of Mascagni's "Siciliana," deeply felt yet without any exaggeration, and Mr Cochran, in a well used voice of fine range, gave a carefully sung, though insufficiently dramatie interpretation of Schubert's "My Last Abode." In the second half of the programme Mr H. J. Francis finely created an atmosphere with his excellent singing of Schubert's "Serenade," and Mr J. E. Mason, though giving a sound treatment to Schumann's "Devotion," reached his audience more fully in his encore, Sterndale Bennett's "Leanin."" The accompaniments to these solos, and to the accompanied partsongs, were played by Mr Gordon Anderson, the honorary accompanist to the choir. Contrast to vocal work was supplied by the very acceptable 'cello solos of Mr Francis Bate. His cl ">ice of items was admirable. In the first half he gave a suite for viol da gamba by Chambonnieres (1600-1670), full of flowing melodies typical of the period, and in the second, an arrangement of Debussy's "En Bateau," a beautiful lilting poem, following which, as encore, came the still more beautiful Debussy "Romance" very effectively arranged by Ronchini, and ' played with great charm by the soloist. These items were sympathetically accompanied by Mr A. Worsley. Following a presentation to Mr W. G. Cookson (the retiring secretary), made by the president, Mr A. Freeman, the choir brought this concert to an enjoyable end with the lively Sullivan chorus, "With Cat-like Tread" from "The Pirates of Penzance." (E.J.)