DON COSSACK CHOIR

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22167, 10 August 1937, Page 3

DON COSSACK CHOIR

OPENING PERFORMANCE TO-NIGHT

COMPANY OF BRILLIANT ARTISTS To-night at the Theatre Royal, beginning at 8 o’clock, Messrs J. and N. Tait, in association with Alexandre Levitofi, will present for the first time in Christchurch the renowned Don Cossack Choir, and a company of brilliant Russian dancers. Owing to the brevity of the tour, only five evening performances can be staged by the Don

Cossacks in Christchurch, and matinees will be given to-morrow and Saturday afternoons. Seats in central positions for to-night’s grand opening gala performance of the Don Cossacks may be selected at the D.I.C. until 5 o’clock, and afterwards the plans will be on view at the Theatre Royal. The Don Cossack Choir last week thrilled audiences in Wellington by the magnificence of their singing, and the amazing artistry of the Russian dancers is an outstanding feature of the performance. This band of 30 virile singers is under the conductorship of M. Nicolas Kostrukoff, who has made of the fine voices at his command one great musical instrument. The voices of the choir are of incredible range, reaching tones as low as any mechanical organ, and upper notes of exceptional pitch. Whether they are singing as a whole, or individually, these Russians express with amazing understanding the true spirit of their own people. The war songs of the Cossacks, the lyrical melodies and the airs of Great Russia, with all their emotions and sentiment are portayed in the artistic performance of this celebrated, choir. The voices of these men are of outstanding quality and of a power unknown among European peoples; those of the basses have often been compared with the pedal notes of an organ, they possess such breadth and solidity. Above them sound harmoniously the notes of the baritones and tenors, equally remarkable in respect of quality and breadth and resilience.

An extremely varied programme, comprising secular items, ballads, soldier songs, comic numbers, singing dances of the Caucasians and Don Cossacks will be presented at this evening’s performance. An outstanding feature of the entertainment is the knife dancer, a young man called Ivanoff, who performs the spirited movements of the Caucasian Cossacks, carrying 12 knives—in his mouth and hands, on his chin, his lips, and his shoulders. This is an art that few dancers can learn. It is a family accomplishment, handed down from father to son in Caucasia, from one generation to another. Another attractive feature of the performance is the marvellous whirlwind dancing of the singers.