MALE VOICE CHOIR A GOOD PROGRAMME

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23323, 8 May 1941, Page 11

MALE VOICE CHOIR

A GOOD PROGRAMME

The new conductor of the Christchurch Male Voice Choir, Mr Len. Barnes, led his men through a good programme of choral music at the Radiant Hall last evening. The. choir has decided to forgo the four-page programme, with words printed for the songs, and responsibility Is now placed on the choir to let its audience hear the words. Fortunately this choir has always enjoyed a good reputation for its clearness of enunciation, and even in such a lengthy tale as was told in Lloyd's "The Longbeard’s Saga," the greater part of the words came through. Needless to say, in such finely constructed Elizabethan works as Weelkes's “Come Sirrah, Jack Ho,” in praise of tobacco, and East’s "How merrily we live," and in such pleasant songs as “Blow away the morning dew,” and the favourite “Drink to me only ’with thine eyes," their enunciation was perfectly clear. Their tone in Ben Jonson’s lyric was most happily blended. Other part-songs included two by Mendelssohn, “Turkish drinking sing” and “Land of beauty,” which must be sung again soon, the Sailors’ Chorus, from “The Flying Dutchman," Somervell’s “Soldier,-rest,” Wood’s “I’ve a secret to tell thee," Aylward’s “Song of the bow” and Chwatal’s “Lovely night.” Miss Betty Millichamp sang a number of light soprano songs with true, sweet tone. Two songs by Michael Head, “A green cornfield,” and “The singer,” were sung as prettily as anyone might want to hear them; again, “Cherry ripe,” with a particularly fruity accompaniment; Purcell’s “Hark, the echoing air,” and the waltz song from Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet" were most .pleasantly sung. It would be agreeable to hear Miss Millichamp in music of more substance. There is a host of songs for a light soprano voice, by Schubert, Mendelssohn and Mabler, by Moeran, Hubert Foss and Warlock, which we should hear but never do Mr Trevor Hutton and Mr Noel Newson played a sonata in G minor for flute and piano by Handel. Their playing was well judged and musical. Mr Hutton’s phrasing can be more accomplished, but that such a youthful musician should have the initiative to bring to our hearing such music is surely to his credit. Needless to add, Mr Newson accomnanied excejlently. Mr W. J. Olds gave a good version of Schaumann’s most romantic song, “Belshazzar.” , ; ■