ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26854, 6 October 1952, Page 3

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

SECOND CONCERT LAST EVENING The Christchurch Orchestral Society, led by Mr Alfred Brown and conducted by Mr Hans Colombi, gave its second subscription concert in the Repertory Theatre last evening. The orchestra is having teething troubles and suffers most at present from lack of teeth. This is noticeable in all sections, and as a result the orchestra would not be said to have given all that desirable balance and playing in tune which can and usually does come from numerically complete and proportionately graded instrumental families. Thus the French horn lacked a contemporary and the strings at least a dozen instruments. This latter deficiency is the most serious and one hopes that violinists (and others) at a loose end will offer their services, for the music tended to sound all “top and bottom” without sufficient second violins or a solid wad of brass to fill in the texture at the suitable moments. And at the present juncture the first violins must maintain their strength. Bearing .this in mind, and the fact that the players cannot be expected to be sure of themselves and of each other in such a short time, last night’s performance revealed some very worthwhile qualities. There was a notable sense of style, sometimes marred by the execution, particularly in the feeling for phrasing and fluctuations in volume and tempi as one heard in the second movement of Haydn’s “Drum Roll” Symphony, and most happily in the third of the Four Norwegian Dances by Grieg. There was too, some excellent tone—true, warm and singing—in Bizet’s “L’Arlesienne” Suite. An arrangement by Lambert of two organ concertos by Handel in the form of a Piano Concerto was played. Miss Ruth Barltrop performed attractively and the dotted rhythm of the first movement was most fresh and healthy. The second movement was, however, less vital as it suffered from tricky instrumental interjections in which attacks were not as precise as would have been wished. A feeling of lassitude alternating with spasmodic vitality resulted. The orchestra was heard most effectively in the Four Norwegian Dances. In the first some rhythmic pizzicato in the ’cellos, s6me exciting and really brassy moments from the trombones in the second, and smooth woodwind playing with a general improvement of ”in-tuneness” and solidity of tone in the third made for a more complete and satisfying performance. Mr Colombi gave a practical demonstration of well-calculated and cool conducting. The orchestra has the temperament, the ability, and the leadership to do good things—it only needs more members. —B.M.W.