CONCERT BY SIX CHOIRS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27055, 2 June 1953, Page 3

CONCERT BY SIX CHOIRS

Coronation Festival

Six choirs took part in a Coronation festival concert in the King Edward Barracks, Christchurch, last evening. There was a very large and appreciative audience. This concert showed the value of a co-operative spirit among the various musical societies, and thanks are due to the Civic Music Council, which arranged the concert. Such a concert, in addition to subscribers’ concerts, throws quite a strain on the societies; but by hard and unselfish work they all combined to make a success of a festival performance in keeping with this special period of rejoicing.

A place like the King Edward Barracks is not ideal acoustically for our smaller choral groups. However, they overcame these difficulties by singing

with clear tone, which had good carrying qualities. There is no other place in the city, unfortunately, where it would have been possible to hear all of these choirs singing in a combined performance of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” This was sung with thrilling effect, under Mr Victor Peters's direction, at the end of the concert. . There were too many items for all to be (mentioned. The Male Voice Choir, conducted by Mr Len Barnes, was heard to good advantage in “Country Gardens," by Cecil Sharpe, and in Bantocks’ setting of “My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose.” Forsyth’s setting of “Old King Cole,” although a most effective work for men’s voices, really needs the more intimate atmosphere of a smaller hall. One would have preferred to have heard some music better suited to the occasion from the Orpheus Choir. However, under Mr F. C. Penfold’s direction, the choir sang with good tone and with nicely balanced blend. The Christchurch Orchestral Society, conducted by Mr Hans Colombi, played Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” (No. 1) Overture. This orchestra has improved considerably since one last had the opportunity of hearing it. In addition to the overture, tne orchestra played accompaniments for three of the choirs, and for the massed performance at the end. This, for a newly-formed orchestra, was a big task and, on the whole, it was carried out creditably. The Royal Christchurch Musical Society hgs been well trained by Mr R. Field-Dodgson in two anthems from the Coronation service—‘ Zadok the Priest” and "I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me.” The choir sang with splendid tone, clear words, and strict precision. The phrasing was nicely rounded, and in all respects the choral part of the work was excellent. Trebles from Christ’s College sang the “Vivat” section of the second anthem with pleasant tone, and their work in the other items added, to the general effect. Unfortunately, the orchestral accompaniment of Parry’s anthem was far below the minimum required for a public performance. An unaccompanied rendering of “Now Thank We All Our God” was sung with good balance and delightful tone. There was a better standard of orchestral accompaniment in three choruses from Bach’s B minor Mass, and in Thiman’s “Songs of England. The performances of the Bach choruses by the Harmonic Society came off well. Some of the thrills of the society’s recent magnificent rendering of the whole work were recaptured. In the Sanctus, in particular, the weight and beautiful tone of the men’s voices were most impressive. The choir. made the fugal strands of the “Pleni Sunt Coeli” clear and rhythmical, and the joy and brilliance of the “Gloria” and the “Osanna” made this society’s work memorable and outstanding. Mr Peters conducted this performance and also that of the Liedertafel, which sang Woodgate’s “Fantasia on Eng-

lish Melodies” and Elgar’s beautiful setting of five part-songs from a Greek anthology. The Liedertafel sang expressively and with its customary precision. The Liederkranzchen, conducted by Mr John Ritchie, sang Eric Thiman’s ‘‘Songs of England” with artistic finesse. Their tone was really beautiful and their enunciation, phrasing and expression were all most highly creditable. At the end of the concert the combined choirs and the audience sang Parry’s setting of Blake’s ‘‘Jerusalem” and the National Anthem. —C.F.B.