MUSIC COUNCIL CONCERT

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28003, 25 June 1956, Page 6

MUSIC COUNCIL CONCERT

CHOIRS, ORCHESTRAS, COMBINE LARGE APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE The Civic Music Council arranged a concert which was held in the Civic Theatre on Saturday evening. The societies which performed were the Canterbury College Orchestra, the Technical College Orchestra. the Liederkranzchen, the Liedertafel, the Orpheus Choir, and the Teachers’ College Choir. There was much in the concert to interest and no little to charm the fairly large audience. While most of these societies are heard separately m their own concerts fairly frequently, nevertheless it was interesting and worthwhile to hear them on the same programme. Ft should have been instructive to the performers themselves to hear one another. Pressure of rehearsal work, and other duties and interests, tend to keep the members of each society scurrying along on their own treadmills, but a society which never interests itself in the work of its fellow societies is working under the restrictions of blinkers. This was not a competitive festival but listeners would naturally have preferences and would be conscious of varying standards of performance. However, a striving on the part of all towards an excellence of standard was clearly shown in this concert and this was one of the cheering aspects of the evening’s entertainment. It is to be hoped that each society learned something from the work of the others — even if the only thing noted was that faults, already corrected, need constant watchfulness lest they should recur. The programme began with the Canterbury College Orchestra, conducted by Mr John Ritchie, playing two extracts from the “Incidental Film Music to ‘Henry V,’ ” by William Walton and a “Concertino for Piano and Strings’’ by Walter Leigh. The Walton pieces, slow and sustained, are just the type of music which usually causes amateur orchestras to lose control in rhythm, to produce a scratchy and uneven tone, and to fail in both phrasing and balance. None of these things happened and the orchestra is to be congratulated on its training which produced such rounded and controlled playing. The Walter Leigh “Concertino,” with Miss Margaret Nielsen playing the solo part with her usual clarity and musicianly skill, was an attractive work which was -played cleanly and incisively. Orchestra’s Progress The Technical College Orchestra conducted by Mr Frederick Port, is making good progress. “Three Bavarian Dances”, by Elgar were played. The first needed a faster tempo and intonation suffered in the second. The last came off fairly well. The choirs usually sound better in their own places of performance than they did in the Civic Theatre. There was not the usual intimate atmosphere of performance. Had they come further forward on the stage the results would possibly have been better and the performances more secure. The Liederkranzchen, conducted by Mr John Ritchie, sang three of Philip Cannon’s “Songs to Delight.” The choir sings this very attractive music with real efficiency and artistry. The control shown at the end of “The Gypsie’s Blessing” was most exemplary. The Liedertafel, conducted by Mr Keith Newson, sang “Every Rustling Tree” expressively and with good balance. “Serenity,” by Dr. James Lyon, which was so well sung by this society a few days ago, was not so well done this time. The “Italian Salad” was well received.

The “Orpheus Choir,” conducted by Mr Carl Smith, was heard to best advantage in “A Sailor’s Garland” by Alec Rowley. The Teachers’ College Choir, under Mr Keith Newson’s direction, sang some excerpts from Bach’s “Peasant Cantata,” “The Father of Light,” by Vaughan Williams, and the chorale “Sleepers, Wake!” by Bach. This was a larger choir than the others, and the freshness of the voices was particularly pleasing and they blended well.

The accompaniments were well played by Alice Stubberfield, Oswald Houison, Mabel Mason and D. Sievwright. R. B. Land and Arthur Gordon were efficient leaders- of their orchestras. —C.F.B.