LUNCH-TIME CONCERT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29010, 26 September 1959, Page 15

LUNCH-TIME CONCERT

Church Music Group The Thursday lunch-time concert this week was given by the University Church Music Group under the direction of their conductor, Kenneth Horn. This is not primarily a concertgiving ensemble, and it is much to their credit that they coula provide a 40-minute programme of mainly liturgical music, which was of interest throughout to the general listener; one feels tempted to say, including the heathen listener. The first part of the programme was devoted to unaccompanied sixteenth century music, sometimes employing the full choir and sometimes making effective use of small groups of soloists. The tone was particularly well controlled in the full choir sections although there were some pleasantly fresh and unecclesiasticat voices among the soloists. Perhaps the chief attraction of the concert lay in the sensitive feeling for the music shown by these intelligent singers, with then scholarly conductor, in renderings of music usually associated with choirs surpliced but saturated with the intolerable monotony of endless repetition. The central work of the concert was Purcell’s well-known “Rejoice in the Lord.” Here the choir was augmented by a few strings from the University Orchestra. Once again the sections for full chorus were the most effective. The piece of course is so well known that we even noticed that the double-bass player had some difficulty in climbing round some of the notes in his part. Three unaccompanied psalms by Schutz were elegantly performed showing a strong sense of line, particularly in the sopranos; a performance worthy of this wonderful composer. (When is he due for a tercentenary?)

The last part of the programme consisted of anthems by English composers. “Thou Wilt Keep Him in Perfect Peace.” by S. S Wesley, showed us quite clearly that not all Victorian music is in bad taste, and Brian Barrett in “O Thou the Central Orb,” byCharles Wood, convinced us that he had the cathedral organ under his fingers and shoes. Perhaps the '.ess said about Armstrong Gibbs’ “Pilgrim Song” the better, but the final item, “Easter,” by the same composer, ended the concert on a sincere, though unseasonable note of triumph. —M.H.T. DR. ELIZABETH GUNN On behalf of the health camps organisation, the Health Department posted to newspapers on September 10 a statement on the origin of health camps, which incorrectly referred to the late Dr. Elizabeth Gunn as having started the first camp in Wanganui in 1919. Dr. Gunn has protested that she “is very much alive.” The health camp organisation expresses its regret for the error.