Sense Of Enjoyment In Children’s Singing

Press, Volume C, Issue 29633, 2 October 1961, Page 7

Sense Of Enjoyment In Children’s Singing

Children from Banks avenue, Briggston, Harewood, Mairehau, Quinns road, Richmond, and Shirley Intermediate schools “carolled with mirth and glee” on the Civic Theatre stage at Saturday evening's concert in the Primary Schools’ Festival. The massed and semi-massed choruses were sung with eclat, and leads and endings were precise. There was admirable clarity of enunciation and a happy sense of enjoyment to the singing.

Instrumental items showed how this important work is progressing in some schools. Choral work preponderated at this concert but Monday evening’s concert will be mainly orchestral. Among, the massed choir items Mr Ashley Heenan’s arrangemen’s of four American folk songs are particularly attractive and provide good contrast and enjoyable listening. “Hey-Ho-Hey” and “The Cuckoo Cries” again called forth bright and joyous singing and “The Orchestra Song’’ was a papular item. Singing by individual choirs was mainly of fair standard, and generally throughout the festival there has been a definite improvement in these items. When choirs have lost pitch the causes have usually been lack of the necessary security in breathing and inattention to the tuning of semitones. The junior massed choir

sang "The Kangaroo” by Alec Rowley with gusto and managed its syncopations well. “Bill Bones’ Hornpipe” and the two-part canon “Hot Cross Buns” by H. A. Chambers were sung with bright attack. A descant played on recorders to “The Nurse’s Lullaby” by H. A. Cole was skilfully managed and sounded effective. The concert ended, with an arrangement by Dr. Griffiths of “Fight the Good Fight” and a broadly sweeping tone was brought forth. All children responded unanimously to Mr Newson’s clear and encouraging directions. He chose excellent tempi for the various songs and with the invaluable assistance of his accompanists. Messrs Charles Martin and Gordon Mathieson, gave a musical vitality to the whole programme.—C.F.B,