Schools’ Music Festival

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30251, 2 October 1963, Page 17

Schools’ Music Festival

The massed and semimassed choirs for last evening’s concert in toe Civic Theatre were supplied by the Bishopdale, Burwood, Kirkwood Intermediate, Reddiffs. Riccartcn, Spreydon, and Wharenui Schools. The children. directed by Mr Keith Newson, sang wito rhythmic brightness and enthusiastic eclat. The junior semi-massed choir sang with tremendous verve, and both choirs made the words excellently clear and followed Mr Newson’s leadership with rapt attention to details of expression and precision in starting and ending.

Intonation in all the items was very good indeed, and it would appear toast much

more secure support for toe voices is now being taught to the children. A better tonal quality is also coming as a result of tods. The phrasing will improve further when more attention is given to avoiding accentuation on unaccepted syllables, although there has been improvement in this also.

The individual schools performed their instrumental and choral items satisfactorily, and some were excellent. Mr Charles Martin gave splendid support with has bright accompanying on the piano, and Mr Gordon Mathieson played the organ and conducted some of the ehorai works with his unfailing skill and taste. -CJJB.