Canterbury Singers

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32629, 10 June 1971, Page 12

Canterbury Singers

The Canterbury Singers, a new choral society, gave its second concert in the Caledonian Hall last evening to a large audience. The choir was conducted by Victor Ellena, the accompanist being Cherry Taylor. The singing was crisp and precise, there was praiseworthy clarity of words, and the changes in expression

were carefully graded so that balance between the parts was preserved and tonal colours kept bright and fresh. The programme, in accordance with the policy of this choir, was light, and contained songs from “Porgy and Bess,” “My Fair Lady,” “Oklahoma,” and “The Sound of Music.” In addition, there were some spirituals; Cherry Taylor and Eric Cornwall playing piano duets; action songs, a poi dance, and haka from Te Whetu Ariki O Kahakura, a young Maori group; and solos by Ron Gray. The piano duettists played a merry waltz by Dr Lovelock and Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 8 with good cohesion and lively tone. The Maori group performed with good snap and precision both in their singing and in their dances. Mr Gray has a grand voice, and his singing was stylish and musicianly. The. sopranos of the choir sing with pleasing tone and keep a disciplined uniformity of timbre. Their very quiet singing is particularly attractive. The contraltos always keep a clear and wellsounding line. There is a commendable freedom of tonal production in both of these sections. The tenors and basses are heard to best advantage in their softer singing, which is good. Sometimes in robust singing they tend to sacrifice tone to volume, something which experience will correct.

The choir sang a group of Spirituals with excellent blending of tone and finesse in expression. Mr Ellena conducted with stylish security, while Miss Taylor’s accompaniments were . helpful to the singers and enjoyable to the audience.—C.F.B.