Chamber element in Harmonic concert

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33563, 18 June 1974, Page 10

Chamber element in Harmonic concert

A strong element, |of chamber music will) run through the Christchurch Harmonic Society’s subscription concert in the Town Hall on Saturday. The society’s two small; groups, the Chorale and the; Singers, will be featured,;

.and the guest artists will be the Camerata Quartet and Maurice Till. The Camerata Quartet was formed in 1973; it has already given recitals in Christchurch, and will make its debut in Dunedin soon. Two of its members, Elizabeth Rogers and Frances De i Goldi, are section principals : in the Chriscthurch SymI phony Orchestra, and tutors in' viola and cello at the i School of Music of the UniIversity of Canterbury. An- | other, Paulene Smith, has I studied and taught at the 'Royal Manchester College of Music, and is a member of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and a Canterbury University tutor in violin. The fourth, Chloe Moon, is a recent honours graduate of the University of Canterbury School of Music, is a violinist in the C.S.O. and is also a cbmposer. With Maurice Till, the Quartet will play Dvorak’s Quintet in A Major. Part of the programme will commemorate the centenary of the birth of the English composer, Gustav Holst.

probably better known for' his large scores such as “The Planets” and “The Hymn of Jesus” than for his writing for small groups. The Harmonic Singers,! conducted by Elizabeth Wemyss and accompanied, by Karen Evans, will sing two of his song cycles, “Five Canons for Equal’ Voices”, composed in 1932 and “Seven Songs for Women’s Voices”, composed in 1925. They will also sing a group of Town and Country Cries collected by Hoist’s daughter, Imogen. The Harmonic Chorale, conducted by the society’s musical director, William Hawkey, will sing three of Hoist’s part songs for mixed voices. The Chorale will also continue the Commonwealth theme which was a feature of Games Festival recitals. Most of the Four Canadian Folk Songs and the Four Songs of the Newfoundland Outports that they will sing are new to their repertoire. They are full of varied rhythmic detail, and are interesting to perform.