Haydn and Mozart in youth concert

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33985, 28 October 1975, Page 12

Haydn and Mozart in youth concert

A programme of music* by Haydn and Mozart will be presented by the Christchurch Harmonic Society at a youth concert in the Christchurch Town Hall on Saturday.

This will be the society's third subscription concert. Three works by Haydn will be featured. One is "Te Deum for Prince Esterhazy,” which was discovered and published only a few years ago, although it was written about 1764 to celebrate the homecoming of the Prince.

Selected movements will. be played from the Symphony No 88 in G. which was originally written tor: performance in Paris; and: the third work will be ex-1 cerpts from the “Mass in Time of War" (Kyrie, Gloria, and Agnus Dei), composed] in 1796, when the Emperor] was engaged in the dis-i astrous war against Napo-i leon. Haydn himself gave] the Mass its title, althoughit is often referred to as the “Paukenmesse” or “Kettle-j drum” Mass, there being a! greater than usual use of the; timpani. The second half of the! concert will include three! works by Mozart —- “Regina; Coeli,” a graceful dance-like : hymn of praise; the first; movement of the clarinet con-. certo, written two months before Mozart’s death; and “Mass in C” (the Coronation Mass), which was performed annually in a church of pil-l grimage near Salzburg.

The choir will be con-1 ducted by Simon Tipping, associate conductor of the Christchurch Harmonic Society who recently returned to New Zealand after two years study and work in Europe.

| The soloists will be-Ruth i I Hawkey (soprano), Loma I Harris (contralto). Edward I , Driscoll (tenor), and Howard 'Harvey (bass). Keith Spragg l will play the clarinet solo. Ruth Hawkey began serious vocal study with! Joan Davies five years ago. although she started singing] ■ lessons with George Martin | when she was only six. She I I has been understudy and; ; soloist with the choir, has! been a member of the Har-! monic Chorale and University of Canterbury Madrigal Singers, and has broadcast frequently for noth YA and YC programmes of Radio New Zealand. Lorna Harris, also a pupil of Joan Davies, has performed as a soloist and has broadcast with Radio New Zealand both as soloist and as duettist with Ruth Hawkey. Her interest in choral music began in the Salvation Army choral groups, in which she still takes an active part. Edward Driscoll, who came to New Zealand two years ago, was born in Wales and trained at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He has performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra ' and the New Opera Company of Wellington. Howard Harvey was active in music in Balclutha for many years, has been a finalist in the National Aria Contest, and in 1974 was a semi-finalist in the Mobil Song Quest. He has performed as soloist for several choral groups. This year he was understudy for the Count in the “Marriage of Figaro,” and recently he

took a major part in "Showboat.”

Keith Spragg (clarinet) started to play the clarinet while attending intermediate school. After studying with Anton Radaich and then Rolf Just, he gained his L.T.C.L. and L.R.S.M. He is now principal clarinettist in the National Youth Orchestra. In 1974 he won the Christchurch Civic Music Council’s National Concerto Competition, playing the Hindemith concerto. He recently returned from the National > outh Orchestra s tour of Britain, China and Japan.