Unusual concert at C.S.A. Gallery

Press, 5 August 1976, Page 4

Unusual concert at C.S.A. Gallery

An unusual and much appreciated concert was given in the C.S.A. Gallery yesterday afternoon by the Rangi Ruru Chorale, a group of singers, conBeverley BellMusolff and accompanied by Katherine Chamberlain.

They began with motets by Mendelssohn, Brahms, and from the Vatican Gradual, singing with refreshing tone, easily produced, so that phrasing was clearly and nicely moulded, and words had exemplary clarity. The singing throughout the programme had rhythmic freedom and artistic restraint. Rutter’s setting of ‘Christ the Lord is Risen” had strong verve and rounded tonal production, and three folk-type melodies arranged by Trent, Clements, and Ehret were winsomely charming and were sung with practised ease and free-: dom.

“Greenfields,” by Gilkyson, made an effective ending. The work of the choir showed excellent discipline in presentation. Katherine Chamberlain’s playing of the accompaniments was suitably subdued, but had helpful and well-sounding vitality. Fiona Steedman played Handel’s “Harmonious Blacksmith” Variations, the Chopin Berceuse, and twelve charming and most attractive little pieces by Lutoslawski based upon Silesian folk tunes. Her playing had interesting tonal qualities, used with artisitc and welljudged sense of contrasts, and everything had glowing vitality and expressive life and elan. This was an -t--tractive concert where everything was performed with honest purpose and there were no loose ends. —C. Foster Browne