WELLINGTON MUSICAL UNION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 583, 11 August 1909, Page 8

WELLINGTON MUSICAL UNION.

MENDELSSOHN'S "ELIJAH." [Mendelssohn's, "Elijah," probably tho most dramatic of all the classic oratorios, was written for'the Birmingham-musical festival in IS-H5, and produced under tho personal direction of the composer in. August of . that year. Tho work was instantaneously successful. Mondolssohn subsequently made several important ; alterations to tho oratorio; which was produced, in its revised form, in London the following year in April no fower than'four performances being given during that' month. Felix. Mendelssohn liartholdy was born in 1800, and died in 1847, a few months after tho complete presentation of his magnificent work. This is the year of his centenary 1 . The first, of the Mendelssohn Commomoration Concerts by the Wellington Musical Union (Mr. Robert Parker) was given in the Town Hall last evening beforo a yerv ;afge audience. Appropriately enough, "Elijah" was selected for tho inaugural concert, and its production, considered on the whole, must be regarded as vfery , successful. Thanks to the elforte of both musical societies— the Musical Union and the- Choral Society— Mendelssohn's fine • oratorio is now familiar to the Wellington public, and nothing 10mains to be said concerning the concert 'ast evening save some mention of the work of the chorus, orchestra, and principals. . Tho ohoral work created a very favourablo impression indeed. Formerly the work of the choir suffered, on occasions, from a manifest disproportion as between its numerical strength and its choral efficiency, and from this defect ensued an unevenness in the balance and the quality of tho tone. This could not be said of Mr. Parker's choir last evening. ■ In its best efforts the balanoo of tone was excellent, while the quality was. undeniably so. In the magnificent chorus, "Help, Lord,", and the quieter, but infinitely beautiful, choral - number, "Blessed Are the Men Who Fear. Him," the choir did very fine work. Tho famous pagan supplication, "Baal, We Cry to Thee I was hardly so well done-rthe orchestra and chorus perceptibly dragging, a fault duo principal}' to a little hesitancy on the-part of the sopranos. Very good work was noticeable, among the contraltos, the . tone of this part being consistently jgood throughout the evening. Tho tenors and basses were responsive and most conscientious. Other good ohoruses wore: "Yet Doth the Lord," and "Behold I The -Lord Passed By." On the whole, the work of the orchestra-was sound, but at times'tho instruments slightly. overburdened the voices. Tho overture was artistically played, if one excepts the three bars immediately preceding', the dramatic, chorus, "Help, Lord!" Here the climax essential to the. tremendous choral outburst did not seem to be lacking in intensity._ This is one' of. the most dramatic incidents in the oratorio, yet it seemed, in an" indefinable way, to fall flat. One of the finest efforts of the evening was tlio singing of the beautiful double quartet; "For He Shall Give. His Angels," as.'.sung by- Miss Phoebe Parsons and- Mrs; B. M. : Wilson (soyranos), Miss May Driscqll and Mrs! Rufcell (contraltos). Messrs. C. ,H. Stephens and J. Thawley (tenors), and.Messrs John Prouse and F. Laycock (basses). It was excellent. Not less so was the unaccompanied quartet, "Cast ,tliy Burden upon the Lord," by Miss Phoebe Parsons, Miss May Drisooll, Messrs. C. H. Stephens, and John Prouse, and the exquisite trio, "Lift Thine Ejves," by Miss Phoebe Parsons, Sirs. B. M. Wilson, and, Mrs. Russell' (all* three; by the way, members ,of the well-known musical family, the. Parsons). ' ' . ' Of the," principals, pride of place must be given ; to Mr. John : Prouse, whose- -work' right through was beyond praise'. Mr. Prouse is par excellence an oratorio singer, and' as sucli is "dramatic," artistic!' and ' consistency good. His.iriost importantnumbers,;popularly speaking, V'ere the arias, "Lord God of Abraham," "Is not His Word Like, a Fire," and "It is Enousln" and these wore most appreciatively received" by, the audience. But Mr. Prouse's work as "Elijah" was actually most artistic 'where, to tho popular mind, his responsibilities seemed 1 lighter. 'It was in his recitatives that Mr.' Prouse was, artistically, most 1 brilliant. In his-interview'with the widow,. whose . dead ; son'the "prophet brought'to life,, his.trea#meiit was characterised .by a . deeply religious interpretation" which' accurately 'coliveyed tho essential atmosphere of ;the. ihc.identwith the pagan King Ahab, he was'defiant and vigorous in expression, militant in tone, whilo his interpretation of' the prophet's taunts, and, later, divine • supplications during the. burnt offering-.sceno ; with. the priests of Baal, left nothing to be desired. Miss' Phoebe Parsons'; .'principal 'soprano, was in , very good voice. ' Her work throughout'was sound, and,; in places, reached a very high standard of artistic merit. Her best number, indisputably , was the .grand aria, "Hear Ye, Israel, which was' very finely sung! A remediable defect in her performance: was a tendency •to skip... a word here and there, noticeably in -certain passages in the upper register., ' Miss May Driscoll, principal contralto, was distinctly good. She made the Very best use of a pleasing contralto voice, '' was always 'careful).-correct,.'and never "wooden." 'Miss Driscoll lis to be complimented oil the very creditable work she aid throughout.. Her recitatives,-were; very well sung indeed, and in her principal,solo, "0 Rest m the Lord," she acquitted herself admirably. Mr. C. H. Stephens, principal tenor, is new to the Wellington concert platform. His inclusion, in the principals ' was ,in every sense justified by his performance. He'basa very good voice, of pleasing quality in tone, knows how to use it,-" and, generally speaking, a distinct, acquisition, for good tenors are-scarce. His principal solo was the'aria, "Then Shall the Righteous . Shine Forth," which was admirably sung. His work in the r«:itatives was hardly'so good, although, a notable exception was the dramatic, recitative, "Man of God,"'which was a very fine piece of work. With the others, Mr. Stephens rhowed a tendency to hurry too mucH, '.instead of giving effective pause as! the occasion demanded (and recitatives allow) for dramatic effect. • .

The second of.the Mendelssohn Commemoration' Concerts' given ,by the' Wellington Musical Union will take ; place in the Town Hall tomorrow evening, when a'very interesting arid .representative selection from Mendelssohn's works will be presented. Songs will be sung by the soloists who took part in the "Elijah," and'9ome of Mendelssohn s be6t part-songs will be. given by the chorus. The orchestra will play tho charming overture to tho "Midsummer Night's Dream," the overture to "Ileiiukolir aus dcr Ereinde" (better known as the " Son and Stranger , and the Adagio from the "Symphony in A Minor," besides accompanying. tho pianoforte performance of the ' Coucorto in 6 Minor." Mr. Robert Parker will conduct. The box .plan is at the.Dresden. ,