THE APOLLO SINGERS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 42, 13 November 1936, Page 6

THE APOLLO SINGERS

Final Concert of Year

CHARMING BOY VOCALIST

A large audience enjoyed the attractive programme presented by the Apollo Singers, under Mr. H. Temple White, on the occasion of the last concert of the year at the concert chamber last evening. This male voice choir is doing very good work in its sphere of music, but. like most other choirs, it. suffers occasionally by sectional weaknesses which can scarcely be avoided. Last evening the balance was scarcely so good as it has been, owing to the weakness in the first tenor division, which in most of the part songs is entrusted with the dominant melody. Still, there is a feeling of culture about the work of the choir, and were it possible to build up the tenors to the same degree of tonal quality as the lower voices, the result would be more satisfactory from an artistic point of view.

The choir put plenty of heart into the opening chorus, “The Arethusa” (IV. Shield), which tells of the prowess of one of England’s oaken warships. There was also tine feeling' shown in the serene treatment given to Abt’s peaceful partsong, "Evening,” iu which the solo was trusted to Mr. R. R. Orr. Granville Bantock has tried his hand at every kind of vocal music, and is more often than not successful, but, while musically sound, his spiritual "Somebody’s Knockin’ ” scarcely gets there. Modern composers a-plenty have endeavoured to secure the atmosphere of these negro spirituals, but none of them approach the old settings so inimitably sung 40 years ago by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Mr. H. A. Pargetter sang the solo in this part-song. "Zut, Zul, Zut” (Elgar) has eartickling trimmings, but it was sung too quickly if it were intended to be a marching song (as the lines indicate). Both iu form and treatment this composition is scarcely English in flavour, although composed by one of England’s most illustrious composers. “In Moorish Lands,” ; a charming part-song by Mozart, melodious and skilfully written, tells of the rescue of a captive maiden by a gallant knight, the narrative being given to the lower voices, as the tenors carol a gay lilt as an harmonic background. The sea shanties, “Haul Away, Joe,” “No More We'll Go n-Roving,” and "What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor?” were as popular as any numbers of the programme. The solo parts were sung with immense gusto and humour by Mr. J. M. Caldwell. Two interesting numbers in the second part were “The Birth of the Violet” and “A Gaelic Lullaby,” which were written and arranged locally. Mr. 11. N. Vivian has taken lines from Ella Wheeler Wilcox for his first number, and has given them an appealingly melodious jnelody, which Mr. H. Temple 'White has skilfully arranged in four-part harmony; while in the second instance Mr. Vivian has recorded the singing of an old Gaelic air by Mrs. Mary Bruce Gray, of Foxton, which, too, has been artistically arranged by Mr. White, whose gift in this direction is rather a precious one. Both numbers were nicely sung and well received. Other part songs on the programme wore “The Song of the Bow” (Aylward). "Matthew, Mark. Luke and John” (Holst), a new treatment of old lyrics, "O No, John" (Thiman), “Moonlight" (Fatting), and "Hungarian March” (Laurent de Rille).

The outstanding innovation on the programme was the introduction to 'Wellington of the talented boy treble singer, Warwick Humphreys, of Christchurch. This modest little lad, in Eton collar and jacket, displayed a remarkably sweet voice over a big range. The voice is musical in quality, pure in texture, and absolutely true to pitch. Moreover Master Humphreys sings and phrases with intelligence. Those songs selected were by no means easy. They were “Sing Sweet Bird" (Ganz), which has some florid vocal flights, “Rose Softly Blooming" (Spohr), “My Lovely Celia,” “Bird Songs at Eve,” the inevitable “Lo. Here the Gentle Lark” (Bishop), and “The Pipes of Pan’’ (Monckton). The youthful visitor received a great reception. Miss Zillah Castle, violinist, played a bracket of three numbers, “English Dance" (Dale) "El Pano Moruno” (De Falla), and a Bach gavotte arranged by Kreisler. It was just a pity that there was not. a more sympathetic understanding between the soloist and her accompanist. Miss Castle was happier in her second part number, “The Lark Ascending” (Vaughan 'Williams). Mrs. Cnigou was the accompanist.