ENCHANTING SONGS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 265, 5 August 1937, Page 15

ENCHANTING SONGS

Rich Russian Melody GLORIOUS ALLEGORY Favourable as was the impression created by Platoff’s world-famous Don Cossack Choir in their opening programme, they certainly enhanced their reputation with a brilliant second programme presented at the Grand Opera House last night, when a large audience, including his Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Lord Galway, and a party from Government House, were roused to a rare pitch of enthusiasm. _ t The conductor, Monsieur N. Kostrukoff, who does not use a baton, had his choir on the tips of his fingers, and the manner in which he played upon them as upon a grand organ, charmed and delighted the large house to such an extent that though he bowed his acknowledgements after each number to thijuders of applause, the demaud for encores was insistent. A splendid organ-like effect was produced by the choir in the devotional numbers, “Lord, Keep Us and Save Us,, "Blessed is the Name of God of Zion, and “Inspire My Prayer, O Lord.” An outstanding number was “The Snow Has Blown Over Russia,” a Russian patrioticsong expressing limitless longing for the native land. The bass soloist was in splendid voice in “Stenka Razin,” a folk song about a leader of the Don Cossacks in the seventeenth century, wljo threw a charming Persian princess $e had captured in one of his raids into the A olga because she was interfering with his military ardour. The choir was at its best in “In 1893,” a Cossack war song sung as the warriors swam their horses over the River A'isla during a campai ,r n. The bearded alto singer, who has a voice. like a flute, charmed the audience with two solos to the choir’s humming accompaniment, both of which had to be repeated Other numbers on the nicely varied programme were “My Lady Sweet,” a jocular eoug;; ‘‘Not From a Dark Cloud”; “Waltz” ; “Departed Youth”; “Two Guitars,” a Russian gipsy song; “Kazbek,” a Caucassian folk song; “Monotonously Rings the Little Bell’’; and “Grandfather Pahom,” a humorous number; and the popular “Volga Boat Song.” Variety was lent to the programme by “Lescinka,” a dance of the Caucasians, in which a solo dancer held daggers in his mouth as he flung wildly about the stage and flipped them into the floor. The audience was most enthusiastic over the concluding number, in which several members of the choir gave an exhilarating display of Russian dancing. The choir opened the programme with the National Anthem as his Excellency entered the theatre, and closed the rich musical treat with the same anthem. During the second interval, at Lord A Galway’s request, the conductor and five of the soloists were presented to his Excellency. This delightful programme will be repeated for the remainder of the week.