HAN DEL’S “MESSIAH”

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 64, 9 December 1940, Page 9

HAN DEL’S “MESSIAH”

Wellington Choral Union

Performance

GREAT TENOR SINGING

Handers “Messiah” was given its annual outing by the Royal Wellington Choral Union al the Town .Hall on Sat-

urday night. It is scarcely necessaij to say that the great ball enclosed an audience that filled every seat, and that tlie performance was received with the same evidences of satisfaction uhict time has made customary. Such is the spirit that Handel’s music generates in all who sing it that It could almost be said that there are no really poor performances of his “Messiah.” Some performances may be better than others, because of one or more of several factors—more gifted soloists, more inspired conducting, liner orchestras, etc’., but seldom, if ever, can one fail to be uplifted by this gtea choral epic, which heads the o standard oratorio. Vet. “Messiah’ was not Handel’s owu favourite work. Ims was “Samson,” a work that is now only sung once in a decade, if that otten, while “.Alesslah” has become so indissolubly associated with Christmas-tide not only In New Zealand but throughout the English-speaking world, that it is almost an integral part of the annual festival. . There is no evidence on record ot any such intention pit the part ot Hani.e himself. His “Messiah” was originally produced in a small hall tn Dublin o April 13, 1742 (Handel having sought sanctuary iu Ireland during a period m which his genius was under a cloud in England), and it was not heard m Loudon till it was performed at Covent Garden on March 2, 1744. Handel s genius not only lay in his extraordinary iaeility, but rather'in his stupendous conceptions in melodious theme and structural torni. “Messiah” is a model in design, a choral epitome of the dawn of Christianity, inspirationally conceived and composed. Changes are at times made m the order of the numbers toward the end. bornetimes' the final “xAmen” choral fugue is omitted, as being a rather tedious concession to a musical fashion of the times, but on Saturday night this wonderfullywritten number was included tor the first tune for some years. It comes as an anti-climax after the thrilling glories ot the “Hallelujah” chorus. “AVorthy is the Lamb” is sung usually before the Hallelujah” chorus, but on Saturday it preceded the “Amen.” , But Handel did not have the final word on Saturday. Immediately after the “Amen,” chorus and audience, everyone standing, sang with exhilarating fervour “God Defend New Zealand,” which, aided by a full orchestra and grand organ, has probably never been heard to better advantage. . Barring that chronic weakness, the tenor division, the chorus of the Royal Choral Union is a sound one, and its work in recent years, under the direction of Mr. Stanley Oliver, has been good. How it has profited by instruction was evidenced in the finely graded modulation heard in the chorus, “Behold, the Liunh of God,” and in the steeply-contrasted treatment given to" those four miniature choruses, beginning “Since By Man Came Death,” in which the intonations and feeling were excellent. Such grand chorales as “O Thou That Tollest,” “For Unto Us,” “Glory to God in the Highest,” and “Lift Up Your Heads.” as well as those mentioned above, were sung with meritorious weight, and fervour. Once more, however, one has to point out. that in some of these choruses I lie grand organ (played by Mr. Clement Howe) provided at times a too emphatic background. At times the instrument dominated both chorus and orchestra, which was, to say tlie least, inartistic. A case in point was the pumping accompaniment the organ gave to the chorus “All AVe, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray.” It was an instance of going artistically astray. AVith a full orchestra present the grand organ should be used sparingly, otherwise the beauty of the voices and orchestra becomes blurred.

The union supplied interesting soloists. Quite outstanding was the singing of Mr. Heddle Nash, the English tenor, who gave the best, most gratifying reading in the memory of the solos set for that voice. It was a rare pleasure to hear this artist intone the lovely opening numbers, “Comfort ye” and “Every A’alley.” Here were tone, quality, expression, and perfect control in the long runs, and, behind it all,'the scholarship of intellect and ripe experience. Mr. Nash also gave a superb example of the art' of recitative in the number “Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart” and “Behold and See.” and his spirited singing of the air, “Thou Shalt Break Them.” was positively dynamic.

. Mr. Russell Laurensou, who has sung the baritone music of the “Messiah” before in Wellington, was in excellent voice. Hie 'big, resonant voice and clear diction were heard to advantage In the recitative “Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts,” and in the recitative and air, “For Behold Darkness Shall Cover the Earth,” and “The People that Walked in Darkness.” He also sang the “Refiner’s Fire” and ‘.‘Why Do the Nations with impressive vehemence. The women soloists suffered by comparison with the mon. Mrs. Merle Gamble. the possessor of u light and singularly pure soprano, scarcely had the vocal weight and artistic quality which oratorio demands. There were times when passages trailed away into unwarranted piannissimos. Such great numbers as the opening recitatives for soprano, and the airs, “Come Unto Him.” “Rejoice Greatly.” and “I Know That. My Redeemer Liveth.” call not. only for a lovely voice, but also for the deepest reverence anti sincerity, qualities that are essential to carry conviction. Miss Vesta Emmanuel, the contralto, is a newcomer to the concert and oratorio platform. She has a pleasant little voice of flute-like quality, but never _ once touched the fringe of the possibilities that lie in such lovely nirs ns “He Shall Feed His Flock” and “He was Despised. The union employed a full orchestra, led by Mr. Leon de Manny, which did really excellent work throughout. The opening of the “Pastoral Symphony wao not impressive, but the muted strings worked into a satin smoothness toward the end.