AUCKLAND CHORAL SOCIETY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3040, 24 April 1867, Page 5

AUCKLAND CHORAL SOCIETY.

The members of this Society gave another of their grand musical festivals last evening, in the Mechanics' Institute, which was attended with equal if not greater success than those that preceded it. To cultivate and improve a taste for high-class music among the community of Auckland is an undertaking which> requires much patient and persevering labour on the part of those who enter upon the accomplish* ment of the task, and the above Society seem to have entered upon the work with a desire to achieve gopd results. Their entertainment was honoured la»t . evening by the presence of a crowded and fashionable audience, composed of many of the principal residents of the city and suburbs. The orchestra, under the able and skilful conduot of Mt. J. Brown, was composed of about thirty vocalists and twenty instrumentalists, including a number of the band of the 12th Regiment, whose services contributed much to the success of the first piece especially. The first portion of the festival consisted of Mozart's "Twelfth Mass," one of the most popular compositions of this celebrated composer, who was "the musical wonder of Europe, as much from the astonishing extent of' his abilities as from the extreme youth of their possessor" — a composition which has^ withstood the criticism of nearly a century, and is now regarded by not a few as the model of perfection in " the divine art." The limited space at our command precludes ub from entering upon anything like a critique on the performance, so that we must confine ourselves briefly to some general remarks. We may observe that all the choruse3, with their solos, were given with remarkable precision and correctness, and more especially the second chorus, the " Gloria," and also the " Sanctus." In the two latter was scarcely noticed the intrusion of a discordant note in the flood of " sounding melody," which enthralls the ear, and fill* the heart with pleasurable enjoyment. We may say, however, that it wouid have been, in our opinion, an improvement had thefc been taken a little quicker. A noticeable feature \na also the tenor «010 in "Et incarnatus," which was rendered with good taste and much feeling. The second portion of the entertainment consisted of Dr. Elvey'a "Resurrection and Aseenrion,'* which is a comparatively modem composition, being the piece which obtained for its composer his degree* This ii the first time it has been produced, and, on the whole, its entree was a perfect success. The first chorus, "He trusts' in God," somewhat re. sembles Handel's chorus of the lame title. Indeed, several passages throughout the composition re- < minded us of well-known portions of the le Messiah." The chorus " Thou art gone up on high" was well and effectively produced ; but the chorale was the most successful part of the piece, and is, so far as musical ability is concerned, unquestionably a fine production. There was nothing particular to notice in the tenor* solos, if we may except one of them, which was very creditably given. The treble bolob< were sung by the accomplished vocalist who undertook them' with her wonted proficiency and grace, -and more especially is this remark applicable to her rendering of the last solo in the piece. The finale,-" The Amen" — was very effectively rendered by^ the oonsorted strength of the orchestra, all the voices "blinding harmoniously in their full development; and brought to a successful termination an entertainment in which both instrumentalists and vocalists enacted their respective parts with an amount of talent we had not anticipated.