C.T. MALE CHOIR

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 74, 25 September 1922, Page 2

C.T. MALE CHOIR

AN ENJOYABLE CONCERT-

There are many people in Wellington who look forward with pleasure to the concerts given by the Commercial ..Travellers' Male Voice Choir, and the choir never disappoints them. It did not on Saturday night, and the large audience was evidently well pleased with the entertainment. In all the part songs the choir quite maintained its reputation for precision and balance. Probably the best example of the evening, certainly the most popular, was the spirited opening number: "Hark the Merry Drum" (Krugh). This afforded great scope for judging the quality of the choir, and tha choir and conductor came out with flying colours. Tha martia.' effects were especially well produced, An excellent performance also was a laughing chorus, given as an encore number. The careful training of the choir was perceptible in the delicate shading of the love-song "In Absence" (Dudley Buck), and full justice was done to Mendelssohn's "Friend, Good-bye." "Lorrains, Lorraine, Loree" is doubtless associated in the minds of many Wellington people with the memory of Paul Dufault, who imparted great vividness to the tragedy of the song. The transcription of the song foi choral purposes has rather robbed it of its simple force, but within the limits of the transcription the choir sang it well. A better opportunity was "given in Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory" Other choir numbers were "River Spirit's Song" (R>L. de Pearsall) and "The Boy" (A. Herbert Brewer). Miss Mabolle Esquilant was the lady soloist- She had an enthusiastic reception, and thoroughly deserved it. The aria, ''My Heart is Weary' (Goring Thomas), was dramatically interpreted, and ih a Hindu song of Benberg she was able also to display the full beauties of her strong contralto voice. She sang as encores a number of simpler songs which were no less pleasing. The Aeoliar Quartette Party gave much pleasure with "Comrades in Arms" and f'Sleep, My Darling, Sleep." Mr. B. H. Mayall, a light tenoi, was wholly successful in singing Schubert's "Serenade," and he was heard also in duets with Mr. D. Hall. Mr, G. M. Howe, another tenor, sang pleasingly "I Arisf From Dreams of Thee" and, as. an «n----cwe, Tosti's "Parted." "If Love and I Ne'e'y Jleet," as siine by Mr. W:-_H. Church, earned a recall, and a similai complimen* was paid to Mr. W. J. Bobbins, who sang "Tho Song of Hybriaj the Cretan" with great spirit- The audience recbgnised the wprk of Mr. H. Temple White, the conductor, with prolonged applause at the conclusion of. the conceit. The accompanist was Mr. Clement Howe.