MISS PHYLLIS LETT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 33, 9 February 1927, Page 13

MISS PHYLLIS LETT

ANOTHER SUCCESS

ril h*PPy audience heard. Miss Phyllis thp Tnt waif? US Ea«liah- contralto, at *f™£ i ? We!lington. and again the singer created an atmosphere of enthusiasm. _ Miss_ Lett has a voice of wide range and ingratiating quality. It can be sub- ?. ue\ t0 a soft mellowness without losing its characteristic timbre, or it can rise to dominating heights of power. There are many moments' when the purity of her contralto colouring glows with congenial warmth and behind the singing tone is an illuminating intelligence that makes every word., carry its full meaning. Her programme.last evening was again one of great variety, and ranged from the big operatic aria, "Softly Awakes My Heart," from Samson and Delilah (Saint-Saens), to the modern "An Epitaph," composed toy neraccompanist, Mr. Maurice Besly. In the aria there was a power of dramatic utterance which was in perfect balance with the melodic line. It was the singer's big number of the evening and she won more hearts than Samson's. There was broad, legato and a beautiful tone that never Wavered in "Elegie" (Massenet), wijicn was sung with violin obbligato, and in Ombramoi fu" (Handel), sung with organ accompaniment and violin obbligato. The well-known "Caro^ llio Ben" (Giordani) received something more than the traditional rendering. Light and flexible treatment was given. "Voici Noel" (an old French song, arranged by Weeckerlin). A group of modern songs, "An Epitaph" (Maurice Besly), "The , Leaves and the Wind" (Franco Eeoni), "Sleep, My Darling" (Balakireff), and "Ecstasy" (Morse Eummell),. were charmingly sung. "The Leayes and the Wand" ended with a sustained pianissimo that was flawless to the appointed end. The encores for the group included "Dreams of Home," an old Irish j'air .arranged by Maurice Besly, and "The Cuckoo" (Martin Shaw);. Four encores .were- demanded after the "Softly Awakes My Heart,'' and these' included "Alleluia," with srgan accompaniment. Other numbers were "Ye Banks and. Braes," "The Arrow and the Song," and "The Glory of the Sea" (Wilfred. Sanderson). The Australian tenor, Mr. Norman Bennett, was again popular. He did not fare too well ;in "Siegmund's . Love Song" from "The Valkyrie" (Wagner), but in his other: items, which included "The Moon" (Gerard Williams), "Music, When Soft Voices: Die" : (Maurice Besly), "Morning Song" (Quilter), and "Songs My Mother Taught Me" (Dvorak), there were flights of artistry. Miss Margot Macgibbon, the young violinist, showed sound musicianship in the slow movement of the "Concerto in G Minor" (Max Bruch), and played as an encore 'Kondino" (Beethoven). A bracket, ."Melodie," by Gliick, and' Kreisler's arrangement ofc "Minuet"' (Paderewski), was encored, and- with mute the violinist gave (Cyril Scott). There was sympathy in -Mr. Besly's accompaniments and authority; in his solo numbers, which included "Londonderry Air," arranged by himself, and "Porcelain," from his own "Studies in Tone Colour." Mr. E. 1 J. Gravestock announces that owing.to the success of ■Miss. Phyllis -Lett's concertsr.au extra concert will be given on Saturday evening, in the Town Hall. The third .concert will take place to-morrow night, when Miss Lett's numbers include: Bizet's great song, "Agnus Dei," with organ, violin, and piano; "J'ai Pleure en Eeve" (Georges Hue), "Chanson dv Tambourineur" (Old French), "The Se-ond Minuet" (Maurice Besly), "Dreaming of Home" (Old Irish), "Thy Gifts'' (Ken.nedy Russell, with organ). The box plans are-at ;The.Bristol,, and .day sale-tickets at the;Grand*Opera -House "Confectionery. ;