C.T. MALE VOICE CHOIR

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 131, 1 December 1930, Page 3

C.T. MALE VOICE CHOIR

A YEAR'S PROGRESS

• A year of commendable- progress has » been achieved by the Wellington Com- . mercial Travellers' Male Voice Choir. This 1 evenly balanced choral body gave its final concert of the season in the Concert ' Chamber on Saturday- night, in the pre- ' sence of a large audience; under the baton • of Mr.- John Bishop it.demonstrated to the complete satisfaction of listeners that male voices under proper control can interpret part songs in a manner, defying .the idea that female voices are essential to pro- , per blend. Tonal quality was there, roundness and sweetness,-even if the. tenor sec- • tion was a little too light, for.the. strength • of the basses and baritones. The part sons of H. W. Dayies, "Hymn ' Before Action," set to Rudyard7 Kipling's ' "Seven Seas," opened the delightful pro- '■ gramme —a reverential commencement in • which the Kipling plea'was nicely intoned. 1 A bracket of numbers was "Bright Sword • of Liberty" (Weber) and Stuart. Young's ■ "Ships that Pass in the Night," the latter a quaint little choral 'conception; of- Lbng- -. fellow's lines.' "The River Spirit's Song," ! by R. Li de Pearsall, was sung with: a good , deal of feeling—a poetic little fancy. One of • was a pleasant vein of-humour in '.'Down in Alabama," with its coon1 atmosphere; , and the number had to be repeated. One of the choir's most successful offerings was Cobke's "Strike the Lyre," which was given a full-throated interpretation, the harmony being exquisite. The recall that followed was thoroughly deserved. Schubert's "Love in Absence" was satisfyingly sung; Haydn's "Heavens are . Telling," from "Creation," was varied by the innovation of a trio—Messrs. H. Phipps, A. E. Coe, and R. H. Dellow singing the theme. Sullivan's "Long Day Closes" was sung in memory of the late Mr.' John B. Macfarlaue, one of the'choir's* most respected members, and Mr. L. Laycock, deputyconductor, who haxl been associated with the late gentleman since the. beginning, of his membership of the- choir, had the bation. ■ Mrs. Wilfred Andrew was the only lady soloist, her contralto' voice showing up weil in Donizetti's ."Dearest Ferahdo," from the opera "La Favorita"; her recall number was "Brown Bird Singing." Later she 'sang Alfred Hill's'-.'"Tangi," a Maori lament, and though handicapped by a cold, she managed to infuse a lot of warmth and feeling into her interpretation.. Her encore number was ' "My' Josephine." The bass solo,' "Vulcan's Song," from Gounod's "Philemon'et Brucis/' with its testing .low notes, suited Mr. R. H; Dellbw admirably, and he was deservedly recalled. The Lyric Quartet (Messrs. Williams. Goudie, Hill, and Brown) had a triumphal appearance, having to submit to three en•ores. Their rendering of Srhubert's '"Nijrht" was a rem of '~!;i;\ o ;r.-.' i'.;iV.rl-j !ess harmony; then fa"'-, vr\t UVobcY ".\■ the Moments Roll," wlr-h was tuthe more spirited. The nego spiritual, "Swing Along, Chillum," was more than . popular; and the audience insisted on yet \ another item; the quartet cheerfully oblig- ' ing with "Uncle Moon" and "Humpty ' Dumpty." Mr. W. A. Gatheridge was the ; accompanist. The choral numbers were ac- ' conipanicd by Mr. Trevor Fisher, • whose pianoforte work was a distinct feature of ! the choirs success.