APOLLO SINGERS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 3

APOLLO SINGERS

GRATIFYING SUCCESS

Tho Apollo Singevs Impressed when they gave their initial concert last jear. The second concert of tho season confirmed that favourable impression, but Saturday night's concert, the filial one of the first season, did more: it stamped the Apollo Singers, as a very fine musical combination indeed. They, together with Mr. H. Templo White, llioir conductor, hiid every right to be pleased with themselves. The • large audience in the Town Hall Concert Chamber was certainly pleased, and showed Its appreciation iv no uncertain manner. The programme contained some numbers which had been outstanding successes at the two previous concerts and some new items. Gounod's "Hymn to Apollo" was, as in previous concerts, tho opening number. With Mr. 35. Jenner at tho piano, it was a decidedly better rendering than that given before. Velt's charming part sons, "Summer Night," followed and, with Messrs. H. H. Mayall, A. K. Coe, T. Watson, and U. Hull as (lie quartet, was very well sung. Even Apollo Singers have a limited amount of breath, so the audience had to be satisfied with a part repetition of Adam's vigorous and tuneful "Tho Anvil," a new number which was an immense success. The well-known Robert Louis Stevenson "Requiem" (Homer-Temple White), the old English madrigal, "Now is the Month of Maying" (Morley), and "Sylvia" (Speaks, arranged by Games) were most expressively sung. Excursion into grand opera chorus was mucjo with "The Pilgrims' Chorus" from "Tannhauser" and "Sailors' Chorus" from "Tho Flying Dutchman." Each had a double piano accompaniment (Mr. E. Jenner and Mr. W. Billington), the latter item, a repetition from a previous concert, being the better sung of the two. Humour was supplied in "Tobacco," tho sentiments of which would not be endorsed by members of any antl-"baccy" leagues. One outstanding success of the concert was the repetition of Laurent de ItiUc's "Hungarian March," a vocal march wherein the singers admirably brought out tho impression intended to bo conveyed of Magyar cavalry trotting into action. The vigorous "Tho Hunter in his Career" (Grainger), with its double piano accompaniment, made a fitting closing number, and this, like most else, had to be repeated. Th« Apollo Singers were fortunate In their fholco of assisting artists. Miss Ava bymons needs no introduction and no eulogy—her violin solos arc always very acceptable. She played most charmingly the first two movements of Tartini's "Sonata for Violin in G Minor" and was forced to respond with an encore. In the second portion of the programme she played the haunting 'Canto Amoroso" (Sammartint-Elman), following it by the contrasting nnd vigorous "Variations on a Themo by Corclli" (Krelslcr). The audience was not' satisfied until two encores had been Kiven Iv Mr. E. .Tenner she found a very sympathetic accompanist. In fact, Mr. Jenner, the second assisting artist, was a host in himself. In addition to his accompanying, he showed that as an exponent of modern music he has few, if any, equals In Wellington. Dcbussv was his llrst choice, "L'lsle Joyeuso being followed by "Clair de Luno" as an encore Liter on two of York Bowcn's studies were presented as well as a "Mazurka" by the same composer. Insistent demands for repeated encores were complied with, much to the satisfaction of the appreciative audience.