A CULTURED CONTRAL TO

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 141, 17 June 1933, Page 6

A CULTURED CONTRAL TO

Possessed of a pleasing stage presence and a cultured and well-tra|ned contralto voice, Miss Andri Bevin in<*ritably nieets with success cm the conefsvt platform, and the recital which she gpve last evening in the Town Hall Concert Chamber was thoroughly enjoyed and regarded as a musical treat by those present. That the audieuce was not larger may be deplored, but singers, however eminent, cannot control the woather t aai it must be admitted that last night v«i6 pot au inviting one on which to t«rn out. for a recital. Those who braved: the elements, however, were tully rewarded. Miss Bevin explored 'her coraprebensive and extensive repertoire, singing' s6me of the choicest gems of the old masters, and rounding off her programme with a few more modern songs. The first bracket included four songS dating Irom the fourteenth and the two subsequent centuries. The first of these was "Joseph, Lieber Joseph Mem," a fourteen^ century German Christmas song. This was followed by Purcell's lilting, "There's Not a Swain," "Plus ne Suis cc qije j'ai etc" (Chanson de Clement Mare(fc), and "Morir Vogl'ip (EinaUuele d'Asterga), the two last little songs telling respectively of. the joys and sadness of lowe. The second bracket revealed a fine interpretative quality in the singer's art, and embraced "Auf dem Kirchhoge" (Brahms), "Augenthalt" (Schubert), and Mozart's "Alleluja." Cimara's "Stornello," "Padre Nos'tro" from "Nerone" (the LottTs Prayer put to music by Amigo Boito), and Donizetti's "II Segreto per esser Feliai" was another group of numbers which gave the audience unbounded pleasure. "Dreams of Thee" (Robert Eden), the old Irish air "At the Mid-hour of Night" (arranged by Ella Ivhney), "My Native Land" (Gretchaninov), and "Btess Thou the Lord, O My Soul" (Craxton) comprised the final bracket. The singer's full, pure, and rich not«{s invested maoy of those numbers with a musical significance that perhaps came with a surprise to some of the audience. The applause which followed each left no doubt as to the appreciation, and encores were imperatively demanded.. Mr. John Bishop was more than an efficient accompanist throughout. To give the singer a rest in the middle of the programme, he played Debussy's "Suite pour le Piano." This masterful performance won due recognition from an appreciative audience. _^

In connection with the insurance claim beard before the Supreme Court at' Westport on June 13, the company concerned was the Commercial Union Assurance Company, Limited, which was incorrectly described in the telegraphed repbrt as the New Zealand Commercial Assurance Company. ■