THE CIRCASSIANS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 114, 16 May 1934, Page 4

THE CIRCASSIANS

SUCCESSFUL FIRST CONCERT

At one time known to muny, but'only over the air as tin ethereal entity, go to speak, the late 2ZW broadcast choir blossumed forth last night as flesh arid blood performers imder the title "The Circassians. '-' Judging by th.o audience which practically filled the Town Hall Concert Chamber in spite of it being a somewhat unpleasant night, and b.y the reception accorded the choir, this musical'combination already has a host of (supporters, and it would seem as if it is destined to become a permanent factor in Wellington's musical life. "Although.it" was- practically the choir's first appearance in.public, the fact that the members have for some, time past sung together revealed itself in the quality of the programme which'was-presented. i The conductor; Mi. Thomas Wood, L.A.8., has some seventy voices under his con: trol, ami these are on the whole very weH balanced and of excellent tone. The' tenors

are the weakest section, as is usually the case in musical societies of the ldnd. The choir showed a nice discrimination in volume of sound and the.singing was distinctly pleasing to the ear. The eye was also claimed; for members of the" choir make."quite a bright"spectacle on" the stage in their uniforms of white and black relieved with ' scarlet sashes and glittering buttons. Thus an "atmosphere" -was .created which, as the president, Mr. £). A. Kendle, remarked during the evening, was.

;p necessary in order to foster appreeia;ion.

The programme, one well calculated tfi appeal to popular taste and on the light side, opened with a vocal arrangement of the ever-popular "Blue Daiiube' 1 waltz by Strauss, and this was -followed by "The Angelus"' ironi "Wallace's opera "Maritana.'' This was sung as well as any. item. A .French-Canadian folk-sojig, "Alouette,'' a most exhilarating ■ action song titrbit representing the plucking of a skylark, proved to be" the most popular item "of ..the evening and one in which the conductor took a lively part. A repetition of this novelty will be as1 inevitable on a future programme as it'was on last , night's. "A ■ Mother Goose Medley," '■Mother England" frbin "Dogs of Devon," and "A Tender gong" (the'-kondonderiy Air), tb« last-named being ft pleasing bit of unaccompanied sjnging, were other eonr eerted -numbers in the first parb of the programme. The lady Circassians sang Handel's '-Where'er Ypu Walk" with

much fcolina;. and four stalwart gentlemen pic-tilted The Recimt' with hupiour j\n fidapt ition tjoin the ' Cayjllciu Kii-hcani' inteune^o the opening numbei of the hecond poitiun ot t)ic pio c i nnme, this being tollowed bj the moat Hinbitious item ot 011-^C 4 J.u man's "A\e Maua " Quintet, octet, and lull dioiuis made a \eiy Rood showing m tin-. Schubcit's 'Hirl^ Haik, The LaiL" was anolhei \eiy pleisuig offeung The gentlemen of the choir made the most of ' fcimon tit the Tan," and "Gypsy Lo\ c bong" was a veiv icoeptable rmaitet Two «tudeijt soncrs ( A Tragedy" and ' lhe Cood Bid Little Boy"), d»ringed by thi. conductor, proved to bo decidedly entar t lining items, ' Plei^e to ]li»iß the Belle' I and ' bUn ol the Summer Xight" lpunded oft a \diiccl piosiamme which was me ttnted with comniLnddblQ dispitch

lhe only iocil soloist, iput tiom those »\ho had -010 woik v\ home ot the ton catcd mnnbeis, v^ Mi«s Vane Araitin, one ot the rhon's coiiti ilto , and hei viii^nw o' 'llivl You Jscws of JJ» Bo\ lick' -was deseiM.dl> encoied hunihu ippieciatiou w-is accoukd Mis Vuedi Meiei for hci violin sole ' Chant Ku se' (Lalo), "lhe Wmidciei" (Gnrs), and fepamMi Dmcc" (Giaiwdoblvichlci). MiiS LXi WaltPi wns at the piino foi tho Molin bolo-, ili--s I"*! Andei*on plijing the' other accompaniments. A muchappieciated Hem of in cntuelv diffnent chaiictei fiom the othois w^ the dincing of a Kiibsian Mazuiko. by Mis<s Dorothy Daniels who had the assistmce ot "Mi^si Uo--elsu Wiilkci iiV the piano

It. was.announced by the president, Mr. C. 3. B. Norwood, at the Wellingtou Rotary Glub luncheon yesterday that the following had been elected members of the directorate for the ensuing year:— Messrs.. Norman-Bell,. R. Cable, C. W. Snliiion. Campbell Spratt, E. Telford, and Canou Percival James. The directors will take over office on July 1.