MALE VOICE CHOIR

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 69, 18 September 1936, Page 5

MALE VOICE CHOIR

VARIETY IN PART-SONGS There was considerable variety in the programme presented by the Wellington Male Voice Choir in the concert which they gave last evening, Mr. F. J. Oakes, their conductor, having selected part songs and choruses of widely differing nature. Some were old favourites, some were grave, and some were gay; but whatever the nature of the item the audience, which was rather disappointingly small, showed marked appreciation; The programme was opened with "God Defend New Zealand." This was followed by the stirring "Hymn Before Action" (Walford Da vies) and the very beautiful "Holy Peace" (Franz Abt), Mr. W. Church being the soloist in the latter. The choir's next bracket was Coleridge Taylor's 'The Viking Song" and "On the Sea" (Dudley Buck). "Every Rustling Tree" (Kuhlau) and "In Vocal Combat" (Dudley Buck) were the final items in the first part of the programme, the humour in latter being fully appreciated by the audience. "Ring Out Wild Bells" (Percy Fletcher), Schubert's} "Night." "God Is a Spirit" (Bennett), Elgar's "As Torrents in Summer," and "It's Oh! to be a Wild Wind,"-and "The Fond Lover" (Bantock) were other items contributed by the choir. The final bracket consisted of "Drake's Drum" (Stanford), "Old Superb" (Stanford), "A Finnish Lullaby" (Palmgren), and "Evening" (Sullivan). ■.. - ' . Miss Ena Rapley assisted the choir with several soprano solos, "Love Will Find a Way," "You >in a Gondola, "Parted," and a Maori song being amongst them. The; violin solos .by Mrs. Geerge Holloway, for whonr Mr; Holloway acted as accompanist, elicited rounds of applause. "Ave Maria (Schubert-Wilhelmj), "Hebrew Melody," "Reverie" (Vieutemps), and 'Les Cherubins" were , her numbers. Mr. Clement Howe was the accompanist for the choir and for Miss Rapley. .