"MERRIE ENGLAND"

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1937, Page 14

"MERRIE ENGLAND"

BRIGHT PRESENTATION

The Circassians are to be congratulated upon striking out on a new line. Last night in the Town Hall Concert Chamber, instead of following precedent nnd presenting a programme of part-songs and the like, they broke new ground and gave the concert version of Edward German's "Merrie England," which was a most appropriate contribution to the Coronation festivities. The choir achieved an outstanding success and as a well-balanced body of voices reached a very high standard indeed, exhilarating being the most appropriate word with which to describe the performance as a whole. Although the soloists, who were all drawn from the ranks of the Circassians, did not always reach the choir's high level, the performance taken as a whole was one of the most delightful concerts of-this nature that it has been the privilege of Wellingtonians to enjoy, and the choir amd its indefatigable conductor, Mr. Thomas Wood, can justly feel proud of its achievement.

Tuneful and bright, "Merrie England" appeals at once to the untutored and semi-tutored ear, and it has-sub-stance enough to avoid being sniffed at by the highbrow. It was sung last night with commendable verve throughout, and obviously greatly pleased the audience. It would have been incongruous had the Circassians apceared in their usual "native" costumes, and these were wisely discarded for evening dress. The choir, arranged in tiers, occupied the complete stage, and on a false stage in front were the soloists, the conductor, and the two grand pianos, an arrangement which was admirable from an acoustic as well as a spectacular point of view. The soloists were Eunice Standen (Bessie Throckmorton. soprano), Gwen Meachen (Jill-All-Alone, contralto). Zena Willis (Queen Elizabeth, contralto), Richard Stevenson (Sir Walter Raleigh, tenor), Arthur Thomas (Earl of Essex, baritone), Norman Grenfell (Long Tom, bass, and Butcher), Alfred Arnott (Baker), Wesley Foster (Tinker), and Thomas McNair (Tailor). "Merrie England" abounds in tuneful numbers, and indeed in this opera of the spacious days of Good Queen Bess there is not a dull moment. Particularly appreciated by the audience was the quintet, "Love is Meant to Make Us Glad!" and Elizabeth's song, 'O Peaceful England," was amongst the several numbers to be encored. .The final chorus, "Robin Hood's Wedding, was a supreme effort on the part of the whole choir. Excellent and arduous work on the two grand pianos was done by Miss Barbara Bannister and Miss Iris Mason, the "Rustic Dance and Jig" being one of the evening's high''Me'rrie England" is to be repeated tonight, but with five different principals taking the main parts. They will be Erice Duncan, Karen Look, Margaret Haslam, Arthur Goatham, and George Gray.