OPERATIC FLAVOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 4

OPERATIC FLAVOUR

CIRCASSIANS' CONCERT

Sieveral popular operatic excerpts were featured : in the Circassians' final concert for the 1937 'season, -presented in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last, night. . Mr. Thomas Wood's favourite combination had many attractive items to offer its patrons, items which appealed immensely to popular taste.

The choir faced one of the most difficult numbers'.of the evening at the outset, this being a choral setting of Wagner's "Tannhauser." Although a little uncertainty was evident in the opening stanzas, the paraphrase eventually , proved, to be one of the outstanding items. of the evening. It was in this number that Mr. Arthur Goatham, the tenor soloist, first drew the attention of the audience, and his rendering .of the "Song to Venus" was attractively.presented. Mr. Goatham possesses a voice which is remarkably true, and the loftier notes of the solo presented no terrors for him. Throughout the evening, hit, voice was noticeable as one of the- most pleasing of the company. The many moods of Wagner, found throughout "Tannhauser" were sympathetically met by thexhoir, but one of the most artistic performances was' that of Miss Barbara Bannister, the accompanist, whose delightful playing was a perfect background for the choir's offering. Never intrusive, her work nevertheless did much to consolidate the voices in the more difficult passages. A lighter number, "Rise Up and Reach the Stars," was presented by Winifred Morison. and as an encore she sang "Ship of' Golden Dreams." The popular "Santa Lucia" was sung by a choir of sopranos and altos, and although it was enthusiastically received by the audience, it lost much of its force through being confined to women's voices, and also through the [English words having, of necessity, to ;be used. Its provocative, gay Nea[politan lilt .was still there, however, and the number was repeated. Well known as a character song, "Leanin"" was presented by Arthur Thomas, but it was with his encore, "Because I Was Shy," a number of a similar type,, that he scored his success. The second item had a certain element of liveliness which was missing from the first song. An interlude was provided by some tap dancing by Ralph Wilkin, accompanied by Miss Margaret Oates at the piano. Sir Landon' Ronald's beautiful "Down In the Forest" was presented by Eileen Miller, and this she followed with "I Pitch My Lonely Caravan." Two ambitious numbers, the sextet from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor." and the trio from Verdi's "I Lombardi," were the choir's next offerings, and in these Mr. Richard Stevenson's fine voice was heard lo advantage. • Ably guided by Mr. Wood, the Circassians succeeded in giving attractive renderings of the numbers. Tho programme concluded with a ballad, "The Revenge." The stage manager, Mr. Fred Smith, was responsible for tho decoration and lighting.