"PEASANT CANTATA"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1938, Page 7

"PEASANT CANTATA"

EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE

Bach's "Peasant Cantata," expressing the composer's joy in choral work, was given by the Training College students at Kelburn last night. The audience enjoyed scenes of simple pleasure and the music typified the life of the country people. On the stage in the hall were 80 young people who caught the atmosphere perfectly. A feature of the work was "the balance and blend v of. voices. There was no straining for effect and the result was in every way most effective. The work includes eight choruses, all breathing an air of lightheartedness and carefree spirit which bear a lesson to the people of this present anxious age. Six are four-part harmony and two for women's voices. The latter were specially attractive. There are recitatives and arias for two solo voices, and these were well taken by Mrs. F. L. P. Wood (soprano) and Mr. R. Barnes (bass). In parts there was a choral accompaniment that was most effective.

The whole work was under the direction of Mr.T. L. Young, while the able accompanist was Miss F. E. Wills. A small but very efficient orchestra, led by Miss Ava Symons, added much to the standard achieved in the cantata.

The first part of the evening consisted of a miscellaneous programme. Miss Symons contributed two movements by Cesar Franck, "Recitative" and "Allegretto," and both showed the composer in his most inspiring mood. A Mendelssohn Trio in C Minor was well played by Miss O. Burton (violin), Mrs. D. W. McKenzie ('cello), and Mrs. Keys (pi&no), and a good number was a piano solo by Miss S. Slater, "Chorale" (Bach) and "Air" (Livens). Two young vocalists both achieved success—-Miss J. Wollerman, in Schubert songs, "Hedgerose" and "Hark! Hark! the Lark," and Miss B. Turner in Schumann's "Thou'rt Like a Lovely Flower," and "Green Hat" Part songs by the B.M.S. juniors, under the baton of Miss E. Conway, were delightful. Their numbers were "May Day" (Mendelssohn), "Foxgloves" (Head), and "Endris Night" (Williams), one accompaniment being by four boys with pipes. Choral numbers included two-part songs for women's voices, "Shepherd's Song" (Godard), and "My True Love" (Chapman), full choruses, "Love's Refrain" (Lee), "Come, Sleep" (Gibbs), and "'Since First I Saw Your Face" (Ford), an** duets by Messrs. J. Woodley and T.\ Larsen.

The College was packed and enthusiasm was shown throughout by the large audience.