THE AEOLIANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 127, 25 November 1938, Page 5

THE AEOLIANS

CHORAL RECITAL

There was no doubt about the appreciation by the audience in the Town Hall Concert Chamber last evening of the choral concert given by the Aeolians. This talented band of singers, conducted by Mr. Maxwell Fernie,. devotes its time and energies to the cultivation of singing, and periodically appears in public in aid of some deserving charity. The Makogai Leper Fund was the one which derived benefit from last evening's concert. An attractive programme of part songs, madrigals, and glees was presented, every item being of a high order as far as musical taste was concerned, while at the same time being of a nature calculated to appeal to the average concert-goer. The choir numbers some 500 voices, and balance and tone were most marked in their singing. Acceding to numerous requests, the choir repeated" several items which had proved such successes at previous concerts. Included amongst these were "The Dance" and "Lullaby" from Elgar's group of songs entitled "From the Bavarian Highlands." These, like all numbers by the choir, were received with genuinely enthusiastic applause. "Tune Thy Music to Thy Heart" (Walford Davies), " Twas a Trumpet's Pealing Sound" (de Pearsall), "Go to Bed,, Sweet Music" (E. T. Davies), "Sweet Content" (Wilson G. Smith),, a choral march ("Let the King Reign") set to music by Percy A. Whitehead from Tennyson's lyrics, the madrigal "Come Let Us Join the Roundelay," Purcell's always popular "Nymphs and Shepherds." "O Hush Thee. My Babie," "Who Rides for the King?" "When Allen-a-dale Went a-Hunting," "ToNight." "A Christmas Blessing," and "Lullaby" (Brahms), by the • ladies only, Handel's "Look Down and Hearken," and finally the jolly partsong "Come to the Fair," completed the choir's contributions to the programme. Two vocalists assisted the choir. These were Miss Gwynneth Lewis, (soprano) and Miss Jean Menzies (contralto), each being accorded merited applause. The former sang "Lo, Here the Gentle Lark" (Bishop) and Verdi's recitative and aria, "Ah! fors'e lvi,?' while the latter equally delighted the audience with "Summer Night" (Goring Thomas). "Will o' the Wisp" (Spross). "The Trout" (Schubert), and "O Love. from Thy Power" (from "Samson and Delilah," by Saint-Saens). An instrumental trio, consisting of Mrs. A. C. Keys (piano). Miss Olga Burton (violin), and Mr. James Rodgers (flute), provided a distinct and very agreeable novelty by playing Popp's "Introduction and Polonaise" and Moskowski's "Serenata," the latter being particularly effective. The flautist lent his aid to the choir when they sang the two Elgar choral numbers from the "Bavarian Highlands" suite. Mr. John Randal played the choir's piano accompaniments, and Mr. Bryant McMillan tho«:p of Miss Lewis -