ANDRI BEVIN RECITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 14, 17 July 1939, Page 4

ANDRI BEVIN RECITAL

SONGS OF MANY LANDS

Songs drawn from several nationalities composed the recital programme given at Nimmo's Hall on Saturday by the contralto Miss Andri Bevin. The recital was more in the nature of a friendly assemblage of guests of the singer than of a more public occasion, but was no less enjoyable and interesting on that account. Good taste and sound judgment were conspicuous m the compilation of tlie programme. The variety of the items gave the artist full scope for display of her high vocal attainments and interpretative ability. Her choice of songs and disclosure ol their essence, her diction and balance of musical and lyrical elements were acknowledged by her audience with manifest pleasure, after she had sung her first and second group of songs. These were "What Then is Love but Mourning" (Philip Rosseter, 1601) -, "She Never Told Her Love" (Haydn), and "Break, Fairest Dawn" (Handel); followed by two songs by Faure, "Adieu" and "Les Berceaux"; also "Dune Prison" (Hahn) and "Les Larmes" .(Massenet), the first three sung in English, the others in French. They were succeeded oy the songs "Alba di Luna sui Bosco" and "L'lncoatro," both by Santoliquido; "L'uccellino" (Puccini) and "Marechiare" (Tosti), a spirited serenade sung, as she explained, in the Neapolitan dialect. But long ere she had reached the Italian items in her programme Miss Bevin had captivated her audience, which had given itself up to the enjoyment of hearing a fine singer, one blessed with a voice of rare quality, well trained and used always without tricks or artifices of any sort. Responding to a request, Miss Bevin sang with truly artistic simplicity and appeal "Annie Laurie," singing it with all the care and feeling that characterised the songs she had sung before. Her last group of songs included negro spirituals, "Water Boy," "Is Massa Goin' to Sell Us Tomorrow?" "Deep River," and "Were Yoti There?" They also were sung with all the care given to the French and Italian songs and, as with them, with sincerity and insight into their character. She exhibited, too, a keen sense of humour in her singing of "Short'nin' Bread." By way of contrast, Miss Bevin was also heard in German when she sang "Devotion," by Richard Strauss, a beautiful work, fully displaying her resourcefulness and natural gifts. Miss Jna Stephens, who accompanied Miss Bevin, added to the success of the recital by the performance of Grieg's "At the Carnival" and Andante from his Sonata in E Minor, and when recalled, played with authority and grace one of Chopin's etudes.