HOLY WEEK MUSIC

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 66, 18 March 1940, Page 11

HOLY WEEK MUSIC

ST. JAMES'S, LOWER HUTT

Exceptional • interest was associated with the choral music selected for Holy Week this year by the choir of St. James's Anglican ; Church, Lower Hutt. It is one of the few churches which has a strong choir of boy choristers, and which, in addition, is able to get a boy treble for the solo numbers in a sacred cantata.

The work chosen was "The Seven Last Words of Christ," by the famous French composer, Th. Dubois, and it was given yesterday after shortened Evensong.

The direction of the work was in the hands of Mr. Harold Brusey, the choirmaster, and the elaborate accompaniments and incidental music were capably played by Miss B. G. D. Harte. She had a difficult task, for the pipe organ, with only a limited variety of stops, did not allow much scope, but she explored the whole resources of the instrument and secured very nice effects.

Features of the service were the manner in which all combined to secure the atmosphere of the tragedy of the Crucifixion as depicted, words and music, by the composer. The full chorus and the choral accompaniments, part unaccompanied, were excellent, and proved good training and control by the choirmaster.

The soloists. Master Warwick Keen (treble), Messrs. Alex Wakelin (baritone), and O. Bonifant (tenor) were in good voice and caught the spirit of the scenes depicted convincingly. The whole interpretation reflected much credit on all.