THE AEOLIANS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 21, 24 July 1940, Page 15

THE AEOLIANS

CHOIR SINGS WELL

A delightful programme, which was satisfying to both musical and popular tastes, was given last night by the Aeolians in the Town Hall Concert Chamber in aid of the St. John Ambulance. Mr. Maxwell Fernie Had his choir disposed both below and on the stage, which was decidedly an advantage from an acoustic point of view. Singing with good tonal control and with vigour, the choir gave an excellent account of itself in such numbers as Coleridge-Taylor's "Viking Song," the Irish folk song "My Love's an Arbutus," the madrigal "Come Let Us Join the Roundelay," "Henry of Navarre" (Harris), "Come to the Fair," "Down Vauxhall- Way," and the Irish folk song "Down by the Sally Gardens." Particularly well sung were Schubert's "Who is Sylvia?", two Elizabethan part songs by Morley ("Now is the Month of Maying" and "It Was a Lover and his Lass"), and a group of shorter glees and part songs. The ladies of the choir sang very charmingly "My Love- Dwelt in a Northern Land," and the men made a distinct hit with "Hey, Robin, Jolly Robin." Mr. Harry Matthew was the soloist in "Land of Hope and Glory" and "There'll Always be an England," two numbers which were particularly popular, and he also contributed "Cells" and "The Road to Mandalay." Mr. J. Randall was the choir's accompanist, and Mr. F. H. C. Smith was stage manager. Mrs. Douglas Payne, who was accompanied by Mrs. G. D. Henderson, pleased with her soprano solos, which included "Sing, Sweet Bird" (Ganz), Beethoven's "Creation's Hymn," "The Enchanted Forest," and "Comin' Through the Rye." An instrumental trio consisting of Miss Lalla Keys (piano), Mr. Desmond Lavin (violin), and Mr. J. Rogers (flute), earned merited applause for their playing of "Suite Breve" (Aubert) and "Spanish Dance" (Popp).