THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

Evening Star, Issue 14575, 25 May 1911, Page 7

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

The farewell concert given by the Sheffield Choir at Sheffield on March 11 (says the 'Musical Times') was a noteworthy event in the history of a remarkable musical and, it may be claimed, national enterprise. In tho afternoon tho choir assembled for its final rehearsal, and later tho members and many other invited guests were entertained in the Cutlers' Hall by tho Master Cutler (Alderman George Senior). At this function tho alderman expressed his regret that he could not accompany the choir, and ho declared that he would readily give £I,OOO to bo able to do so. Mr Stuart Wortley, M.P., delivered an eloquent address, in which lie dwelt on the Imperial importance of the tour of tho choir.

Tlie choir consist of 66 sopranos, 52 contraltos, 42 tenors, and. 37 basses; total, 197. It is obviously numerically weak in the bass part, but this balance was deliborately adopted by Dr Coward because much of the music to be performed has doubled soprano parts and inakca great demands upon the tenors. The choir is not recruited wholly from Sheffield. Glasgow sends 4, Hudderefield 20, Newcastle 30, Leeds 8, Bradford 12, Newport 1, mid London 4, leaving 118 choralists to come from Sheffield. Tho tone of the choir is full and resonant. The sopranos are brilliant and the tenors are conspicuously good. The contraltos have a peculiarly blendfuj quality, and tho basses, although deficient in deep sonority, display many excellent qualities, not the least of which are their alertness and fluency. But it is not merely on fullness and beauty of tono that the choir will rely in making their appeal to attention. The of the choir are their highly trained technique and interpretation. The programme at the concert provided such a feast of choral music unrelieved by solos that could only be givon with success before a choice .'■"ncffield and choral export audience. It comprised twenty-four part 6onge, madrigals, and choruses. Tho audience, which entirely filled tho Albert Hail, | was very appreciative. | The choir left Livea-pool for Canada in the Allan liner Victorian on March 18. Their itinerary was: Canada, Cineinatti, Ceturning to Canada, crow the Pacific to Australia and New Zealand, then to (South Africa. The total distance they will travei during their six months' absence is 33..810 miles. The great choral works they will perform are ' Messiah,' |'Elijah,' 'The Dream of Gerontius,' 'The Golden Legend,' ' Sing Ye to the Lord' (Bach). 'Faust' (Berlioz), 'Pan' (Dr Charles Harries), Beethoven's ' Choral Symphony,' Verdi's 'Requiem.' Elgafs 'Bavarian Highlands' choral suite, Parry's 'Blest Pair of Sirens,' and about forty part songs, madrigals, and glees. Moat of the music is by British composers. It is a wonderful collection for ono choir to be able to offer. The choir are due in Dunedin on July 6, and their concerts will be given in the new ferroconcrete, flhed belonging to tho Harbor Board on the reclaimed around. At a meeting "of the Citizens' Committee last evening, at which Mr Gcrlitz was present, it was agTood to invite the co-operation of the Executive of the Victoria League and the Choral Society in regard to tho billeting of tho members during their short stay here.