STAINER'S 'CRUCIFIXION’

Evening Star, Issue 17314, 30 March 1920, Page 2

STAINER'S 'CRUCIFIXION ’

To Mr Gale with ‘ Via Cruris’ and to rG a ‘' va N with ‘ The Crucifixion ’ the Dunedin public at large— or such of them as do not. take count of holy days—are indebted for the reminder that this is Passion Week. W’o use the word “indebted/’ because, quits apart from theological considerations, it is good to draw away occasionally from the hubbub of e\oi\clay life and refresh the mind with meditation concerning the unseen and the ineiitable. A hint as to the repairin' l, value of such a retreat must surely have come to some of the many hundreds who attended First Church last night to hear tne repetition of Stainer’s ‘ Crucifixion ’ as presented by .Mr Victor Galwav and his choir. The singing and the 'orian playing took the nature of a service rather than a performance, and the lady who cn;d as the throng passed out “I’m glad 1 came—it makes one ieel better ” wtfs unconsciously expressing what we take to be the general effect. A good start was made when the congregation joined in singing ‘ Jc.su lover of my soul,’ to its now constant setting of Dykes’s tune ‘ Hollingside ; it and the short praver by the Rev. Mr Balfour served to bring ‘about a sense of fellowship, and this was strengthened by the 'feeling throughout the cantata that tho performers were not standing remote and showing off. but leading in the act of worship. By these words we mean that the proceedings were arranged and carried through in a devout spirit befitting tho occasion. Mr Galway was at his happiest in the use of Bfie organ, the interludf and accompaniments being delightfully appropriate and impressive and always in nice proportion, and the people appreciated the taste by which Mr Galway refrained from theatrical effects. It was noted, for example, that he purposely kept down the accent and the blare that some organists might employ in the processional march lo Calvary, also that the imitation of the thunder and the earthquake was but a hint as it were from a distance. Fifteen men and about 20 women constituted the choir, and they sang well, the "words quite clear, the voices consistently in restraint, Lest they should be puffed up by our account of their doings, it may be as well to state frankly that the trebles sometimes lost the ‘ pitch, and seemed indecisive about top notes that are well within reach; but that was' the only defect in the singing* and as a counter-balance we may praise the note valuing by the choir, particularly in the avoidance of that common fault' oi running a note into a rest, whilst the expression was always in the purest taste. ‘ Fling wide the gates ’ was splendidly sung, and the tenors and basses made the most of the short chorus ‘ My God, whv hast Thou forsaken me.” "These may serve as samples. Tho soloists did remarkably well. Mr J. Leech, tho tenor, was in excellent voice, and, though the music is rather low for him, he was listened to with great pleasure. Mr H. P. Desmoulins unds4ook the baritone solos, and imparted to them their full meaning. He is unexcelled as .an interpreter, and on this occasion he rose to his highest by reading into his singing the deepest pathos unadulterated by exaggeration. The short passages for “ the other voice ” were suitably sung by Mr H. L. Watt. One of the choicest items was the duet So Thou li ftest. ’ The unison V-.ases in this were absolutely in dead accord as to tone and quality, so that toe two voices were as one "reinforced. Ox tho intervening hymns that belong to the cantata the one that went the best was ‘ Cross of Jesus.’ Next time the work is given it may be a 6 well to announce from the .pulpit that the congregation are supposed to participate in the ■ singing of these hymns; they overlooked the invitation on .the book of words used , last night.