SONG RECITAL

Evening Star, Issue 18138, 30 November 1922, Page 11

SONG RECITAL

MR JOHNSTONE'S PUPILS. - ' TJio concert given at tho Burns Hall on Tuesday night by Mr G. AV. Johnstone s pupils attracted a large audience. Ino programme, entirely vocal, was well diversified, the introduction! of part surging 1 being a pleasant feature. Mr Johnstone bad under bis baton for Emerson's partsong ‘ Return, Soft Gentle Evening,’ a male choir of nearly a dafen voices, a.nd tlmro was a nice balance and good blending of voices in. tire rendering of this very taking composition. Tho ladies’ choir numerically is twice as strong as tho male choir, and one of tho successes of the evening was undoubtedly ‘ The Two Clocks,’ the audience insisting on a recall for a finished interpretation of Rogers's original and nmsiciaaily work. Equally enjoyable was Eindera's ‘AVator Lilies,’ as given by the ladies’ choir. Ladies and gentlemen joined forces in supplying an excellent background to Miss Irene Horniblow’s solo in the plantation melody ‘Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,’ which made an undoubted bit with the audience. Miss Hoxniblow is one of the matured pupils, and her" sound methods an<ji wellcouu'olled contralto voice were evidenced in hex rendering of a little-known but_extromely typical Handel recitative and air from ‘ Julius Ctesar ’ —‘ Spirit of Great Pompeius‘ and ‘Grief is Mine.’ Being encored, she gave as a contrast to this oldfashioned music a modern song of the best class. Miss Beatrice Sproston is another pupil at an advanced stage. Her powerful and flexible soprano voice was heard to excellent advantage in Bridge’s ‘Love AVent a Riding,’ though occasionally there was a tendency to sacrifice quality for- intensity. Of pupils'not so far advanced in their studies, some of them undergoing tlie ordeal of a first appearance, in public, several gave tho impression of possessing voices above the ordinary, Notably was this the case with -Miss Lorna Smith, whoso voice is a rich contralto of considerable volume and range. Thus equipped, she was enabled to handle. Bohm’s line song ‘Still as the Night’ most impressively, having ample resources for working up to tho climax which this com-, position demands. Another voice of stalking quality was that of Mr Claude Chcttloburgh, who possesses a true bass, naturally produced, and vary tolling in tho lower register. His song was Sullivan's ‘Ho! Jolly Jenldn.’ Mins Molly Vickers proved by her singing of ‘Rosebuds ’ that she has advanced some distance in her studies, and among others at varying stages of progress were Mrs Burgess, Misses M'Neill, G. Alexander, M. Tcviotdale, E. Boott, and -Messrs L. Robinson, J. Morrison, G. Burton, 1). Oraigic, A. H. Robinson, and G. Henderson. Tho clans of songs was of a high standard, and Miss Margaret G.wrw supplied l the accompaniments with taste, skill, and confidence.