RETURNED SOLDIERS’ CHOIR

Evening Star, Issue 18144, 7 December 1922, Page 2

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ CHOIR

PROGRESS WELL MAINTAINED. Tiie Returned Soldiers’ Choir, mustering forty-eight strong, put on an excellent programme at His Majesty's Theatre last night. It being election eve, there was counter-attraction everywhere, especially out of doors, with tho unaccustomed experience of a fine evening; yet the choir, by sheer merit, has established such a pull that there was practically a full house. The good balance of voices was slightly disturbed last night by tho absence on leave of several of tho first tenors, and their colleagues of the top line had a front-line-of-trenches job. They tackled it in true “Digger” style, and neld their allotted position against odds to the end. On the other hand, the first basses were remarkably strong, and it was really inspiring to hear them when the lead was allotted^,to them, as well as in ensemble. This was strikingly the case in Maunder’s stirring ‘ Border Ballad,’ with its fierce appeal to tho men of Ettrick and Teviotdale for a less peaceful task than orchardculture. This was the first programme number proper after the two invariable* and most appropriate pipe-openers—Mr Paget Gale's setting of the National Anthem and the soldiers’ chorus from 1 Faust,’ both splendidly given. Having very successfully treated two unaccompanied part songs, these being Mr 0. A. Martin’s arrangement of ‘The Birth of Morn’ and ‘Ye Banks and Braes,’ the choir proceeded to the piece do resistance, ‘ Songs of the Fleet.’ Tho baritone soloist, to whom so much depends in this fine song-cycle, came from the choir's first basses, fortunate to number in their ranks such an accomplished singer and musician as .Mr A. G. Cook. His part in those songs is no easy one. Some of the songs require groat weight and incisiveness, others a tenderness ami sympathy which must be so controlled as to avoid tho risk of bathos. Mr Cook steered tho right" course unclcviatingly. He is particularly to to complimented on his enunciation, which was so clear cut as to allow tho audience to watch the stage instead of having to follow the words on tho programme —an attitude on their i art. which always seem beneficial to the performance. The cycle opens with ‘ Sailing at Dawn ’ (best identified by the phrase “Lead the line”!, and the choir’s rendering of this ra’sed! high expectations, ivell sustained in ‘The Song of tho Sou’-westcr,’ but hardly so in ‘The Middle Watch.’ This latter, however, is very difficult music. In it Stanford leaves his own bracing hill eoun-. try, and makes an excursion into Elgar’s highly-cultivated, low-lying flats, with so intricate a system of hedges and ditches as to make the avoidance of losing oneself difficult to the stranger. Under the skilled guidance of Mr Gale the choir came through; but the singers were inclined to plod in rather labored fashion, sometimes sinking a hit in the soft going. The definition of the parts was often indistinct, and there was a tendency to flatten, which, however, Mr Cook resisted valiantly. But the audience knew that ‘The Little Admiral’ was to follow ; and 1 so did the choir. Here they were on firm ground again, and they struck a swinging gait which made many in tho audience want to march also to the refrain of ‘Stand By to Reckon Up Your Battleships.’ This was great work j all round.' The refinement and l feeling put into ‘Farewell’ clinched the success of the cycle. A real treat was provided in Smart’s ‘ Queen of tho Night,’ as typically English music as Stanford's ‘Songs of the Fleet.’ though in quite another vein, the Ivrical. It is beautiful music, and in its rendering it only needed more tenors to enable them to reap as many laurels as tho basses did, for the hitters’ leads were beautiful, the second basses achieving a suavity here very desirable but not always attainable. Good work was shown m ‘Lorraine, Lorraine, Lome,' and ‘Nazareth. while the compliment of an encore was paid for Hoofs infectious ‘LaughingSong. Mr F. Haig (one of tho choir) showed himself the possessor of a true, light tenor voice and natural, easy method in Ids singing of ‘ Dream Tryst ’ and ‘ Dolorosa,’ and an encore number. Mr IV. GemmoU’s singing of tho ‘Pagliacoi’ prologue always rouses enthusiasm and admiration, and he had to sing three songs instead of ono before the audiorico could resign itself to his exit. Miss Helen Grant, a soprano, sang ‘Farewell to illy Home,’ ‘A May Morning,’ and two encore numbers, and Mrs Dixon recited ‘ The Worn Wedding Ring.’ The worlc of .Mr 0. A. Martin at tho piano was invaluable. The chastcness of his accompaniments of the soloists l ; was characteristic, while his long experience in conjunction willi malo choirs telk at every turn. Mr Paget Gale ip to be complimented on last night’s real success.