‘THE REBEL MAID’

Evening Star, Issue 19198, 15 March 1926, Page 4

‘THE REBEL MAID ’

LIKED AT THE FIRST HEARING WORTHY EXTRAS ALSO Tho last two-days’ innings of tho Exhibition Choir commenced on Saturday at tho Festival Hall with a performance of the concert version of tho light opera ‘The Rebel Maid,’ written by Gerald Dobson, set to_ music by Montague E. Phillips. The immediate result, well in sight early in the evening, was to annul in tho minds of those present tho suspicion that this, tho “ little brother ” of the works cliosen for the choir to study, would prove of poor class and barely tolerable. Admittedly it is not on tho level of ‘ rannhausor,’ nor to bo compared with ‘ Gcrontins/ but tho same may bo said of many a work that is well worthy of study. "Before a note had been sung on Saturday evening the eye gavo witness to an assuring lact—namely, the assembling of tho choir in something approaching full strength. Apparently they bad discovered at rehearsal that their time was not being wasted in looking into ‘ Tho Rebel Maid ’ under Mr Gale’s direction, for if they had come to the conclusion that it is trash or oven weak they would have found excuses and stayed away. As it was, they entered upon their duty with an eagerness that denoted pleasure, and_ if tho frequent applause bestowed during the evening may he accepted as evidence the listeners wove also very _ favorably impressed. ‘The Rebel Maid ‘ is not great—it docs not pretend to be—but it is good stuff, bright, full of melodic beauty, and musically sound, and if produced now and again in our cities, so as to become known, it would probably take rank amongst the popular works of its class.

Mr Gustave SJapofFski was the conductor, and it may be supposed that he feels reasonably satisfied with the general results of this, the first performance of the opera in New Zealand. The choir sang well. At forte the women’s voices dominated the men’s, but who would wish for a watering down of the brilliant and well-inter-preted soprano part that came out so gratefully? Occasional defects wore noted. The men’s voices loitered behind the boat in the pin mosso of the first chorus. The general attack was feeblo at one passage in the madrigal (No. 11). “When the heart,” the chorus that opens the third act, lacked the required jollity, and was made rather too much like a hymn. And that does not exhaust the list of doings concerning which Mr SlapofTski may ask his choir for an improvement. Nevertheless, the chorus singing, considered as a whole, was up to a very high standard. Perhaps one of tbo best examples was heard in the finale to the first act. Everything in this number fitted in perfectly, and the credit for the very fine dramatic -effects produced is duo to the choir just as much as to the soloists, the leads being taken up with certainty, the parts firmly held, the words made quite clear, and the various shades of meaning in the text evidently understood' and expressed. Another noticeable piece of good work by tho chorus was in the pianissimo ending to Mary’s song just before the finale of tho second act, this, though very short, being quite a feature by reason of its tone purity. The second finale was not so successful, somo of the chorus passages being nob taken up promptly. But there was abundant compensation, both before and after, especially in tho free and rollicking chorus from tho male voices to the duet between Solomon and Bunklo and in the very last bars of the opera, and, to sum up, the choir is to be thanked for providing tho backbone of a really good presentation. It is a pleasure to be aide to record that the _ orchestra on this occasion rose to its best form, is that too high an appraisement? Well, at any rate the accompanying was merciful as to weight, and now and again it got really good tone, and in association with tho voices it often made most graceful embellishment, particularly from solo violin, flute, and ’cello, whilst it is bare justice to report that the introductions and intermezzos all revealed the results of close study. A momentary confusion in tho key changes of the finale to the second act and the non-observance of the trannuility that is supposed to govern Mary’s song (Mo. 20) were about the gravest faults in the orchestra’s doings, but they were atoned for by many choice interpretations and general obedience to tho conductor. Tho soloists, too, earned heartfelt thanks. Maclamo Winnie Fraser’s

beautiful voice was never heard to greater advantage than in the music written for Lady Mary. Much of it is high set, but that was no difficulty to this very line soprano, her voice being quite restored to its best form. She got power when wanted right up to B natural, and gloried in lovely pianissimo at altitudes which are commonly only reached under pressure. There was charm in all her singing, and it was radiantly adorned by clever touches of characterisation. An encore that was demanded ot Madame Fraser after her singing of ‘ Sail My Ships ’ may bo regarded as an appreciation of her singing right through rather than as a choosing, of that particular soxg as the best of her contributions.

Mr Arthur Jordan accepted a handicap in essaying the part of Derek, since the music that Derek sings is intended for a baritone; lint this great toner showed his voice to be effective down to about D below the stave, and by transpositions that did not corrupt tho text he contrived to avoid an ont-of-roach range and at the same time (ot the audience hear the best, cl his voice. He, too, had to_ comply with an encore, this being insisted upmMor his singing of ‘The Fishermen of England.’ In this song, by tho way, Mr Jordan pronounced “ England” as it is written, whilst the choir adhered to ilio “ Inggland ” that was always deemed obligatory until a few years ago. Which way docs the authority lie? “ England,” with a decided deleting of the second “g ” of the broad English longue, has also boon beard sometimes from tho concert platform. Is there law for that as well? The singing ol onr local soloists who were given parts in ‘The Rebel Maid was cp.iito acceptable. Miss M.cda Paine gave all the grace and moaning required in Abigail’s song ‘ 1 want my man to be a landlord,” and was of great service in tho duet and the gnvotto quartet of tho first act. Mr Alfred Walmslcy’s dear and true tenor voice rang out sweetly in each of those concerted numbers. Mr Bert Rawlinson made quite a bit as Bunklc. Bunkle’s music is classed as of tho baritone order, but Mr Rawlin.son’s lug bass voice reached tho higher passages without undue forcing, and there lore without loss of quality .thanks to his good production—a qualification which also enabled him to sing with sprighthnoss rarely hoard from a heavy bass, .Hie duet “He, ho, diddle dum, by lui Rawlinson and Mr H. Walker, produced the first encore of tho evening, n compliment in which tho men’s chorus was a partaker. At the outset of tho concert tho choir sang Elgar’s setting of the Rational Anthem, Miss May Walton m good voice for tho solo. Was it only fancy, or did some of tho choir ladies really start tho second verso with tho words of tho third? After tho opera Mr Jordan sang the throe songs named in the programme-—‘ Tho Lover s Lullaby ’ (Maurice Lesley), ‘ Avo Maria (Cesar Franck), and ‘When Right Descends’ (Raclimanniofl), a violin ohblmato to each being played by Mr Farnsworth Hall. Miss Mary i) raster provided the piano accompaniments most felicitously. An encore being irresistible, Mr Jordan added .Diink to Mo Onlv,’ to the unfamiliar accompaniment that Roger Quitter wrote. Hie sin frill" of those songs was made a moansof displaying Mr Jordan’s masterful interpretation and his marvellous voice control. As a wind-up tjio chon; .sail" the ceremonial march chorus ol tho°fourth scene in ‘ Tannliauscr ’ and rejoiced in tho duty. The concert is to he repeated tins evening.

PRESSMEN ENTERTAINED DIRECTORS' APPRECIATION So rarely do “bouquets” full to the lot of tlio newspaper_ reporter that it was a pleasant surprise when tbo reporting and sub-editorial .staffs —together forming that body known as “working journalists”—received from tbo Exhibition directors a cordial invitation to supper on Saturday night. Nearly a score of newspaper men responded, many_ of them being accompanied by ladies, and a really jolly evening was spent. Though the proceedings were “in committee ” —or, as Mr Sutherland Doss put it, “we will assume that there are no reporters present tonight”—it would he unfortunate it the event were to go altogether unrecorded. Nice things were said concerning the part played by the rank and in connection with the reports of Exhibition doings, those voicing those sentiments being Mr J. Sutherland Ross (chairman of the Exhibition directors), Mr C. P. Hainsworth (general manager), Mr H. R. Spence (secretary), and Captain Moore (representing the overseas Commissioner?), while the thanks of the journalists both for the kindly thought which prompted the action of the directors and for the courtesy and assistance invariably shown and rendered to the seekers a Pier news by all concerned wore expressed by Mr G. A. Wycherley (president of the Dunedin branch of the N.Z..J.A.) and Mr W. Anderson (‘ Otago Daily Times’)- , ~ The speeches were commcudably short and to the point, not only because there were “no reporters present,” hut because there was a spontaneous agreement that the proceedings were to ho of that sociable and informal character which makes for thorough enjoyment. And so they were. THE GREAT BAND TWO DELIGHTFUL CONCERTS

Til© afternoon and evening concerts by the Band of tho Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders drew and delighted large and enthusiastic audiences on Saturday. The selections by the pipers, tho Highland dancing by members of the band, and the Scottish suite by the combined pipes and band were very much appreciated. The dancers were Lance-corporal C. Davis and Bandsmen F. Crawford, F. Taylor, and J, Frond; while Lance-corporal B. Sinclair took the solo parts in the Scottish suite. Tho most popular band items at the afternoon concert wore Sullivan’s ‘Macbeth’ overture, the ‘ Introduction •’ and the ‘ Bridal Chorus ’ from Wagner’s ‘ Lohengrin,' and Edward Macdowell’s ‘Woodland Sketches’ Suite—‘From an Indian Lodge,’ ‘To a Water Lily,’ and Told at Sunset.’ Very good also was the ‘ Chanto Hindoue,’ from Ladko' (HiAsky-Korsakov), with E flat clarinet solo by Lance-corporal A. Wilton. Two very enjoyable features of the evening concert were tho xylophone solo ‘ Wally ’ (Heinsdovff) by Bandsman E. Edwards, and Kling’s piccolo duet, ‘Two Little Finches,’ by Sergeant G. E. Young and Bandsman P. W. Taylor. Tho pregramme also comprised such varied items—all ' most beautifully rendered—as a selection from Verdi’s ‘ H Trovatore,’ Liszt’s ‘ Hungarian

Rhapsody No. 2,’ ‘ Drofla’s idyll ‘The Village Smithy,’_ and Godfreys eycrpopular ‘Reminiscences from ocouland.’ Drofla’s idyll is intended to depict' life in the village smithy, which is usually the rendezvous of tho peasants on their way to daily toil. A short, subdued subject suggests early dawn, introducing birds, annual life, etc. The smith, with a merry song, greets tho peasants as they pass, and invites tho loitering children to draw near and hoar the music of tho anvil. Led by tho jovial smith the villagers join in a rollicking chorus, and as they depart gaily whistling a little melody they hear occasional snatches ol the smith’s original song, which blends with their refrain ns they disappear in distance.