ROYAL MALE CHOIR

Evening Star, Issue 20898, 15 September 1931, Page 6

ROYAL MALE CHOIR

The Royal Male Choir will present ‘ Tho MartyrS,’ a cantata with soli and orchestra (strings) by J. H. Maunder, at its concert on Monday. Tho scene is laid in Ephesus in the first Christian century. The characters are Lycon (Mr E. Benton, who has a fine bass voice), a Christian, and his young sou Phias (Master Lex M'Donald) and Thasis (Mr E. Wilford Robbins, tenor), a heathen philosopher. The choir will undertake the double duty or a chorus of worshippers of Diana and a chorus of Christians. As with most cantatas, tho plot is of a slender character, the interest lying in the music. The choir has a splendid opportunity of presenting some well-contrasted pieces. There is some quiet work requiring delicate handling, and also some rousing, florid work requiring lull volume. The choir can be relied on to give of its best in presenting this picturesque music, reflecting the religious conflicts of long ago. Those who attend tho concert will, have the oppoitunity of hearing tue nmisual-tho work lias not been pertonned in Dunedin before. The rehearsal last evenin it was attended by seventy men. Di Gal wav, with the choir soloists and an orchestra, had,a most satisfactory, practice,;