CAVERSHAM SCHOOL CHOIR

Evening Star, Issue 23099, 27 October 1938, Page 18

CAVERSHAM SCHOOL CHOIR

BRIGHT CONCERT PROGRAMME Fur some years one of the most popular musical entertainments staged bv Dunedin juveniles has been the annual Caversham School concert. These have been marked by general excellence in the standard of performance, and the blending of the voices has been a feature of the presentations. Last night another of these concerts was presented by the pupils in His Majesty’s Theatre before a good audience. As usual, it was of high order, both in presentation and the suitability of the numbers selected. Choral items were naturally predominant, but there were also several wellstaged novelty interludes of a different type, these comprising a gymnastic disiplav, an operetta, and some clever short plays. Youthful voices in choral unison have a refreshing quality, and it was this fact that made the numbers presented by the choir so different to the usual concert entertainment. Though untrained, the sweetness of the resultant effort was unquestionable; whether in Maori legend, tramping song, robust or light melody, the choir proved its ability in no uncertain manner, and won applause from the audience.

Opening the programme was a bracket of four choral numbers. One hundred voices made pleasing harmony under the baton of Mr R. Johnston. ‘ Friendships,’ ‘ Angelus ’ (from ‘ Maritana’), Brahms’s ‘Hungarian Dance, No. 5,’ and ‘ Evening Bell ’ were dealt with without effort, and the youth and vigour of the voices lent beauty to the pieces. It was apparent that great pains had been taken to bring the choir to a high pitch; its response to the demands of the conductor was excellent, and it imparted to the items a remarkable depth. For such youthful chorists, they displayed a nice appreciation of the requirements of the numbers. Succeeding was a toy scena entitled ‘Midnight in the Nursery,’ by the junior standards. A feature of this display was the costumes used in this variation of the ‘ Toymaker’s Dreath ’ theme. All the toys were there, and the mere children who brought the characters to life again showed that care and careful attention to detail that was typical of every item. An Hawaiian harmonica band proved an innovation, taking the form of a radio broadcast, with unique features. Then came a massed display of figure marching and an elementary form of gymnastics, mainly silhouettes. Perfect timing added materially to the effect of this presentation. Then, as a finale to the first part of the programme, the choir gave three Maori numbers, which accentuated the sweetness of the voices

Then came a choral version of varied selections—‘ To a Wild Rose,’ the ‘ Tramping Song * from ‘ Naughty Marietta,’ and a ‘ Cradle Song,’ based on Kreisler’s ‘ Caprice Viennois.’ These provided a fine contrast, and showed further the capabilities of the choir. ‘ The Market Place ’ was the title of a Standard IJI.b effort. London was the venue, and ‘ Shoe Shine Bov ’ the featured number, and again the costuming was excellent. Standard ill.a chose a lighter vein for their study. It w T as a farce— 1 The Red Cod ’ —and met with a happy reception. The best item on the programme from a spectacle viewpoint was an operetta, ‘The Happy Hollanders.’ Stag© 'settings and costuming were excellent, and the stage was a galaxy of colour in flowers and frocks. Soloists were prominent. As the grand finale came three further choral renditions—- ‘ O Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast,’ ‘Mandalay,’ and ‘Farewell.’ These were a fitting end to an enjoyable evening’s' entertainment. Congratulations on the standard of the concert, and an appreciation of the work ot the teachers and those responsible for the production, were expressed by the Minister of Education (Hon. Peter Fraser) during the second portion of the programme. He had been deeply impressed by what he had seen and heard, he said. It reflected great credit both on the organisers and on the children themselves.