VOCAL RECITAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 19 July 1929, Page 9

VOCAL RECITAL.

HUBERT CARTER AND PUPILS. AN EVENING OF SONG. It was a programme, of most varied styles ol songs, selected from the compositions ot different centuries and embracing ballads and operatic numbers, that was presented by Mr Hubert Carter last night in St. Joseph’s Hall, when he was -assisted by a number of artists from liis Hawe,ra studio. The vocal numbers chosen gave scope for all the singers to show their very best, and the result was a programme of outstanding merit, one that delighted everyone -in the audience.

Mr Carter’s own numbers were widely diverse in style, and showed him in many moods of song. He revelled in the dramatic force, needed for his operatic selections', and in the simple ballad where' he used his soft top register to perfection he was perhaps at his best. His enunciation was a feature of his work throughout, and was practically impeccable. His first group comprised four songs, three ballads and a tragically beautiful song, full of fire and pathos. “Have you seen but a white lily grow,” “Phyllis has such charming graces,” and “It was a. lover and his lass” were sung with a charming simplicity and a delicacy of tone production that delighted everyone, while a marked contrast was given in the forceful song “Lord Randal,” into which he infused deep passion and keen feeling. He added as an encore “My father has some very fine sheep.” __ A truly remarkable song, “1 am Fate,” opened his second series, and it was altogether convincing by its fire and its force and its striking finale. It was followed by the pathetic story unfolded in “How’s my boy” and the “devil-may-care” spirit of Manazueca’s “Nichevo.” These three formed a remarkable demonstration of vocal art. In response to the recall he added the ‘‘Spirit Flower. ’’ On his third appearance Mr Carter bad a trio of arias all operatic in setting. They were an Alvarez song “La Partida,” a “Reverie” by Schera., and “La Dans-a,” by Rossini. In the first ' Mr Carter showed to the full his great range and powers of dramatic expression, and these were features patent in the Rossini number, while the | Reverie with its soft delicate- opening ] and the' chance to use the- soft top i notes was a charming exposition of j vocal technique. Again an encore was , demanded and given. Three famous songs combined to mark his last appearance, “Ah! moon of my delight” (Lehmann), “Onyway, awake” (Hiawatha), and the gay aria “On with the motley,” from “Pagliacei.” Miss Mary Barnes- sang two groups of three, and showed in every one a full rich tone and a marked power of expression. The selections gave her scope to show her best. The songs were “None but. an aching heart,” “Lithuanian Song,” “A summer night.” “Oh! my heart is weary,” “Fair spring is returning,” and “Strida. la Yam-pa” (II Trovatore). Her encore numbers were “Aohal by sea,” “Maori slumber song.” and “When Love is kind.” Mr Harold Ackroyd scored a success in his singing of the very difficult aria from Rosini’s “Largo al factotum.” It is a song demanding great executant ability and wide powers of expression, and Mr Ackroyd was fully equal to the

demands made by the song. He was enthusiastically recalled, adding ““From Oberon. in fairyland,” and again had to appear and how his acknowledgments. Mr Hugh Lambie showed himself to be the possessor of a full, rich voice of good range and quality, and be sang with a fine effect Coleridge Taylor’s song “Sons of the .sea.” He was recalled, and added another song. Mr Douglas McQuin was in good voice, and sang Head’s great song “Dim of the moon,” and for an encore “Tally-ho.”

The accompaniments to songs of so diverse characteristics demanded playing and art of a high order, and throughout Mrs McQuin showed herself equal to the occasion, and gave an excellent demonstration of the art of a ccom pan iment.