HASTINGS ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 146, 5 June 1913, Page 5

HASTINGS ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY.

FIRST CONCERT OF THE SEASON. The Princess Theatre was crowded at tin* Orchestral Society's Concert last night, and the audience had every reason to be pleased with the splendid programme, for it was fully up to this society's high | standard. Speaking genet all;.. the orchestra is stronger than ever before. The first violins did yoenten service, anil while the seconds were I a little weak, allowance must bo I made for the fact that the majority of them are very young players. The phrasing of the strings has noticeably improved. The society was fortunate in having two ’eelli. and Mr. Tombs had so arranged matters that absence of the viola was scarcefly noticed. The wood-wind were the ] strongest in the history of the society, and it was pleasing to have the bassoon colour again. The brass were, but for an occasional slight roughness, a strong and capable section, and the sympani player was a host in himself.

The concert opened with the overture “Light Cavalry. " which was played with considerable verve, though the first flute was a little out of tune in some of his sustained high notes. It was very interesting to hare on the programme two little pieces composed by Mr. Roy Sparkman. a Napier member of the society. The first, a “Slumber Song." is a dainty, sweet morceau, and the second is a “Serenade” of considerable grace. There is promise in these pieces, which greatly pleased th.c audience, and the composer had to bow his acknowledgments of the applause. We heartily congratulate Mr. Spaekman, and hope to hear more from him. The best music of the evening was the “Peer Gynt" suite, of which the orchestra gave a very fine rendering. The great difficulties of Nq. I had hardly been mastered, but the other numbers were delightfully played, and No. 2 in particular was magnificently done— it was a thing to live in the memory. Never before has there been heard such fine and expressive playing from this society as was tins Andante Dolcroso. Of the pieces on the second part of the programme, the best played and most enjoyable was Horne’s “Intermezzo.” which was a sweet, expressive, and tuneful item. The other pieces were : —“Dorothy” selection, the quaint “Parade of Tin Soldiers," and the pretty Strauss Valse. “Doctrinen.”

The vocalist was Mrs. Ivor Symes, of Wanganui. This lady has a beautirally rich and mellow contralto, voice of great power and resonance, and her cultured singing was a feaIture of the concert. In “Softly I Awakes My Heart.” Mrs. Symes i showed great temperament, and m 1 spite of a cold, managed her voice ! skilfully. As an encore she sang "A j Lesson with the Fan” with piquant effect. Later, in Landon Ronald’s glorious song. ‘ O Lovely Isight.’’ Mrs. Symes was quite at her best. In this song a ’cello obbligato was most tastefully played by Mr. McFarlane. The singer's pronunciation is always so distinct that there was no need for the disturbing rustling of programme 3 during her singing of. Barn by's setting of “When the. Flowing Tide Comes in.” The encore was the pathetic "Jeunesse” <K. Barry). Mr. Louis Hay’s flute solo. "Caprice Original.” was a very enjoyable item, and as an encore he played very sweetly a pretty “Valse.”

Mr. 11. O. McFarlane, whose accompaniments were very tastefully played by Mrs. McFarlane, is an accomplished ’eellisi, and his playing of ".Vila Polacca' richly earned an encore, to which Mr. Mclarlane responded with “Drink to Me Only. The remaining accompaniments were played by Nir. Tombs in his wellknown brilliant and distinguished style. The conductor of the society, Mr. P. W. Tombs, deserves the thanks of the musical community for the splendid work he is doing tor music in Hastings. The secretary (Mr. F. Thomas) had the arrangements in fir-'.-class order.