HASTINGS CHORAL SOCIETY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 240, 25 September 1923, Page 3

HASTINGS CHORAL SOCIETY.

M AGNER’S “THE MEISTER SINGERS.”

The choral fantasia, on Wagner’s opera “The Afeistersingers of Nurnberg” is a very delightful arrangement by Percy E. Fletcher. The work contains five choruses for full choir, one duet for tenors and basses and a solo each for soprano, tenor and bass. The first chorus opens in a stately and dignfiied manner with the words “Then before whom Jesus stood, when baptised in Jordan’s flood,” and is followed with a bass solo, “To-da.s the feast of John the blest.” A vigorous and inspiring chorus follows, “Hurrah, hurrah, ’tis midsummer day,” and following this is a delightful, short soprano solo, “But one there is whom I would see attain the crown of victory,” and the same theme is then taken up by the full chorus, in which there are some very beautiful passages. A rollicking duet for tenors and bases follows in which they deplore their inability to win the prize song. They each had “rising hopes” at one time but now each regards his hopes as “for ever lost.” The next chorus is marked with great depth of feeling and is dominated by the influence of the opening words, ” ’Tis here; the fateful hour is here.” Following this comes the tenor solo “Walther’s Prize Song.” This is a magnificent solo and so. captivates the hearts of the whole chorus that they burst forth in triumph at the conclusion of the song. After the decree of the tenors and basses is given, “The triumphant chorus which is the grand finale to the fantasia is inspiring in the extreme, concluding with the words of triumph, “Hail, Hail, Hail, 0 \'ictor, Hail.”

The full story wrapped in this grand fantasia will be sung by the Choral Society at its concert in the Alunicipal Theatre on Monday next. It will lie well worth hearing. A number of very popular part songs will also be sung at the concert, some of which have never been rendered in Hastings previously.