ORATORIO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6872, 9 March 1883, Page 4

ORATORIO.

MiCWUUtBS’a “8r JOHX THB BAPTIir. It wu a daring, if not pruumptaoui, thing for a comparatively small body « musician* in a town containing the amount oi available talent that Ohriatchurch !*»«•«' to attempt a modern oratorio Wee J , the Baptist.” Not only doe* it require t w Meries* of ft quartette of trained vo.ee. or the tolot, to render palatable much o.> rugged and, at firat hearing, buam mug but it also make* great demand* on tw orchestra, both for overture and aeeompwi menu, and needs a choru* of more than ora. oarv capacity; in abort, it w exacting JSomeu il round. U«d r the mrcum stance*, the result achieved perhaps, a. good a* could have been cipecten, with only the outline* preaent of » hAt to have been at the command of the ‘-oadu tor. The orchestra r«paciaJlf was r«ry d St, particularly in the wood a«d *«d m.tru gtiU. there are beauties and P° w / r ‘. Sichu S'* St John the Baptist." one eI the of oratorios, Art no wygj of performance can quite conceal, an made their pwunce fj fhere reaped IU reward to a certain « o di , ew» who !»« enough of the w^-^^f 1 th»t »* «d other wort h. ts one of no «di«W7 thi. f *** It ha* bwn long m „ jgJS, as it was brought out «[*,iiaofarw* imviag bent trfittoo ProfeeK*

for the Bristol Festival of Us»t yew. Wrare not a«we ifit Hae been psrfomed either# la Hew Zealand, bat fancy that it *a* tempted about 1874 or 1876 by the Auckland Musical Society. The Barham »Ueel leyanChurch anfilled from other last night to bear the lh« work, and the galleries were An orchestra had been ««* onaa for the performer*. Before thei com mSeemenl Mr Neville Barnett, under whwo Mtoa the oratorio was performed, St was thought be.t that there *oald to iSiCidSy SK*. we do act intend to enter much »nto detail •» regard* the murie. Cousiomng the defective elate of the orchestra, the mile**, filmort stormy, overture, intended to be descriptive of the expectancy existing »i»»f the Jew* about the time of the mrt* Christ ae to the advent of a Memah— *« offect in which the evaeioa of a perfect cadence throughout i» called on to md w*« fairly well played. Thefi«tcW. "Behold I send MyMettcnger," w« *b«htly nwtwdy •t the outset, but the performer* then eolUed down to their work and the concluding portion «m given with acme rigour. A fine oreKendo effect M the "Le»t 1 come and emit* the Earth with a Curae!" and the succeeding piamswmo helped to redeem the ebakimee which ajjraalled the opening. Speaking of the remaining ebons*#* throughout the oratorio. No- 1% for the nobles, tonora and bmwes, **o King live for ever,** wa« well and •tesdily euog, the splendid wild barbarso snne being given with fair accuracy, a* was that which immediately follow* : Lo the DaaghW of Herod is.* cometh in." In thi* the introduction of some eastern melody ha* a mow* peculiar effect; Mr Soarell, who acted ae organist, doing hi* ehare in it well, a* be did elsewhere. The only chorus in which the singer* really oame to gnef waa that ex* pmtiag the eagerness of the populace for the death of John the Baptist, beginning «to the Wrath of the King »a# mesiengera d Death," which wa« beyond their power*. But in those which end the work “ What went ye out for to see,” ** Behold I eend My ITiiiffiwiriiiirnr w asd ** Afoost thoM thAfe it® there a marked improremeat. It It in thees and id the final «fie wae a Burning and % Shining Light,” in which the culminating point of the oratorio, and of Mac'arrea’e power,is reached, that the greatest effect waa obtained. This last chorus stands the grande*, of oratorio dwnwi: embodied in it are the breadth, grandeur, and simple construction of Handel’* ramie, with that dramatic effect at which modern composers are alway* aiming, but seldom read*. Mr T. Barnett sang tMntmic allotted to the Narrator, except Ho. 9 “In tho Beginning was the Word," guns, as originally intended, by the contralto, (BOss Little), and of which the audience appeared to wish a repetition. Mr Barnett sang correctly, if not sympathetically, throughout. Mr Appleby took the eoios let down to Herod, and where he did not seem afraid lo attack the notes, got through his tfjV very fairly. On# of his best efforts during tho evening was “ Alas, my Daughter, I »fc*n I.*** brought Ms very low,” after Salome has extracted from him the keeping of iii« promise. The duet with Mr Knox, "Break off thy Sins” ins also well song by both. The preceding nolo, too, “ Whatsover Byea desire,” one of the most pleasing j numbers, Is waieh the composer seems momentarily to forget hi* self- im posed austerity, was likewise well given by Mr Appleby. Mr Knox sang the part of John <Si« Baptist in his usual style, hit most successful jo Vo being " But the Father loveth th* Bon.” The gem of the evening was the beautiful usaecompanled quartet “Blessed are They.” in which Mr Appleby, Miss Spensley, Miss Little, usd Mr Barnett took part. Tim first three voices blended most harmoniously, but the quality of tho base did not suit them.