“THE MESSIAH.”

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9601, 19 December 1891, Page 5

“THE MESSIAH.”

SYDENHAM MUSICAL SOdDST*?.

The recently formed Sydenham MnaiOal . Society last night performed The Messikk in the Colombo road Oddfellows* Httll before a large and very appreciative andi* ence. The stage, which had been prepared, for the concert, was crowded by the member* ’ and their assistants from the Christchurch Society. There was a preponderance bf sopranos, all of whom sang with much con* fidence, but the other pacts of the chorn* were fairly powerful, and wherever they, had the lead asserted themselves. Odea-' sionally slight slips showed that amongst the large number of vocalists some had' not profited as much as others by the te-> hearaals they bad had under their painstaking conductor, Mr H. Wells. Thb v orchestra was fairly numerous, and acquitted itself on the whole satisfactorily, though . the execution of the pastoral symphony showed that there is still room for improve* ’■ ment in this department. The solos wet* : entrusted to Miss A. S. Taylor. Mrs W*. H. Jennings, Mr J. Piischell and Mr E. Halley. Miss Taylor was suffering from indisposi- , tion, and was consequently unable to db. herself justice, but despite all difficulties - she gave a reading of such numbers at. " There were Shepherds,” " EejotC*' Greatly,” the second pact of “He Shut Feed Hia Flock,” and " I Know That My Bede<ftner Liveth,” that displayed Abe, technical skill in phrasing and the management of the voice. Mrs Jennings eang very sympathetically those choice airs, “O Thou That Tellest,” “ He Shall Feed fils Flocks,” and “He Was Despised.” She ie ; to be complimented on her reading of the opening phrase in “Ho shall Feed Hie Flock,” in which she avoided the absurd emphasis on “ shall,” so often deprecated. Mr Piischell, though evidently suffering from the effects of la grippe, sang in hi* usual style, “Every Valley,” "Behold, and See,” "Bub Thou didst not Leave, I** 1 ** "Thou Shalt Break Them,” and tab several recitatives leading up to them. In Mr Halley the Society has a bass singer who will prove of great use as he become* more familiar with oratorio music. Though he made mistakes they were not very serious ones.. He is too liberal & reading, yet he deserves great credit fbt the courage with which he attacked such difficult airs as '• But Who May Abide,” - and " Why do the Nations.” For the last* named he received the very unusual Compliment of an enthusiastic encore, to which, however, he only bowed. The chernse* were given throughout with much spirit, which occasionally interfered with due attention to the marks of expression. Mr E. Trist Searell did yeoman’s service at the organ, and Mr Skelton was an efficient leader of the orchestra.