CANTERBURY HALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13113, 29 April 1903, Page 5

CANTERBURY HALL.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY CONCERT. PARTY. The large audience at the Canterbury Hall last night -which elected to take the Westminster Abbey Glee Party on trust — for it certainlyshas not been boomed like the average travelling entertainers —were moro than fully rewarded. Never probably has there been heard a more delightful musical entertainment in Christchurch. With no “ stars ” in its ranks, the party sheds a mellow, even light of excellence along its vocal way which simply charmed the audience into a spirited enthusiasm. The feature of the concert was, of course, the glee singing, and this, it is not extravagant to say, approached as near to perfection as it was possible to get. With five boy sopranos, a male alto z two tenors and two basses, the balance was admirable, and when to this was added an excellent intonation, a quite irreproachable enunciation, and a finish and expressiveness of no uncertain quality, the result was most pleasing. The blending of their voices was something akin to a revelation,- and the organ tone produced quite reached that superlative. The technique generally was more than good, but it was in the phrasing, in the delicate nuances and in the exquisite use of the sotta voce that the singers shone. Two humorous catches varied the more serious glee work, and these were sung not only cleverly from a musical point of view, but with a very appreciation of their dramatic niceties. The parts in the glees were taken by Mr Percy Coward (male alto), 'Messrs E. Branscombo and G. Pownall (tenors), Messrs Albert Archdeacon and H. Hilton (basses) and Masters A. Boughtoq, R. Hyde, H. Marchant, L. Hubbard and H. Shemmoncls. In isolation a number of these singers Showed that, outside the concerted work, they had no uncertain aptitude as soloists. Mr Percy Coward, the male alto, although the quality of voice is not a favourite one, quite won bis audience by his finished singing of Tosti’s “Venetian Song,” perhaps the one uncharacteristic item on the programme, which was otherwise de--voted to old English, and Scotch music. Mr Branscombe sang his own setting of “ The Lowland Sea,” with a dramatic appreciation of its quaintness which marked him a.s a singer of most artistic parts. Mr Herbert Hilton, the bass soloist, although he sang “ I am a Friar ” a little too correctly for so sturdy an old favourite, displayed a fine quality of voice and a finished technique. Madams Marie Hootou was, perhaps, the one disappointment of the company. She has a good contralto voice, but of unsympathetic' quality. Her intonation and enunciation were perfect, but her pronunciation was at times distressing. Master Leonard Hubbard, one of the boy sopranos, sang Cowen's “ Swallows ” beautifully. The clear, sweet, fresh voice of the boy was delightful, whilst his artistic production and his taste were remarkable ini such a little fellow. But the same features characterised the singing of all the boys. They were, however, especially in the case of the soloist, unpardonably overweighted by the accompanist. The accompanying, indeed, was .the one indifferent feature of an otherwise wholly enjoyable concert. Mr Dudley. Causton’s humorous musical sketch gave him an opportunity to display some clever musical extravagances in the way of mimicry, but it suffered from a wearisome prelude, plentifully besprinkled with “chestnuts.” Neither is Mr Causton a successful raconteur. It would be idle to discriminate in a programme where every succeeding item seemed tu eclipse its predecessor, but of the concerted items the anthem, “Send Out Thy Light,” and the glee “The Bell of St Michael’s,” stood out along with the two delightful catches, whilst in the solo work Mr Branscombe’s "Lowland Sea,” and Master Hubbard’s “ The Swallows,” were super-excellent. The marked features of the singing generally were, the general excellence of the style and the artistic finish which were imparted to it. A second concert will be given to-night, when there will be a complete change of programme.