AMUSEMENTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14170, 19 September 1906, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS.

THE MUSICAL UNION. Fate is but a theoretical quantity, after all, in the world’s well-being, but it savours of the inevitable “ cusseduese of things inanimate” that its “mysterious finger” should have pointed last night to zero when the Christ- ■ church Musical Union produced the oratorio “St Paul.” The Union has never don© anything worse. Tins is the more regrettable as the audience included ’ two musicians of unquestionable ability who are to be associated with music in Christchurch in a prominent capacity in the Exhibition orchestra. Their introduction must have been as painful to both of them as it was mortifying to Dr Bradshaw and the music-lovers of the city. It was the more mortifying inasmuch as the Union was certainly far below its average form. It is hard to conceive how those in authority could have allowed it to place such a performance before the public, and it would have been very much better had the conductor decided at the eleventh hour to postpone the concert until such time as,the orchestra could deal effectively with its work, and until soloists could be secured who could sing the magnificent music which Mendelssohn has written around the dramatic story of the conversion of Saul. It is not necessary to labour the deficiencies of the orchestra last night; they were too obvious to call for Criticism in isolation. The overture was a quite sufficient exemplification of the absolute “impossibility” of the performers. The attack v/as weak, the playing all round was faulty, and, as a matter of simple fact, the orchestra simply “scratched” through the oratorio in worse _ than a first-rehearsal style. Something of this was, no doubt, due to the fact that there was a singular lack of balance in the instrumentation, and it is only necessary to mention, in illustration of this fact, that there was actually one whole double bass to uphold the inner workings of the strings. The brass was consistently brass-bandy and bad, and whilst the reeds were better, the strings were never strong and never satisfying. The lamentable weakness of the orchestra had something to do with the comparative failure of the soloists, for they certainly got little support from the acoompaniments, and, indeed, at times were placed at an absolute disadvantage . by faulty playing. Mrs Glover Eaton, who sang the soprano music, is obviously a cultured singer, but her voice is thin, and absolutely lacking in warmth. She sang with a certain nicety, but it was a nicety that left her audience cold and unappreciative. The tenor work was entrusted to Mr C. H. Schwartz. There is no quarrel with the quality of Ills voice, but thanks to the lack of orchestral assistance, his intonation was continually faulty. “St Paul ” carries an exceptionally* heavy lot of recitative work for the tenor, and, Mr Schwartz is not temperamentally suited for this particular class of composition. He was nervous and uncertain throughout, and never succeeded in reaching his audience with that conviction of easy production which is essential to success. The contralto, Miss Alcorn, was also disappointing. Mr George March, who is more a baritone than a bass, was the one soloist who was at all satisfactory, and' he'was responsible, by sheer stress of comparison, for some good work. A signal instance of this may be mentioned in the aria “ I Praise Thee. 0 Lord my God.” / It Is a relief to turn to the chorus, which provided the one redeeming feature of the concert. Lacking in the more subtle requirements of what is technically known as “light and shade,” the body of the chorus was good. Tho singing was crisp and live, and though the soprano® showed a tendency to a somewhat shrill artificiality, the contraltos were rich and expressive and the male voices, even in their numerical weakness, were satisfactory. The beautiful “ Chorales ” which are scattered plentifully throughout the were delightfully sung, and several «f the choruses were well up to the spirited average which, it is customary to sedate with the' Union’s productions. Dr Bradshaw,, as conductor, did his best under disheartening circumstances." The oratorio will,be repeated to-night.

- THEATRE ROYAL. Last evening a large audience witnessed the third production of “ The Face at the Window,” by Mr William Anderson’s Dramatic Company. The piece was, as formerly, received with enthusiasm, and the weird cry of “ L© Loup” proved very thrilling. The various parts wore consistently well sustained, and the stag© management was most effective.' “ The Face at the Window ” will b© repeated this evening, and to-morrow will give_ way to Mr Frederick Melvillo’s romantic drama “ Between Two Women.” It has decided to extend the season till Tuss-', day, and on the last two evenings, ! Messrs Shirley and Conquest’s ©motional drama, “The Work Girl,” will bo produced. OPERA~HOUSE. Despite the counter attractions the Opera House was well filled last evening, when-Messrs Fuller and Sons’ vaudeville company repeated the excellent programme introduced on Saturday. The items, without exception, were well received, particularly the bright, sketch “Adam the Second,”' by Credge and Gibson. “ Ethel the Boneless ” repeated her clever feats of'contortion, and Professor Antonio’s trained animals evoked marked approval- The “ Four Rosebuds” sang and danced prettily, while the clever Lentous completed the evening’s entertainment with their skilful act. ’ ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION. In the history of th© world the chapters dealing with the explorations of the regions around th© ’ northern and southern poles are of thrilling interest. With each succeeding expedition something new has been attained, particularly since th© advance in science has perfected the instruments by which the records are taken. Not the least important of * these is the camera. By the aid of photographs, dwellers in temperate and tropical zones are made acquainted, in some degree, with the grandeur of the polar circle, which is slowly being divested of the cloak that has hidden it from mankind. Th? people of Christchurch will have an opportunity to-morrow .evening to make close acquaintance with the antarctic seas, when Mr C. Reginald Ford, who was a member of the Discovery Expedition of 1901-4, will lecture in the Choral Hall on “Farthest South.” Into his address Mr Ford compresses • the ©vents of three years, which was the time the steamer Discovery spent on her trip. In plain and lucid language Mr Ford describes the perils of th© ice, the awful • impressiveness of the silence that reigned, the glorious colouring of the sun’s rays on the glaciers and glistening peaks, . the bravery of Captain Soott, Lieutenant Shackleton, and every member of the crow, the wonderful sledge expeditions —on one of which the commander reached the southern record of 82.17 latitude, the bird and amphibious life, the fierceness of the blizzards, the intense cold, and the joy at release from an icy bondage over two years in duration.