ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9810, 11 June 1914, Page 6

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY'S CONCERT.

AN ENJOYABfcR EVENING. The. Palmerston North Orchestral Society's nineteenth season was promisingly ushered in last evening when the first concert wa« given before a large and'apflteciati.e audience at the Opera House. II Vtfojdd 1* idle to say that the* programme presented wa« lupenor ut.ufy of its predecessors, for there are some' past concert* which set so high a standard that'it would be:too much to exj)ect every succeeding presentation to be an advance on them. His not too much to say, howCveri that the evening's entertainment was one of the Most .mjovaole provided for, quite e long time, and tho conductor. Mr A. J. Graham, is-to I e congratulated on the result of. hie labours. The orchestral items were nicely varied, comprising a fair proportion of well-known comiK)Sition§, with the addition of a couple of now pieces, which will undoubtedly bo heard again with pleasure by music-lovers. Of the former, Wagner's "Tannhanscr' march and Beethoven's "Egqwrit" overture were the notable example*, and both were rendered in a manner which catted unusually warm appreciation frohi tho audience. ■llicy were interesting, too, as being typical of the widely difterinjr works of the great Germans, and were m placed on the programme as to afford.a godd opportunity of <i>nipansorr. Tlie Wagner march was hancited with due appreciation of tho ' gre.it theme, and an inspiring rendering was given. In Beethoven's glorious work, ;he of the music again infected the orchestra, and the audience were treated to a really ffte interpretation of the composer $ meaning. Entirely different in theme and' scope were the daintv bracketed numbers, "A Song of Melody" (Cl<§g) and "Jours Passes" (Home), to which were imparted an artistic finish, while the EJgar bracketed selections "Bavarian Highlands." 'Lullaby," and "The Dance" were so rendered as to merit the warm appreciation of po audience The most important <f the new iten'fij was the.selection' ''The' 1 ancing Mistress" (Monckton), and here the t l.Sicstra tcored a decided success by-its spirited rendering of a tuncfuf piece' <k music. The remaining contribution to the was Von Supped "Pique Dame." fc characteristic work wherein the orchestra good use of it's opportunity Of t!v soloist*;, .Wws Kcarins made her first important appearance •before a local andieiKv. j,tid sluHVctf herself to ho the possessor of a musical and powerful contralto voice, to which was udticd an undoubted gift for interpreting the spirit of nor songs. Apart' from a Jjttle nervousness inevitable in a first appearance, tlie young singer was in splendid voice, and richly deserved the enthusiastic applause* which foiher rendering of Jiddlc's Homo Song." In response to a recall. Miss Rear-. ins won the hearts of the audience bv her t-harmiiig treatment of "She wore a Wreath of Roses." Her second .appearance fuilier confirmed tin- good opinions already formed and in Mullah's "Three .Fishers" slm Kearins sliowed both talent and intelligence. "Poppies for Forgetting," the recall item. completed the contraltos contributions and .installed her as a valuable addition to i nlmerston's acknowledged musical talvnt. Mr K. Short, the other vocalist, is already well'known to Palmerston music lovers, but hardly did his line baritone voice 'ustice in rhe choice of his songs. "Rose of my Heart" (Lohr) was >o given as to earn a vociferous encore, and "Four Jolly Sailormoh" was tic rcsjionee. Mr Short's second number, "I n til" (Sandeioon), is a luneful little melody, and was nieeh rendered, earning the honour of a double re-call, tho succeeding contributions Icing, "In a Garden" and "A Red Rose Ihiil." In the unavoidable absence, through indisposition, of Miss Gaustad, the Society's pianist. Miss Vera Graham was called onto lill tin: double role of pianist and accompanist, and her artistic work added apjM.fiubly to the evening's enioyraht.