ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2305, 25 November 1925, Page 12

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

A BRILLIANT CONCERT. .To the largest audience In th® thirty-one years of its existence the Palmerston North Orchestral Society last evening presented a programme of such wide range and general excellence that It was almost universally acclaimed the choicest yet rendered, The orchestra itself was one of tha largest that has played under Mr Maurice Cohen’s baton, being particularly strong in the strings. Mr Cliff Mowlem was unable •to be present, and the duties of leader devolved up. on Mr P. S. Larcomb. Again the consummate skill and wide export, ence of the conductor were In evidence in every part of the programme making for an entertainment at onca catholic in its appeal and uplifting ia its effect.

The brilliant “Zampa” overture of Hcrold auspiciously opened the programme. A full orchestral introduction with nice graduation of tone, gives place to the well-known and very beautiful clarinet duet, which works back to the original thenle, and then the solo clarinet takes up the strain, giving place to the strings and wood winds, working to a flourishing finale by the whole orchestra. Pull of technical difficulties, the overture was nevertheless given with great verve and a fine appreciation of Its characteristic beauties. In strong contrast -was Thome’s ’’Andante Religloso,” a rich melody giving plenty of scope for interpretation, of which the conductor took full advantage. Five numbers were comprised in Rossc’s “Merchant of Venice’’ suite, and it proved to be one of the popular items of the evening. Cello solo and duet Introduced the beautiful “flyst prelude’’ followed by an oboe solo. Then came the rich melody of the “Portia” number In ■which horn and oboe lead in the theme and the first violins pass it to the flute, to be succeeded by a really delightful conversation between flute and oboe. An oriental march’ called on all the resources of the orchestra, and was followed by the graceful “second prelude” in which the flute and oboe put in some nice work, with a charming lighter movement by the strings, and an effective staccato passage for the wood winds. The well-known “Doges’ March” was a fitting conclusion to the brilliant work of the whole suite, and the audience demanded a repetition of one of the numbers.

The second part of the programme opened with the evergreen “Marltana" overture (Wallace), into which are woven some of the most popular airs of the opera, all sections of the orchestra acquitting themselves finely in a very satisfying presentation. Followed then the most notable offering of tho evening In a tone poem entitled “Finlandia” by the famous Finnish composer Sibelius. Its utter unlikencss to the work of western composers was strikingly evident. Deeply spiritual in conception and presentation, the composition is an attempt to depict a people’s sufferings and from the weird opening bars to the majestic finale there is an undercurrent of passionate appeal. The brasses which Sibelius is said to have exploited as no other composer has done, open powerfully and then follows a chaotic orchestration which in turn gives place to a glorious hymn introduced by the woodwinds, used also by the composer with dramatic effect. Then the hymn is repeated by the strings and it recurs in different form in the noble finale. The interpretation of the work was another evidence of the subtle artistic sense of tho conductor and of the ability of the orchestra to follow him Into the very heart of the composer’s meaning. In lighter vein the well-known “Barcarolle” from Offenbach’s "Tales of Hoffman” made an instant appeal and had to be repeated, and a really l notable programme concluded with the cleverly orchestrated “Wainta Poi” of Alfred Hill, given with great gusto and repeated in response to a rousing encore.

Mr O. G. Swallow’s appearances as a soloist are all too rare. He combines unusual technical skill as a flauntist with an artist’s gift for interpretation, and the rendering of Boehm’s “Du Du’’ last evening was a pure delight to the audience. Richness of tone, line expression and command over his instrument In the most intricate passages were conspicuous features of a memorable performance, and the audience insistently demanded an encore. The vocalist of the evening, Mr E. J. Thomas, of Wanganui, possessed a very powerful baritone voice, and his choice of songs with a strong masculine vein was most fortunate. His rendering of Bullard’s “Sword of Ferrara” was quite the best thing given in an orchestral concert for some considerable time while the more tragic “Lorraine, Lorraine, Lorree”, (Spross) with a less popular appeal was sung with considerable feeling. For a double encore Mr Thomas gave a rollicking rendering of Sanderson’s "Captain Mac” and a little masterpiece very finely sung was the Russian Malashkln’s “It could not be expressed in Song”. “A Sailor’s Paradise” (Richards), another ready good song, was also given as an encore, number to Mr. Thomas’s first offering. The accompaniments were again played with skill and discernment by Mrs W, H. IC Glimour, who was partlcularly effective In the “Sword of Ferrara.”