MALE VOICE CHOIR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 24 June 1937, Page 3

MALE VOICE CHOIR

ARTISTIC FIRST-OF-SEASON CONCERT

WELL-BALANCED PART SINGING

Well balanced part singing by male voices was again. enjoyed by an audience which filled the body of the concert ’chamber of the School of Music last evening, It was the first concert of the fifth season of the now wellestablished Nelson Male Voice Choir and the programme arranged, though including less of the rollicking or humorous type of song, was probably more truly artistic, and gave better scope for tonal shading. The choir had been excellently trained by the conductor, Mf F. Mitchell, to make the most of this and gave splendid contrasts in the choruses, the tone colouring being particularly effective in such a one os “The

Sea Fight” (Paliard). Here the changes of moods were most admirably reflected in the singing, the whole making a dramatic picture, The very definite pause before the last verse, “What a silence, we hear but the voice of the ocean,” gave striking point to the words, In this song, as in all the work of the' choir, there was evident meti-

culous attention to detail, though there were occasional falls from grace, as when a tenor soloist went fiat on the high notes in the final part song, and in another chorus sections of the choir went slightly off the pitch on long sustained notes. Otherwise the tone was true, the harmonies pleasantly balanced, and the treatment clean and weilmarked, Most of the numbers were new and the choir had obviously worked hard to obtain such a finished result, The unaccompanied “Celtic Hymn” revealed early the choir’s capacity to bring out the light and shade. The same was noticeable in "The Quest,” by G. C. Pereival. Clean accent played a bigger part in “Hark! The Merry Drum” (Krugh), which opened the concert effiectively, and had not the choir’s enunciation been good it would have got into difficulties in the humorous part song by K. Linders, “Flow much

wood would a wood-chuck chuck.” The dramatic feeling was well brought out in the song “What care I how fair she be?” (Blumenthal), and “Suspiria”

(Louis Lavater) was rendered with understanding. Ono of the few rollicking gongs on the programme, “Tar’s Song” (J. L. Hatton) made a good appeal; being vigorously sung. “Allan Water,” arranged by FI, Elliot Burton, makes a beautiful part song, with delicate shading which the choir treated with understanding. “When song is sweet" (Souci) was a charming morsel, and “The Crimson Sarafan” (A. Varlamov, vocal score by Alfred Hill), and :‘Dim Grey Appear

the Mountains” (Abl) concluded a concert which was satisfying for those who

ike the gentler type of port song,

though it may have appealed less to those who are fond of more vigorous musical fare. The quartet solo in the final chorus was taken by Messrs D. N. Bishop, W. A. Grant, J. H. Brunt and H. Glover.

Four soloists contributed to the programme. Choosing songs well-suited to his voice Mr D. N. Bishop found favour with his sympathetic rendering of “June Music” (Lionel Trent) and “My Heart is a Haven” (I, A. Steinel), and as an encore, “The Star.” -

An excellently recifecl elocutionary number by Mrs C. G. Kirk, “The Vow,” was warmly applauded, and was followed by a convincing humorpus characterisation, “The Little Sister,” as an encore

Added interest was lent to the contralto solo, “The Captive,” by Mrs E. J. Murray, as the music was composed by Mrs M. Moncrieff (Nelson), the words being by Colin Moncrieff. The plaintive spirit of the piece was well brought out by the singer, who was encored, her extra number being a charming song, “The Perfect Flower,” by Guy D’Har delot.

The only instrumental item was a brilliant organ solo by Miss Glen Carty whose playing of the finale from “Symphonie Pathotique” (P. Tschaikowsky) was forceful. A short encore was played, entitled “Fantasie" (Guilmant). Mrs P. Vining was an excellent accompanist for all the vocal items.