ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17594, 6 October 1920, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS.

■3: ■■■■ ■-. - ;: : --K'-.- ■-3 -- ■Jr' ; .s!--:-«»ir---, -■..- «>.;.Y:a» -*/;»'■■ a. ■ ♦. .... — , . *', 1,:ROYAL AUCKLAND ? CHOIR. i'AncHand's xxipaSar mate voice .aocisty, the Royal: Auckland Choir, last sight joined f °r c^v witfl^ * large number -of singers, from Choral Society in an impressive performance at.tie Town Hall of Dr. W.- E. TbomSa*, cantata, " Th© Nativity." ;; Tha first and mos* .important < rendering." of this work- to"- date was given;by-the l Choral Soc»ty; "in feou with* the Liedertafel, as it 'then L caiied.\ in S^ 9o7 - v Last' night's : performance. was marked by considerable enthusiasm. Choeally any Previous standard* passed, white the choice of soloists was mora fortunate, than on the; occasion of the initial presentation of •." The Nativity.'! : The fine 1 *? -of «**«» voices lent weight and declama»?i. the niorr- striking* paeaaeeat in many otitno choruses, and. each was the vocal now;.;of the.; sopranos and -,->. contraltos that ffcWoai. was their -ctarcty of ton* bvwmghtea 03 the heavier -volume of the basses. The opening chorus, Now the Morning- Light" *ao gwen-with bright and incisive effect, &W9. * i?.»tho; fine rßejoice, Bejoice," the f en«nejation of % the "itomwioel" *hem*-by the basse* against the repetition bftfcft Opening soprano £abject was worthy of high cam--female SS?** WS& *«angc somewhat the!-3iigh reenter « the sopranos, was very well done. » fine body of sound was forthcoming in . Now *• Glorious Anthem." the V leadsm- the more complicated parts being taken PL^ ( * I *2 l *- TT - 3?* difficult number .Down from the Heights " was conspicuous «n*£ roCUao ?- , I ««P«cially in the detached syllabus., while the ensuing vocal fugueT «• Dommipn Wide Through All the WondV* not only testified to the composer's marked ability .» setting out *» elaborate scheme of part-writing, but to lie singers^^reWS? «» \«U, , The whole formed <me of ,the emphatie, successes of the evenJ- g '.«xiru —*? pleß Sl ng , eff<>ci wa® secured in When toltfee Temple Courts" by the U3°k, presenting -a. richly-harmonised « yet subdued scoring of the " Emmanuel" theme m » background to the duet for. contralto ' an ! d i#s^..Other choruses, full of interest to ,%«- music-lover, were: "Wild the Wail " and the._ nnale, ■" On Mountain Heights," # * fin * outburst at the words bend forth- the message over all the world." i» _l .? department, those portiona allotted r to;_ the soprano aire the least agreeable togfiEng, mainly on »coo(tmit' of V the general pitch and awkward intervals. Has Cor. Maim may be commended) for her intelligent and clear renderings of ' her recitatives, Eehold! a Virgin," "And it '■Game'-to ' Pas«," "And the Aneel of the &£*' ,£**., 5? well ** the more melodious "But Thou, Bethlehem-" Miss Laura Stone was an = outstanding success-in the contralto tecit, "And, She Brought Forth" and the enetung solo,' " Pear Not," as well as in the recit, **.ln; Bamah." Mr. - Hubert Garter acquitted; himself well in. some difficult tenor linesV; including '."-Afar," "And Behold! There Was »-. Man: " and " But When Herod Was Dead," while Mr. T. B. Bow© (baritone^' the only soloist who appeared in the original ! production of the .work, sang with, distinc--tiou throughout. Hie " Prom Orient Lands " reached a high standard. 5 The quartette by : the' principals, *' When the Temple Bites," i though given. with clearness of detail, rei quired more weight in ■■■ the bass part. : A ! large orchestra, led by Mies Edith White-law, i was generally en rapport with the < music. Dr. W. B. Thomas conducted* with marked I ability and frequently had. to ' bow his acknowledgments as the evening progressed. An arrangement for male voices only of Gounod's foni"r " Nazareth " was sung by way of preliminary to " The Nativity." EVANS-GANGE CONCERTS. 1 The box plan for the return visit of Amy Evans, the Welsh soprano, and Fraaer Gange, the Scotch baritone, opens at Lewis !B. Eady's to-day. These artists will* give a ' series of farewell concerts in the Town Hall, commencing on Saturday next. BENE MAXWELL CONCERTS. Owing to the unsettled state of affairs it is announced that the Bene Maxwell concert season in Auckland has been indefinitely postponed.