VISITING GLEE SINGERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18322, 12 February 1923, Page 8

VISITING GLEE SINGERS.

—■ I THE OPENING CONCERT. .. . Alter Ha, u laps® of - seventeen yews, Mr. | 2dward. Branscombe ha# undertaken the ask of rekindling publio intttetfi in the ityle of entertainment }' formerly j:put forward with such marked success by v that;;|| jand of, men and boys known as ' the v* J Westminster Glee Singers. , Judging by he large ' and enthusiastic - audience prelent at ; the opening concert at the Town I Hall von- Saturday evening, the hold <>' his particular, stylo of solo and concerted ringing upon the public remains : undiminshed. Encores were the order of the | ivening, while in several instances double recalls -were . insisted * upon. The, voices ,'j| lave been carefully chosen, most of them laving been heard in important solo work n the principal English 1 cathedrals. There jjJ was nothing sensational : about Saturday s. programme. V No * crashing : dissonances or .«■ vehement fortissimos, yet there was tho fascination -of the- quieter musical appeal is the;performing groups' were pick®J out n the' varied hues of the spotlight. 9 c ''oh jasionally, too, the platform seeme tinged .with a" certain cathedral atmos- |g phere, Cthrough which, doubtless,; J® 8 ®? M present revisited ,in spirit some Old < World A scene. v/:> v . . sjf - Unalloyed, pleasure was given in w ®||| favourites as "My Love, She's But: a Las- ■ sie Yet/' "Oh. By Rivers" (Bishop), " Take Thy Banner" (Coward), " There |g Lived a King" ; (Edward Germar), and Sir Robert : Stewart's version of * Rft |gf Bells of St. Michael's Tower," as well «Lgg a host' of beautifully intoned quartettes. In those far-away days when only male S voices we employed ;in glees and mad- | rigala, the -male-alto was of supreme iw* gg portance in part-singing. -The inclusion < in the performing ranks of the' Westnyu- J| ster Glee party of y such a voice as :W| possessed :by Mr. ! Donald Reid was * happy choice which goes, far to make P?r£|Js|| xnanent * the success of the combination, y /JL His finely-trained alto was - used with rare judgment in the numerous ; conoer ,* pieces, while as soloist he r made a mar , aS impression in Rosebud" _ (Drummon )» ,» and "I Know of Two Bright Eye® (Clutsam), the latter being contributed » ..J an extra. Master Harry Collier solo. | " Grpheuja (With His , Lute" {Snllivan)> d always a difficult song to interpret, was , given with such j facility "that he had to respond with " I Wish I Were a Tiny Bird." Mr. John Andrews' f fine . bass j voice was used ito advantage in " King &g|l Henry's Song;" (Sullivan)* a particular m feature of this being the refrain sung . .ott|J|S stage" by the boys. Mr: Ellis visard, - | the tenor, did i hot "err on the side oM]|g pretentious choice in " Linden Lea .(Va || ghan Williams), a contribution - gave him few opportunities as regard® :i.m range. . His additional solo, " Mary. of ;S | Argyle," was.' pleasingly sung, and nwcn ,|| to the taste "of the: audience. 1 That viW baritone, ' Mr. Alfred Cunningham, whoj» 4| work has previously been - strongly $£j||| proved here, gave .a spirited rendering or Edward German's "The' Yeomen of Eug* Uind,"- and was associated with Mr. ■A|pjj&J drews :in the telling "duet, • " Ladies, rw from 1 Love's Smooth Tale" (Balfe). Both these performers were warmly recalled, Playing upon a harp whose hold "pep tMj|||| stage was somewhat insecure, Mr. H. Glar s slier showed technical control and much el* || Session in his - special solos, " Watohm? ■-/ tile Wheat," and "Echoes of a WateFfull," responding with Thomas' Be* vsrie," and "By the Fountain " The ~pj; many pianoforte • accompanimentsww|i|| artistically . placed by Messrs. Eiaws*® Branscombe and Donald Beid. .. „ 'g During ;an "interval, Mr. BranscomW tr announced that during the . tour many quests had been made . for the inclusion ol ci \ ail anthem inV; the programmes rof I party. ; If there was any widespread de-,\ sire for this during their stay in Auc&*' land, two, or even three cathedral sfl* thesis would be included at one of ' tnetr concerts, and due Notice would be • given 'of this later in th« ; season. ~- lA ' complete chango of programme be % presented :by i the'' Westminster Singers at the Town- Hall this «y«n*nf and ': each v evening this week. , . J 'mKmrnmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmtrn '