ALFRED O'SHEA CONCERTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20171, 4 February 1929, Page 12

ALFRED O'SHEA CONCERTS.

SUCCESSFUL OPENING. The musical season for 1929 was successfully opened by the noted Australian tenor, Mr. Alfred O'Shea, at the Town Hall on Saturday evening. This fine artist, whose singing delighted many patrons on a previous visit, was in the best of form, and in responding to abundant encores contributed liberally from an cxtensivo repertoire, mainly of ballads. His pure tenor voice, endowed with more of tho lyric, than tho strongly drama ticquality, is apparently capable of the most subtlo inflections. In addition to a masterly employment of mezzo voce effects Mr. O'Shea possesses a wonderful gift of making his most delicate tones float in the bigger spaces of the hall in a manner which has so far not been accomplished by any other visiting artist. Tho tenor's opening number, the romantic aria, "Spirito Gcntil, ' from Donizetti's "La Favorita," was well chosen, and served to display the artist s control of tho higher range. The whole excerpt was sung with much felicity and effortless production. Pardonable envy might have been excited by Mr. O'Shea's skill in suggesting half-tone effects in the charming miniature, "Passing By" (Purcell), while Blunienthal's fine old song, "Tho Message," brought back memories of the achievements of many former tenors. Godard's expressive "Berceuse da Jocelyn," sung with violin obligato, in tho second part of tho programme, received a highly-cultured rendering, while Michael Head's "Nocturne" was a finished example of "atmospheric" singing. Mr. O'Shea,'s closing number was ColeridgeTaylor's temperamental song, "Life and Death," and this was followed by two "extras." Prominent among Mr. O'Shea's many recall items may bo noted tho rousing "Questo o Quella," from Verdi's "Rigoletto," and Herbert Hughes' arrangement of "The Low-backed Car." Miss Mavis Grevatt, the brilliant young harpist, has u pretty platform manner,, and her concert numbers, "La Harpe Eolienne" (Godefroid), and "Nearer, My God, to Thee" (arranged by Crater), were rendered with facility. Her encore pieces, arrangements of popular airs, were much appreciated. Fine qualitias of musicianship were noted in Miss Ina Bosworth's violin solo, "On Wings of Song" (Mendelssohn), and the resultant recall was richly deserved. Miss Bosworth also displayed much taste in the violin obligato to Godard's "Berceuse do Jocelyn." , In the dual capacity of solo pianist and accompanist Miss Theo. Halpin showed much ability. Technical facility was evidenced in tho "Chromatic Fantasia" (Bach), the various ornaments being played with clearness. Miss Halpin was also responsible for a neat rendering of Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C Sharp Minor," and also responded with additional solos.

The second concert will be given tomorrow evening*