MUNICIPAL CHOIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 14

MUNICIPAL CHOIR.

OPENING CONCERT GIVEN. SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE. The opening concert of the season by the Municipal Choir attracted a good attendance in the Town Hall on Saturday evening. The city organist, Mr. Maughan Barnelt, conducted, and the various interpretations by the choir testified to much watchful care at the weekly rehearsals. The tonal balance was good and in general the pitch was well kept in the unaccompauied numbers. Among the more important points noted- were clearness of diction and a certain flexibility of expression in many passages. It is clear that the conductor is sparing no effort to secure the most artistic lesults.

For the opening contribution, Mendelssohn's setting of the Second Psalm, the choir had to give expression to eight different parts, and the interlacing of these represented no small achievement. Many delicate vocal shadings wero a prominent featuro of Wilfrid Shaw's soothing "An Evening Pastorale," and it was not surprising that tho audience demanded a repetition. Rutland Boughton s fanciful choral danco "Pan" was the choir's outstanding effort. Here the play ol the parts, as well as the rapidly articulativo passages, proved an enticing feature, and the singers gave such a finished interpretation that a hearty encoro followed. Two part-songs by Brahms, "Love, Faro Thee Well" and "In Silent Night," were rendered with marked success, while the lilting measures of West's modernised setting of tho old hunting song, "John Peol," brought tho rnoro lusty resources of the choir into play. Tho contributions by the assisting artists were of a high standard and wore much appreciated. Miss Mina Caldow's contralto songs ministered largely to the popular taste and wero voiced artistically. Her programme numbers, "Melisande in the Wood" (Goelz), "Cloud Shadows" (Rogers) and "A Birthday" (Cowen), wero conspicuous for clear enunciation and a certain warmth of interpretation, and wero heartily encored. Miss Ina Bosworth's violin solos, "Introduction and Adagio," from the Scottish Fantasio (Max Bruch), ''The Admiral's Galliord" and "Berceuse" (Tor Aulin), showed sound gifts of musicianship, and wero deservedly recalled. Mr. Maughan Burnett's organ solos were well diversified and were played with markod ability. They included Bach's "Prelude and Fuguo in B Flat" and "Oavotto in E," as well as tho numbers "St. Francis Preaching to tho Birds" (Liszt), the spirited "Toccata" by Gigout, a rccontly-published Minuet entitled "Beau Brummel" (Elgar), and Rubinstein's impressive Wedding March, "Feramors."

Mr. Leo Whittaker played the piano forte accompaniments.