ROYAL AUCKLAND CHOIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 14

ROYAL AUCKLAND CHOIR

OPENING OF THE SEASON.

NOTABLE CONCERT GIVEN. A large and more than usually enthusiastic audience greeted the Royal Auckland Choir at the Town Hall last evening, when the opening programme of the season was presented. I)r. W. K Thomas conducted, and secured in many instances the maximum of result from the large body of singers. The opening part-song, Maundcr's ''To Arms," was first produced by the society in 1913, and may justly be considered one of their best efforts. Homo line points of attack and release wore observed last'evening, while there was also an inspiring treatment of the more declamatory phrases, as well as good management of the swelling and rpcoding tones. The basses gave a crisp delivery of their lines: "Heady, my lads," etc., these making an effectivo background for the smoother tenor subject. There was sortie haziness of intonation in parts of de Itille's expressive "Evening Song," and the encore which followed was by rio means unanimously demanded. Dullard's stirring male voice setting of his baritone song, "The Sword of Ferrara," contained much graphic material, and riveted the interest from start to finish. This was sung to a finely descriptive piano accompaniment "by„-3lr. Cyril Towsey. The pitch of the parts was such as to display the best vocal qualities, and tho members revelled in producing the necessary effects. Tho old sword, which eventually finds itself resting "beside the salt sea's marge," has been swung in many actions, and tho vigour of these is admirably set forth in the harmonisation. Other popular numbers by tho choir were "Mynheer Van Dunck " (Bishop), the nonsensical setting of Lewis Carroll's "Jabbenvocky" (Chadwick), "Vineta" (Franz Abt), with its expressive refrain, "Salve, Regina," and H. Smith's arrangeof "The Banks of Allan Water." Miss Naomi Whalley, of Palmerston North, was specially engaged, for this concert, and her interpretations were much onjoyed by the large audience. There was a charming freshness of delivery in her exposition of "One Fine Day," from Puccini's "Madame Butterfly " while later the soprano showed much ability i J a well-chosen group, which included Roland Farley's fanciful "Night Wind," F. Turner-Maley's "A Pastoral" and Mana Lucca's "The Big Brown Bear." Miss Whalley's closing number was " The Jewel Song" from Gounod's " Faust," this being voiced with much clarity. Her encore songs were also artistic in tho fullest sense. Mr. Trevor L. Thomas, of Wanganui, was soon in popular favour with his finelytrained baSs voice in such songs as " Myself When Yoiing" from Liza Lehinann's " A Persian Garden," "The Lute Player" (Allitsen) and Tschaikowsky's "To thg Forest." All these -were interpreted with much discernment, and won merited recalls. The violin solos "Romanza Andaluza" (Sarasate) and "Rondo" (SchubertFriedberg), were played with distinction by Mr. Ronald C. Muston, who also impressed everyone in his additional solos. Mr. Cyril Towsey acted as accompanist. Tho lato Mr. Martin Trenwith was closely associated with the musical activities of tho Royal Auckland Choir and from (he year 1892, when the society appeared under the name of the Auckland Liedertafel, his services as one of the first tenors .were much esteemed. As a tribute of respect to the memory of their lato comrade the choir fittingly terminated the concert last evening by singing Sullivan's impressive part-song, " The Long Day Closes," the audience standing meanwhile.