BOHEMIAN ORCHESTRA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20987, 25 September 1931, Page 12

BOHEMIAN ORCHESTRA.

AN OUTSTANDING CONCERT. ANALYSIS OF SYMPHONY. For the third concert of its 18th season the Bohemian Orchestra presented a programme that won enthusiasm from an audience which filled the Town Hall last evening. The orchestra was assisted by the St. Cuthbert's Girls' School choir, which had given an impressive performance at the secondary schools' concert during Altisic Week. A high standard was set by the orchestra in its first item, the Prelude to tho Third Act of "Lohengrin," by Wagner. The mystical passage gavo full opportunity for clever orchestral work. The string instruments wero heard to advantage again in the opening movements of tho second item, Smetana's "Bartered Bride." The treatment of tho next orchestral number, the Allegretto movement from Beethoven's "Seventh Symphony," was of especial interest. Air. Colin Aluston, the conductor, adopted an English precedent in analysing certain of tho motifs prior to tho concerted playing of the piece. The melodies were dissected and played over by the various sections of tho orchestra, and as »■ result tho full beauty of the composition was understood by tho audience when tho movement was finally played. A very popular number was Alendelssohn's "Andante," played as a violin concerto, with orchestral accompaniment, by Air. Frank Parsons. Air. Parsons' technique was excellent, and merited tho generous applause which it secured. Undoubtedly the finest bracket of items for tho evening was tho Alendelssohn's "Alirtsummer Night's Dream" music, which followed. The spirit of tho delightful "Overture," tho first number, was captured perfectly. The magical and airy spirit of Puck was freely translated into the melody of the "Scherzo" movement. The inter-weaving melodies were outlined by the flutes and clarionets over a rippling allegretto by the violins and the piece was one of the most appealing on tho whole programme. As a contrast to the "Nocturne" the well-known "Wedding March" was the most robust number taken by the orchestra, and it was dealt with very effectively. A remarkably mellow and rich tone : was secured by Air. S. Slv iu his trombone. solo, "Am AToer" (Schubert), with orchestral accompaniment, and lie was recalled. The final orchestral item was the ever-popular suite, "L'Arlesieuiie," by Bizet, tho "Prelude" and "Fandango." All sections of tho orchestra combined to make the piece a fitting finale to one of the finest concerts the society has given | recently. The school choir, under the conductorship of Aliss Connic-Alara Herbert, opened its contribution to tho evening with two most interesting modern compositions, "Dream Song,' by Alan Palmer, and "Tile Chase," by C. V. Stanford. The J choir rendered these, and later "Peatfire 1' lame, ' collected by Al. KennedvFraser, and "Forty Years On," in a I finished manner, the girls' voices being ex ceplionally pure and well-harmonised.