SUCCESSFUL CONCERT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21579, 25 August 1933, Page 14

SUCCESSFUL CONCERT

ROYAL AUCKLAND CHOIR ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION VARIETY OF PROGRAMME There was a very large audience at the lioyal Auckland Choir's second concert of the season in the Town Hall last evening, and the choir, under the baton of Dr. W. E. Thomas, was given an enthusiastic reception, all its items showing fine control and brilliance of tone-colouring. , The opening number was Cooke s expressive lyric "Strike, Strike the Lyre," in .which the rich harmonies and great variations of light and shade were fully brought out. As an encore the choir sang an arrangement by Lux of the traditional mariners' hymn, 0 Sanctissima." A setting by Dr. Thomas of Charles Dickens' simple verses, "Hear My Prayer, O Heavenly Father, followed, the interesting melodic arrangement proving extremely popular with the audience. The choir was again encored, and gave the well-known hymn "Fierce Raged the Tempest.' Among the most delightful numbers of the evening were two - compositions in which musical wit was seen at its best. The first was Bridge's part song "Two Snails," in which the mingling of pretentious musical forms with the ridiculous text formed a most amusing contrast, and the second was Chadwick's setting of Lewis Carroll s nonsense verses," "Jabberwocky." Jensen's ''Murmuring Zephyrs" and Schubert's "Gondolier's Serenade" were sung with delicacy, and in more robust strain the choir gave Dudley Buck s "The Signal Resounds" and two Stanford compositions, "Drake's Drum and "The Old Superb." In the last two the bass solos were taken by Mr. Ernest J. Thomas, who was .also heard to effect in the solos "Young Dietrich" (.Henchel) and, as an encore number, th-3 well-known ballad "On the Road to Mandalay."

The soprano soloist for the evening was to have been Miss Jean Morrison, but she suffered an attack of laryngitis yesterday and at the last moment Miss Nancye Hanna kindly consented to sing. Her first song was Bantock's ''Lament of Isis" and, recalled, she gave Dunhill's delightful "Cloths of Heaven." Her second bracket comprised "The Bitterness of Love" and Dvorak's "Songs My Mother Taught Me." In all her numbers Miss Hanna sang with sympathy and understanding. _ _ The range and quality of Madame Irene Ainsley's fine contralto voice made lio-ht work of the exacting recitative and aria. "Ah, Se tu Dormi," from Vaccaj's "Romeo and Juliet," and Gluck's "Divinites du Styx," and as an encore she gave in lighter vein Pel Riego's "Happy Song." Her second bracket included "Break, Break, Break" (Carey) and "My Ships" (.Barrett). Miss Mavis Grevatt waS enthusiastically received for her harp solos "La Harpe Eolienne," "Oft in the Stilly Night" and an arrangement of the Welsh air "Men of Harlech."

Mr. H. C. Luscombe and Miss Mary Hamilton acted as accompanists.