THE DORIAN CHOIR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22878, 5 November 1937, Page 14

THE DORIAN CHOIR

ENJOYABLE CONCERT OLD AND MODERN WORKS A varied and most attractive programme was given by tlio Auckland Dorian Choir, under the baton of Mr. Albert Bryant, at its third concert of the 1937 season in the Town Hall concert chamber last night. The choir has a body of staunch supporters and the audience clearly showed its enthusiasm.

The principal number was "The River," a typically English setting by Alec Rowley of a sequence of eight lyrics by Arthur L. Salmon, woven around the course of a river from its cradle in the hills through the meadow-lands for a day and night, until dawn comes and it liears the sea. The music is charmingly descriptive of a summer landscape with flowers, birds and rippling water. The choir fully entered into the spirit of it and gave a vivacious and delightful interpretation. Each lyric was introduced with a sentence or two of prose, ! spoken most tastefully by Allan F. Mc- ! Skimming. Mendelssohn's favourite motet, "Hear My Prayer," which the recorded rendering by Ernest Lough has made known to millions, was admirably sung by Gwenda Weir, soprano. Miss Weir showed that she had every qualification for the task. Her enunciation could hardly have been clearer, and the whole performance was worthy of an audience many times as numerous. The choir's support for the soloist was equally good. Robert Simmers, Julie Williams and Leslie Russell were heard in the trio from the prison scene in "Faust." Mr. Simmers' mature experience helped the rendering considerably, and the others sang with commendable spirit. Tlie Euterpe Trio, consisting of Patricia McLeod, soprano, Frank Poore, flautist, and Alan Pow, pianist, gave two unusual numbers. "Magdalen at Michael's Gate" (LehmannK I and "The Russian Nightingale" (Ala- ' bieff). M iss Mcl/cod's voice, unfort-un- ' ately, was rather light for the accom- j paniinent, but it was evident that the ' two pieces would have been most en- j jo.vable in a drawing room. "God is Our Hoj>e and Strength," arranged from a Bach fugue in E major, was an excellent choral number, and tho prelude was finely played by tho accompanist, Mrs. Reg. Reed. Among other items were "Crucifixus," from Bach's Mass in B Minor, by the 1 ladies of the choir; "I Seo His Blood Upon the Rose" (Benjamin), and tho part-song "I'll Never Love Thee More" (Vaughan Williams).