THE CHORAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4264, 19 November 1874, Page 4

THE CHORAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT.

“ PARADISE AND THE PERI.” This long-anticipated concert came off last night. The number of singers who took part was large, though less than we have seen at recent concerts. The front seats were early filled by the elite of Wellington. Lady Fergusson, His Honor the Chief Justice, Judge Gresson, Judge Johnston, and Judge Chapman, honored the occasion with their presence. “Paradise and the Peri” is a cantata, the words by Thomas' Moore, expressly for the Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival, 1870, by John F. Barnett. It was then very well received, and made a favorable "impression that has since been sustained. The introduction was very carefully played throughout—the instruments keeping well together, giving the voices confidence, and leading them on to the first chorus, “ One mom a Peri,” in capital time. This was. sung very well “ Tho’ sunny the lake,” recit. and air for soprano, was a very pleasing change, aud was very sweetly rendered, the sustained chord for instruments with the cadence for the voice, as written, would have been more pleasing than the piano taking up the voice part. “ Go, wing thy flight ” and “ While thus she mused ” were the more [leasing choruses of the piece, the time in both was very good, though expression was sadly wanting. “ One hope is thine,” recit. and air for contralto, was very well sung by a lady who has often delighted the public with her pure young voice. Next came the aria for the soprano, “ But whither shall the spirit.” Without any very talcing melody this aria falls very tame on the audience, but was very well sung. “ ’Tis lie of Guzna,” recit. for tenor and bass, with chorus—a very stirring piece, descriptive of bloodshed, rapine, and murder—seemed very near a collapse, the instruments having rather a scramble for the first place ; they rallied when the voices joined in, and all went well to the end. “ Yet marked the Peri,” recit. for tenor and bass, with chorus of female voices, was got through without any waverings. “Be this, she cried,” a solo for soprano, was taken by a tenor voice, and not satisfactorily. The most pleasing tenor solo, “ Oh, if there be on this earthly sphere,” was entirely marred by one or two of the violins not being in tune. “ Sweet said the Angel” (contralto arietta), was sweetly given. This, followed by a chorus, sadly wanting in expression, ended the first part. The second to many seemed more enjoyable than the first. Two qvmrtetts (one, unaccompanied, was deservedly encored), were very well received, and very well sung. A duet for tenor aud soprano, “ O let me only breathe the air,” was very pleasingly given, but the tenor ran away with the expression of the words “How little did he think,” which in the libretto are marked con dolore , and not vivace. But the choruses, “ Morn is blushing” aud “ Now behold him,” and the finale, “Joy, joy for ever,” were capitally given, the latter being much relieved by solo, quartett, and alternate full chorus and solo. The grand finale of the solo in the second part, “Blest tears of soul-felt penitence,” for bass, has a very plaintive and telling melody. Only for a roughness of voice from recent cold this would have taken well. A little more attention to expression might have compensated for the failing in voice. The tenor solo, “ Now upon Syrians land of roses,” was very well sung. Here again the instruments, or some instrument, wjs not in tune, and some of the piano parts in this were so strictly, observed that the voice was not heard for two bars at a time in many places. “ Sleep, said the Peri,” an aria for soprano, was well sustained in the first part by the lady, against a decidedly flat accompaniment on the violoncello. A contralto recit. and alia, “True was the maiden,” was very well given. Before the National Anthem was sung, Judge Johnston, in the name of the subscribers, complimented the Society for the great treat they had enjoyed, and, on behalf of all present, tendered his warmest thanks to Mr. George Hunter for the magnanimous way in which he had furnished the Society with the use of a practice room, and given his hearty support. The National Anthem brought the proceedings to a close. ,