CHORAL FESTIVAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 7355, 20 December 1884, Page 2

CHORAL FESTIVAL.

The annual grand choral festival given by the choir of St. Peter’s Church was held last evening, in the Church, which was crowded by a large and attentive audience. The choir was augmented fur ths occasion, and upwards of fifty voices rendered the various items set down on the programme in a highly creditable manner. Mr Hautrie West accompanied the solos and choruses ou the organ, and the instrumentalists who assisted were Messrs Gray and Jupp, first and 'second cornets; Mr Briscoe, trombone, and Mr S. Rickman, baritone. The soloists were Merdimts Greenwood, George, Webb, and Stuart, Misses Young and Stanford, Messrs Widdop, Mason, and Booth. The numbers were all judiciously selected, and there was evidence that the rehearsals had been well attended and that the instructions of the conductor, Mr Hautrie West had been loyally carried out. The result as a whole was highly gratifying, not only to those ladies and gentlemen who took part in the service, but also to the large audience, who of course wore, on account of the entertainment being given in the church, debarred from expressing their appreciation of the efforts of the vocalists and instrumentalists. X’erhaps the items wtiick were most appreciated, were the duet and chorus, “ I waited for the Lord," by Misres Stanford and Young, the quartette and chorus (unaccompanied), "They that sow in tears,’’ by Mesdamea Stuart and Webb and Messrs Book and Widdop. The gem of the evening was undoubtedly the recitative and eolo, ' 1 With verdure clad,” by Mrs Greenwood, who was in splendid voice, and who was assisted by Mr Hautrie West’s tasteful maaipulat on of the organ. Tim gloriour chorus, “ Lift up your lie ids,” was rendered with the greatest precision, the brass instruments telling well, as they also did in the ever acceptable “ Hallelujah Chorus,’’ which brought the festival to a termination. The offertory was in aid of the choir fund.