ROYAL MALE CHOIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22630, 23 July 1935, Page 11

ROYAL MALE CHOIR

FIRST CONCERT OF SEASON FINE UNACCOMPANIED SINGING. The unfailing popularity of the Royal Dunedin Male Choir concerts was again indicated by the large size of the audience which attended the first concert of the choir’s fiftieth season in the Town Hall last evening. The choir’s performance during the evening fully justified its followers’ confidence in its ability to present a thoroughly enjoyable entertainment, for throughout the recital the singers maintained fine cohesion and balance, allied to a facility of interpretative shading that lent the various readings an unmistakable authority. The highlights of the choir’s presentations were the fluency of tone colouring and excellent sympathy of interpretative shading in the several unaccompanied works ot a more restrained character which were included in the choral section of the concert. In fact, the choir seemed to be happier in the unaccompanied works than id those for piano and voices, and the close attention and instant obedience to the directions of the conductor (Dr V. E. Galway)? displayed by the singers argued the usual thorough and enthusiastic preparation for the recital. The unaccompanied part-song, Hymn to Music,” by Dudley Buck, with which the choir opened the concert, was a delightfully melodious composition which permitted of the most felicitous tonal shading! This was made full use of by the choir, which handled the contrasts very effectively, the singing being particularly well-balanced and cohesive, while the crescendos and decrescendos were smoothly and competently achieved. The old Irish folk song “A County Clare Song,” arranged by S, R. Gaines, was a delightful number, sung with attractive restraint and feeling. One ragged entry by the second basses rather upset the balance for a few moments, but this was quickly rectified, and the number concluded on a note of fine harmony and cohesion. A lively contrast was provided in “The Arethusa,” a rollicking song of the sea, which was sung with fine spirit. A slight lack of good cohesion on one or two occasions produced a certain amount of raggedness in tone, but on the w’hole the composition was presented in good style with an abundance of colour. The lovely negro spiritual, “ Deep River," in which the solo part was artistically sung by Mr John Kennedy, was attractively restrained, the choir achieving richly-modulated tone and fine balance. A presentation which the audience found very much to its liking was the scene from Humperdinck’s “ The Miracle,” in which the introduction to the male chorus was provided by a choir of ladies, who, conducted by Mr Alfred Walmsley; sang an Ave Maria at the rear of the stage. The idea of distance was rather too realistically achieved in this portion of the presentation, for nothing of effect would have been lost had the ladies'. choir been a trifle more audible. Dr Galway relinquished the baton for this number and provided a finely shaded organ accompaniment, Mr W. R. Sinclair assuming the duties of conductor for the occasion and directing the choir with skill and insight. The number was on the whole highly successful, the choir working up to a grand climax without any loss of -tone quality, and maintaining a line atmosphere of devotional inspiration. In response to prolonged applause the entire number was repeated. Edward Grieg’s “Recognition of Land,” was an exceedingly interesting work which received attractively coloured treatment. The choral shading was always clearly defined, this being achieved largely by reason of the flexibility of the choir, which preserved notable unanimity of interpretative reading. An incidental solo waa . attractively sung by Mr E. R. Benton. West’s “The Little Sandman” was a delightful little lullaby which was sung in particularly pleasing style. The singing was always artistically restrained, while the tonal shading was charmingly delicate. Another unaccompanied work which won high favour was Roberton’s beautiful “All in the April Evening,” in which the choir again dsiplayed excellent ability in the realm of restrained yet attractively shaded singing. The tone quality throughout was undeniably fine, and the cohesion could scarcely have been improved. The final choral presentation of the evening was Jenkins’s “ Captain Stratton’s Fancy,” a full-blooded tale of pirates bold and puncheons of rum, which ■was sung with good spirit, the solo part being presented in hearty style by Mr G. Stuart Thomson.

The principal soloist was Miss Dorothy Mackay. who at a moment’s notice had taken Miss Betty Pocoek’s place on the programme owing to the latter singer’s indisposition. Miss Mackay sang Bishop's “ Should He Upbraid ” with attractive grace and facility of expression, and in response to repeated demands presented two encores. Later in the evening she sang Spohr’s “ Rose Softly Blooming ” with delightful artistry, and was again callfed unon to give an encore. Mr R. A. Mitchell, a member of the choir, sang Dermot Macmurrough’s “Macushla” in attractive style. and_ presented as an encore “Still as the Night,” and Mr J. D. M'Kechnie sang the two bass solos, “The Owl is Abroad,” by Purcell, and “The White Owl,” by Lavateur. with good expressional shading, his recall number being “Give a Man a Horse He Can Ride.” Messrs John Kennedy and Cecil S. Hawes, also members of the choir, sang the duet "Poet and Peasant," by Bonheur, with attractive tonal blend, and ns an encore presented an arrangement for two voices of “ For You Alone.” Mr V. A. Le Petit played two ’cello solos, “Allegto Appassionata.” by Saint-Saens, and “Gavotte,” by Popper, with good intonation and technique, and also responded to requests for recall numbers. The pianoforte accompaniments were competently played by Mr Colin Oliver.