CHRISTCHURCH HARMONIC SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH HARMONIC SOCIETY

The Christchurch Harmonic Society’s Choir will give a concert in the Town Hall on Saturday night, when the two main items will be “.Rio Grande” and “ The River.” Much has been said and written about “ Rio Grande,” but it is a work which must lie hoard rather than discussed. Certainly it is something quite new to most New Zealand listeners, though it lias won a great popularity in England already. The very interesting part for solo pianoforte will be played by Miss Bessie Pollard, and the contralto soloist will be Mrs R. E. Voller.

Alec Rowley’s “ The River ” is an even biter work; and it has those individual qualities which have made its composer’s shorter works so popular with musicians.

There-, are some delightfully lighthearted items in the programme. Amongst them must be mentioned “ The Hunter in His Career” (Grainger), “The Galway Pipers” (Percy Fletcher), and “The Revel of the Leaves,” a vocal gallop. More significent in their purely musical appeal arc such works as " Welcome Yule,” by the late Sir C. H. H. Parry, and “ Falstaff and the Fairies,” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Two of Roberton’s arrangements are included—the “ Eriskay Love Lilt” and “King Arthur.” Miss Joyce Wilkinson will sing “Love Eternal ” (Brahms) and the male-voice group wiill be heard in “A Summer Lullaby” (Gibson). The box plan is at Bcgg’s.