ROYAL MALE CHOIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24949, 23 June 1942, Page 4

ROYAL MALE CHOIR

AN •INTERESTING PROGRAMME The : Royal Dunedin Male Choir is always assured of an audience, and there was scarcely an empty seat in the Concert Cha'mber. last night when it sang an attractive "programme. The choir had the assistance of several soloists, vocal and instrumental, and the performance maintained the reputation of the choir for soundness "of interpretation and variety in the selection of its music. Mr James Paterson had it under excellent control, and its singing of one or two numbers was delightfully accurate. The. " March of the Singers " (Franz Abt) was an outstanding instance of this delicacy of touch,.and the muted accompaniment to Mr D. F. Inglis's baritone solo in " Cottage Wee" (Beschnitt) and Mr Hugh Roberton's partrsong, "There Is a. Green Hill Far Away," ■ were sung in equally smooth and precise fashion. The more robust selections found a weakness of balance at times, but generally, in view, of the. absence of a number of valuable, members, on active service, the choir acquitted itself well. The other numbers sung by the choir were " You Gentlemen of England" (arr, Dunhill); the challenging " Sound an Alarm," from Handel's " Judas Maccabseus"; Professor V. E. Galway's setting of the beautiful Russian hymn, " Jubilate "; the march " O Blow, Ye Horns," from Verdi's "A-ida"; "The Blue Danube Waltz" (not one of its happiest efforts); the Russian atmospheric piece "Evening Bells" (in which Mr Rowland Dunbar's musicianly handling of the,solo was effective against a resonant background); and a lighter group—" Widdicombe Fair," " Laughing " (Abt), the sea chantey " Shenandoah," and a list of Scottish in the'martial "Border Ballad."

Perhaps the most interesting additions to the programme were, for many, the cornet playing of Master David Christensen and the violin.playing of Master Jack Phillips. Master Christensen, who played "Debutante" (H. L. Clark), revealed a technique and musicianship that would do credit to a fully-mature player. Master Phillips played. " Tambourine Chinois" with admirable finish. These young performers created a very favourable impression. The vocal soloists were Mr Ray McDougall, the possessor of a robust tenor voice, who sang "An Evening Song " (Blumenthal); Miss Gwenda Burt, whose vivid contralto voice was heard to advantage in "Joy" (Winter Watts) and "I Heard a Forest Praying" (de Rose); Mr W. B. Lambert, who sang the aria " Great Isis! Great Osiris," from "The Magic Flute" (Mozart).