TRAINING COLLEGE CHOIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26229, 13 August 1946, Page 6

TRAINING COLLEGE CHOIR

ANNUAL ENTERTAINMENT HIGH STANDARD MAINTAINED The Dunedin Training College Choral Society ,in spite of the constant changes that take place within its ranks each year, continues to function as a virile and hard-working musical organisation whose annual public performances, while not pretentious, are nevertheless eminently enjoyable. The success which the society has achieved during the past few years remains a tribute to the zeal, enthusiasm, and musical skill of Mr George Wilkinson, who each year has built the choir up to an admirable state of competence, such as was displayed by the society in its annual entertainment in the Town Hall last night. Under his incisive direction the large choir sang an extensive and varied programme with excellent spirit, and, after a somewhat uncertain start, with fine cohesion, balance, and precision. The quality of tone in the women’s setion of the choir was delightful, but the men were by no means overshadowed, and gave fine weight to the full choruses. Opening the entertainment with “The Emigrant,” by Armstrong Gibbs, in which there was evidence of some indecision in the handling of the parts, the full choir achieved much better results in “The Sweet Nightingale,” by.Warrell, a charming number that was required to be repeated. The lilting “West Country Lad,” from German’s “Tom Jones,” vyas also sung with good tone and flexibility of control, the solo part being attractively handled by Mr D. B. Holdgate, who is the possessor of a light baritone voice of pleasing quality. Two Bach chorales, "Awaken Us, Lord, and Hasten,” and “What God Ordains is Best of All,” which were provided with artistically restrained organ accompaniments by Dr V. E. Galway, and the organist’s majestic setting of “Laus Deo,” a poem by Milton, also accompanied by the composer, were splendidly sung, the last-named work being repeated. “This England," by Wood, with its fine climaxes, and two choruses from “The Power of Sound,” by Somervell, “ The Pipe of Pan,” and “When Civic Renovation Dawns," revealed the choir’s flexibility and responsiveness, a lighter note being struck in “Sunshine and Laughter,” from “ The Rebel Maid,” by Montague Phillips, in which the choir gave the soloist, Miss Joan Shepard, effective support in an attractive number. “It Comes from the Misty Ages," by Elgar, and Holst’s setting of “ Lord Who' has Made Us for Thine Own” concluded the programme for the full choir. In Mendelssohn’s setting of Psalm 102, “ Hear, O Hear My Prayer, Lord.” the women’s section of the choir sang beautifully, achieving pure tone and effective expression. It was also responsible for an impressive presentation of Armstrong Gibbs’s “The Lady of Shalott,” in which the mystic atmosphere of Tennyson’s poem received highly sensitive treatment. The solo part was expressively sung by Miss Ruth Dunne. A group of senior women also sang Taylor’s “ Sleep Little Baby " with the restraint and tenderness appropriate to a lullaby. The male chorus, “Dance My Comrades,” was a vigorous and full-bodied effort'in which the singers preserved good cohesion and tone quality, and a junior male quartet sang Adamson’s “There is a Lady” with attractive balance and expression. The choir also produced several soloists, all of whom acquitted themselves well. Miss Vera Robinson sang Michael Head’s “Foxgloves ” in appealing style, Miss Claire Scully presented “ Twilight Fancies," by Delius, and “To a Hilltop ” by Cox, with good appreciation of the contrasting requirements of the compositions, and Miss Merls Lemin, with ’cello obbligato by Master Farquhar Wilkinson, sang Bemberg’s “Hindoo Song” with deep feeling. Mr Ivan Hanna sang Martini’s “ Plaisir d’Amour ” with fine tone quality, and Mr Ray Hunt, who is the possessor of a rich bass-baritone voice, gave thoughtful interpretations of two Schumann songs, “Thou’rt Lovely as a Flower,” and “ I’ll Not Complain.” The instrumental soloist was Miss Lorna McDonald, who played the second movement of Grieg’s Piano Sonata in E minor in musicianly style The choir accompanist was Mr R. J Matthews, whose work was marked by artistic insight, and Mr Wilkinson provided sympathetic accompaniments to the solo numbers.