CHORAL SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27499, 20 September 1950, Page 8

CHORAL SOCIETY

Works By Elgar Featured GOOD STANDARD The Dunedin Choral Society had a rather small audience in the Town Hall last night, when it gave a concert of music by Elgar and Russian composers. While the items presented last night are by no means lacking in interest, they are, nevertheless, minor works, and it would be pleasing to learn that the society intended to address itself to one of the many great choral works that have yet to be heard from a Dunedin platform. The production last year of Brahms’s German Requiem was a worthy effort in this direction, and friends of the society will surely welcome a successor in this royal line. Both of the works by Elgar that were given last night suffer from the poverty of the words. “The Black Knight,” a translation by Longfellow of some verses by Vhland, is sad stuff. As if to drive this fact home, the composer (it is an early work) repeats all the most banal lines about 10 times. One is reminded of Tennyson’s anguished query: “ Why do these damned musicians make me say everything twice over? ” “ The Music Makers,” by Arthur O’Shaughnessy, is for the most part a rather dull piece of bombast, and to this setting Elgai brought a more mature touch, but not even his art could conceal the false grandiosity of the verse. The choir achieved a good standard in these and other items. There was an occasional tendency for the men to lose pitch when accompanied lightly, but the tone was generally good, and sometimes, as at the subdued conclusion of “ The Music Makers,” magnificent. The conductor, Mr Charles Collins, is to be congratulated on the response he is getting from bis singers, and especially for the increased attention to nuance that, he is eliciting. His handling of the Elgar scores in particular was very satisfying. The choir is not yet perfectly balanced and blended, but this imperfection is mitigated by intelligent singing and direction. ' ,

“The Music Makers.” with its curious but effective use of self-quotation, rather akin to Richard Strauss’s “ Heldenleben,” was given a fine performance. After some impressive choral singing in the first four stanzas, Miss Bertha Rawlinson was heard in the solo part. The moving music written for thife was sung by Miss Rawlinson with deep insight into the composer’s expressive demands, and with admirably clear enunciaton and phraseshaping. The choir was especially fine in the two final stanzas.

“The Black Knight” was competently handled by the choir, and its macabre dance-scene and denouement were notable features of the performance.

Borodin’s Choral Dance No. 17jfrom “ Prince Igor ” was given a sound performance that might have been exhilarating had the attack been a little keener in places.

Two short pieces by Rachmaninoff and Ippolitojflvanof were sung unaccompanied with excellent effect. The least satisfactory feature of the concert was the makeshift nature of •the accompaniment. If one were asked to specify two composers for whose choral music an orchestra was indispensable, one would certainly name Elgar, and the other might well be Borodin. Whatever the reasons are that made it impossible to have an orchestra on this occasion, there should be no failure next time. There is some very respectable orchestral talent in ,this city, and it should not be impossible to obtain the services either of one of the existing bodies or of some ad hoc combination. These remarks should not be construed as reflecting on the playing of Miss Ruby White and Miss Marjorie McAdam (pianos), and Miss Glaawys Syder (organ), who carried out their essentially impossible task with musicianship and skill. E. G.