AMATEUR CONCERT IN AID OF ALL SAINTS' CHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 714, 5 August 1865, Page 6

AMATEUR CONCERT IN AID OF ALL SAINTS' CHURCH.

An amateur concert in aid of the building fund of All Saints' Church, Cumberland street, was given on Saturday afternoon, in the Exhibition (>uil<liu<r, the use of which had been kindly s-l!owed by the Government. The concert w,is a marked success in a musical point of view ; and the attendance was very good. There was some inconvenience irom the want of seats, as the building li:s ver}~ nearly been cleared out, preparatory to the work of converting it into a Hospital. Three or four rows of chairs were provided; but these were not nearly sufficient in number to accommodate the ladies present; and hence, perhaps, the annoyances necessarily attendant on a promenade concert were exaggerated. Certain it is that there was talking going on sufficient to prevent most of the pieces being appreciatively listened to, and there was plenty of promenading, also. The excellence of the building for musical performances was strikingly proved. Although reduced to a naked interior, there was no excessive reverberation, but the tones of the voices and ins ! ruments were heard clearly and with perfect reso nance.

The concert comprised vocal aud instrumental performances ; the vocalists being members of the Philhßrmouic Society, with a u out three important exceptions, and the instrumentalists being the members of Mr West's band, so favorably known by their playing while the New Zealand Exhibition was a present evidence of the great and very varied resources of the Colony.

Foremost amongst the vocalists was Mrs Mumford, who, as is her wont, gladly gave her services in aid of the excellent object which the Concert was the means of promoting— the clearing off of the debt upon the new Church. Mrs Mumford sang a solo, "Cushla ma chree," magnificently, and in response to the encore ■which followed, sang with the lady who accompanied her on the piano, the duet of "The Swallow*," by Kiicken, which also was a great treat. Two other duets, in which Mrs Muniford took part, were amongst the gems of the concert. The lady who led in those duets has a soprano voice of excellent tone". The voices were in perfect accord, as were also the singers in the desire to do justice to the composdtions; and they succeeded thoroughly. The duet first given was, "I would that my love;" and this being loudly encored, "Lone on the waters" was substituted ; the applause was again hearty, a disposition to attempt to gain a repetition of it being shown. Another lady amateur who rendered much and most excellent service, undeitook the task of singing about the most difficult air in Meyerbeer's " Robert le Diable," — we mean, the " Robert, toi que j'aime. " It is an arduous piece of work for the most thoroughlytrained professional sinsrer. The lady who undertook it on Saturday has a powerful mezzo-soprano voice of good compass and quality, and carefully trained. She acquitted herself excellently well — as only a musician could do, in fact; but it was a drawback that she should have accompanied herself. A drawback as regards the singer being heard, we mean ; for the accompaniment was capitally played, the lady proving subsequently, by her rendering of a fantasia, that she has complete mastery over the piano, and a touch that is both brilliant and firm. The same lady took part, with a well-known amateur tenor, in the duet from "II Travatore," "A ! nostri monti," and in "My lady, the countess," an old fashioned, piquant trio, and which "was exceedingly well sang, Mr 3. Mumford taking one of the parts. The gentleman mentioned gave as a solo. "Don't let the roses listen," with good effect. The quartett, " Comrades in arms," which pleased so much at the two concerts recently given by the Society, in the Theatre Royal, was again well sung. The trio, " Sweet is the breath of morn," was exquisitely harmonised by the voices. "Here in cool grot," " Now, tramp, o'er moss and fell," the solo and chorus, " God bless the Prince of Wales," and the National Anthem, all very nicely sung, were the principal of the other vocal performances. * The band, few in number, played so well together as to produce a capital effect. They gave two or three overtures and as many selections, with precision and force ; and the music was excellently well heard, especially in the gallery, A violin solo, the old popular "Carnival," was very artistically played by the leader of the band. A lady who is well known as a skilful pianist and accomplished musician accompanied the majority of the pieces; and Mr West conducted throughout with his usual skill.

The Nelson "Colonist" of the 21st inst. states :— •" The ' Otago Daily Times' reports as among the new insolvents Messrs Wilson, Kidston and Stamper, Dunedin, Solicitors." We are desirous of correcting the " Colonist," as the statement is untrue, and did not Appear in our columns.