THE WESTMINSTER GLEE PARTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2691, 11 October 1905, Page 61

THE WESTMINSTER GLEE PARTY.

The Princess Theatre was largely attended on Wedaesday evening on the occasion of the reappearance after a lengthy absence of Mr Edward Branscombe's Westminster Glee and Concert 'Party, and those present undoubtedly found it 'refreshingly stimulating to renew the particularly good impression made by the •Westminster singers on their last visit here. The Westminster Glee and Concert Party's programmes are admirable compilations, and its concerts possess the peculiarly happy combination of features that render them agreeably removed from the ordinary, yet they are popular and at the came time of high artistic -standard. Such concerts are moreover, to no small degree instructive in a class of music, opportunities of hearing which here arc not very freqnent. Last evening's programme was similar to those in which Mr Branseombe's party was heard on its last visit, the salient feature being" the introduction of unaccompanied vocalisation in the 'form of a charming admixture of old songs, madrigals, glees, and catches, with examples of the more melodious of the modern school of solo ballad. It is a matter of no small importance that the members of the party are absolutely proficient in all they essay, and those — and surely their number is anything but limited — who like part-singing at its best should on no account miss healing the Westminster party. The party consists of four soprano boys, with whom five gentlem-en appeared last evening

(including Mr Bransoombc), while Madame Marie Hooton. who will be remembered as an agreeable contralto singer, is again with the company The audience, la^t evening was quite enthusiastic, and with encores the length of the programme was greatly extended. The Westminster Glee Party as a whole was dow n on the programme for four items— namely, the glee " Come l&t us all vmaymg go " (L'Alterburg), the ballet Now is the month of maying" (TMorley), the anthem "By Babylon's wave" (Gounod), and the glee "When Allen-a-Dale went a, hunting" (R. L. Pearsall). Such a selection speaks £or itself, and thei renderings were in all oases exceedingly felicitous, and both highly artistic and expressive. The Gounod anthem was sung with a fine devotional feeling, and "Allen-a-Dale" went with a delightful swing, the singers in all their efforts succeeding in imparting an astonishing amount of light and shade to their vocalisation, the balance and intonation being most admirable. In response to imperative recalls, the vocal waltz " Come join in the dance " was contributed, and a budget of nutsery nhymeis by Cecil Sharp most happy in the apropriateness of music to sentiment, and 'full of quaint humour. The gentlemen of the party opened the programme with a stirring chorus entitled " Furl up the flas " (J. Cavard) and later gave with complete _ success the charming glee "Tell me, babbling echo" (Stephen Paxtcn), the trio "Peter Piper," by Messrs Br a nscombe, Cavard, and Sterndale Bennett, following as an encore item, and proving at the same time delightfully humorous and a striking^ example ot enunciatcry achievement. Naturally a particular interest attached to the singing of the I>oy*j of the party, who were heard by then selves in the vocal waltz "April morn" (Batten), an exceedingly taking composition most artistically treated, giving thereafter, in response to a very hearty encore, a set of nuis&ry rnymes set to music by Mr Sterndale Bennett, ihe happily-vocalised adven-tures-of Little 80-peep, little Polly Flinders Goosey Gander, and other friends of childhood being greatly appreciated. Madame Marie Hooton's pleasing contralto voice was heard to real advantage in "The bailiff's daughter ol Islington " (arranged by Mr Branscombe), and she gave in response to a, deservedly hearty recall " I'm ower young." Madame Hooton's other solo, the now rarely-heard ballad by Dolby, ■ He thinks 1 do not io-\e urn," did not suit her so well. Mr Branscombe's tenor voice is no•thing if not delightfully melodious m quality, and his singing is perfectly artistic in its expressiveness and absence of effort. There was nothing better, perhaps, on the programme than his rendering of his own arrangement of the old German folk song "Leonore," an exquisite piece of rather melancholy sentiment, with subdued vocal accompaniment bo the solo voice, and in response to an emphatic encore Mr Branscombe gave a number he achieved such success in on a previous occasion — namely, the quaint " Lowland Sea," the enunciation of the words of which alone was an object lesson apart from the sympathy of the singer's rendering. Mr Sterndalc Bennett has a capital bass voice, and uses it very effectively. His rendering- of the " Tinker's song," an old balkd arranged by Lane Wilson, earned him an emphatic recall, and to the additional number, the .popular "Little Irish girl,'.' he imparted so much humour 'that he had to give a third solo, this being another humorous ditty entitled "You'd better ask me." Of the boys, Master J. Maorzieani was the only soloist, but he has a, fine voice, beautiful especially in quality and trueness in ihe upper register, and ho sings with no uncertainty. He gaw " The minstrel boy" in great style, and .was even better in his encore number, ".When the heart is young." Mr Percy Cavard, the 3nale alto of the party, is no strar-^er, and his voice is as rare as ever. jfiis solo, " Sally in our alley," entirely pleased the audience, and as an additional item he gave "'Sing me to sleep." Finally Mr Dudley Causton. in humorous sketches, kept the audience greatly amused for some time with " The Charity Bazaar," a cleverly-executed compilation, and, being .recalled, regaled his hearers with some witty stories. Mr Bransoombe and Mr Sterndale Bennett acted as accompanists during the -evening.