AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME

Southland Times, Issue 21823, 28 September 1932, Page 8

AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME

MALE CHOIR RECITAL. The second performance of “The Desert,” a symphonic ode for male voices and orchestra, will be presented in the Civic Theatre next Saturday at 7.55 p.m. by the Invercargill Male Voice Choir. Fifty-eight members of the Royal Dunedin Choir have generously offered to come down to assist and together with the Invercargill Orchestral Society, Mr B. C. Galloway will have 110 male voices and approximately 50 instruments under his baton. The final rehearsal takes place on Saturday afternoon and everything points to the recital being a memorable one in every respect. The tenor solos will be taken ,by Mr L. E. Dailey, whilst the descriptive monologue will be in the hands of Mr L. S. Alsweiler. Apart from “The Desert” (which occupies the second half of the programme) the combined choirs will give several stirring choruses and a delightful partsong, “All In The April Evening,” will be given by the Royal Choir separately. The orchestra, under the baton of Mr W. J. Ferguson, will open the programme with the overture ‘‘Merry Wives of Windsor.” The soloists for the evening are Miss Mary Pratt, Dunedin’s favourite contralto, whose musicianly attributes and splendid voice scarcely call for comment, and Mr L. E. Dailey (operatic tenor). Mr Dailey has chosen for his number the beautiful solo “O Paradiso!” from the opera "L’Africaine,” and it suits his voice admirably. The soloists should prove that Dominion talent is fully deserving of the praise and appreciation usually reserved for luminaries of overseas concert platforms. Of special interest in connection with this big recital is the fact that it will be the 25th Male Choir performance conducted by its popular honorary conductor, Mr Galloway. ’