SECOND CONCERT A SUCCESS

Southland Times, Issue 23921, 13 September 1939, Page 3

SECOND CONCERT A SUCCESS

INVERCARGILL GLEE CLUB NEW ORGANIZATION MAKES GOOD PROGRESS Having begun its existence modestly only a year ago, the Invercargill Glee Club has quickly become a vigorous organization and at its second concert, given .in the Concert Chamber last night, it showed a marked improvement on the first effort towards the end of last year. The club has been substantially strengthened and the addition of the new voices enabled the conductor (Mr D. A. Highet) to secure effects not possible with the smaller choir. The male section could still be strengthened with advantage to the balance of the singing, but the club showed clearly that it had quickly reached a good standard. The additional power, particularly among the sopranos, became evident in the opening item and throughout a wide range of part songs and choruses the singers maintained the smoothness and polish apparent at the beginning. While much of the singing was marked by pleasing restraint to secure rich tonal effects, good reserves of volume could be called on when needed. At its previous concert the club was heard in a small auditorium, but with the rapid progress made it was able to justify the ambitious move to the larger hall. The arrangement of the programme also marked an advance, works requiring more serious study being selected. The previous programme included some simple and charming glees of early vintage and the inclusion of some of these in future programmes would probably/be welcomed by the public and would be in the spirit of the objects of the club. The items by the choir included “The Sea Hath Its Pearls” (Pinsuti), “Gipsy Love Song” (Herbert), “0 Peaceful Night” (German), “Love the Minstrel” (Challirior), “My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land” (Elgar), -“Hark! Hark! The Lark (Schubert), “Sleep, Gentle Lady” (Bishop), “Good Night, Good Night, Beloved” (Pinsuti) and choruses from “The Rebel Maid” (Montague Phillips) with the Rev. N. F. Sansom as soloist. Extreme popularity was enjoyed by the Lyric Four in male voice quartet numbers in which the voices blended delightfully and the items were sung most tastefully. The items included “Echo Roundelay,” “Gallop Away,” the negro spiritual, “Little David Play Your Harp,” and a comedy number, “The Aching Tooth.” Miss Olive Stroud contributed to the vocal programme, “The Thrush,” and “Go to the Hills.” Her voice showed a good range and strength. Mr Sansom was in particularly good voice for a group of baritone solos which included “The Carpet,” “Star of Eve,” and “Green Grow the Rushes O.” Duets in which the voices were nicely blended were sung by Miss Leone Watson and Mr Ralph Wesney. They were “Sea Lullaby” and “May Day Morn.” The instrumental section of the programme was particularly interesting, a notable item being a double duo pianoforte arrangement of the “Rosamunde” Overture (Schubert) played by Misses Dorothy Anderson, Audrey Stone Irene Shiels and Rona Holloway. The four players gave a sound interpretation to the overture, there being good balance and some fine individual work Mr Hartley Joel secured pleasing effects in two flute solos “Andalouse” (Pessard} and “Valse Gracieuse” (German), and attractive violin solos were played by Mr Ritchie Fraser, “Liebesfreud” (kreisler) and the Schubert Serenade. The accompanist was Miss Ruth Wesney.