GOOD PERFORMANCE

Southland Times, Issue 24521, 23 August 1941, Page 6

GOOD PERFORMANCE

BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR IN CHRISTCHURCH (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 22. Writing on the concert in which the Southland Boys’ High School choir took part tonight, the music critic of The Press says: “The Harmonic Society, with the Southland Boys’ High School choir at its elbow, gave a programme of part-songs in the Civic Theatre. The society, conducted by Mr Victor Peters, sings part-songs uncommonly well. One would need to be a capping critic to want to hear Percy Grainger’s ‘Hunter in his Career’ and his ‘Australian up Country Song’ better sung.... The school choir, conducted by Mr Kennedy Black, was introduced by the Mayor (Mr E. H.- Andrews). They gave a generous programme of what are known as ‘old favourites’—‘Santa Lucia,’ the Waltz Scene from Gounod’s ‘Faust,’ the ‘Bacarolle’ from ‘The Tales of Hoffman,’ the ‘Pilgrim’s Chorus’ from Wagner’s ‘Tannhauser’—all of it good stuff for boys’ singing.

“It was a pleasant sight to see large, brawny-limbed boys, who are probably excellent footballers, come forward readily, and pleasant to hear’ them burst into song. They were happiest in rhythmically simple airs such as ‘Adeste Fidelis’ and the ‘Soldiers’) Chorus’ from ‘Faust.” The boys evidently have a good repertory. Their presence should greatly stimulate the singing of our own school choirs. Other songs of theirs included the chorus of pirates from Sullivan’s ‘Pirates of Penzance,’ the ‘Toreador Song’ from Bizet’s ‘Carmen,’ Kennedy Fraser’s ‘Road to the Isles’ and Schumann’s ‘Reaper’s Song.’ The soloist, Jack Thompson, is a lad with a pleasant voice. A small band of violins joined blithely in the ‘Faust’ waltz. Miss Mascot Blake played the violin solos, Kriesler’s ‘Caprice Viennoise’ and Variations on a Theme of Corelli quite creditably for one so young.”