THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 109, 29 June 1911, Page 5

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR.

THE PALMERSTON CONCERT. To-morrow the Sheffield Choir, whose visit has been looked forward to with so much interest, will give an afternoon performance at Palmerston North. Residents on the WellingtonNew Plymouth line north of Palmerston will be enabled to visit Palmerston and return the same day, the Railway Department having put on a special train, which leaves New Plymouth at 4.2 b a.m. to-morrow, passing through Stratford at 5.57 a.m. Chatting with Mr. J. C. Winterbottora, tho young librarian of the tour, an Auckland “Star” reporter learned a lot of other interesting facts about the festival. “There are many things about the big trip that are worth noting.’ ’said Mr. Winter bottom. “Take tho personnel of the choir, for instance. We have every class of society represented, from the son of a peer and the daughter of another peer to the rag-and-hone merchant—what yon call ‘a hottle-o’,” he added with a smile.

“Our oldest chorister is 72 years of age, and three chaps came of age while we have, been travelling. One of them looks about sixteen years of age, but he is 21, too. Every soul of us is a member of a church or chapel choir, and mostly are unpaid singers. I’ve been in the same choir for thirteen or fourteen years, and I started when I was eleven years old. One of our fellows commenced his musical career when he was eight years of age. He is 62 now, and he had never sung in a chorus before he came with us. Ho had always been a soloist.

“We have eight married couples with us, and Hymen has been busy on the journey. Four ladies and fo,ur gentlemen have practically fixed tilings up, and will be married soon. One lady met his affinity in Canada, and she is going back to that country to marry when the tour is over. Many of our people,”' went on the librarian, “are thinking of settling down here. They came away from England with that idea. Several of them gave up their positions to make the tour, ami in their case it was, of course, a considerable sacrifice. Miss Alice Heeley, for instance, one of our soloists, who is Mrs. Harrison in private life,, is going to make her home in Melbourne, with her husband, and several others are seriously looking forward to making a new carrer in a new country.”’ Speaking of the choir’s ability, Dr. Hiuriss stated in an interview with an Auckland reporter that in 1872 Dr Coward formed the Sheffield Choir, a musical union which consisted of 800 singers. It was hardly possible to find accommodation on the "trains and steamships for. 200, so that only a portion of the choir could be taken’,on tour. There were 560 applicants for the tour, and from these, after an os:* acting test, Dr. Coward selected the present 200. “He tolls me, and I know of ray own musical knowledge, that we have the cream of the singers of Great Britain. All the sopranos, contraltos, tenors, and basses can do the solo parts in any of the pieces wo give.” In conclusion, Dr. Harriss stated that the singers had been associated with all the great musichl works of the day, and some had, in fact, created them. For instance, there was the soloist who sang Verdi’s “Requiem” when the composer went to London and conducted the first appearance of the piece. “The reason tho Sheffield Choir is here is because it is the best that England can give, and because it is the best, it is none too good for us in the overseas Dominions in my opinion. We arc enlightened people, capable of absorbing the best in art that can bo provided for us. After ten years’ preparation, it is a proud moment for me to be able to say I can command tho best all over tho world.”