OF HIGH STANDARD

Taranaki Daily News, 30 November 1934, Page 7

OF HIGH STANDARD

CONCERT BY MUSICAL PUPILS. GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTS. The programme presented by the pupils Of Misses Vinnie Ross and Beth Hadden, assisted by the New Plymouth Girls’ High School junior choir, at St. Mary’s hall last night was an excellent performance. The first half was devoted to orchestral items, violin solos, choral singing and a novelty for a New Plymouth audience, choral speaking. A one-act play written by Graham Robertson occupied the second half of the tiny tots to the oldest the performances were good. Some were outstanding. Under the conductorship of Miss Ross the orchestra delighted the audience with several presentations -of varying character. It displayed splendid precision, was very tuneful and was responsive to the baton. The arrangement of the programme provided pleasing variety by the alternating of vocal ana instrumental items, and as no time was lost between each presentation the interest never flagged. , . The first item by the orchestra was a march, the spirit of which it ably conveyed to the audience. The string instruments provided the body of the piece but the clarinet and drums in the background were effective. Its second, a descriptive piece, entitled "From a Russian Village,” a composition by Evan Marsden, was splendidly interpreted. From the opening bars the listener was captured by the almost barbaric rhythm of the Cossack March, and then the ‘Russian Chorale,” commonly known as the “Volga Boat Song,” followed, succeeded bv a playful tender and melodious mazurka under the title of "The Peasant Girls’ Dance.” The theme swept into the wild pulsating “Sleigh Ride.” A stirring development of the chorale brought to a close the strangely attractive composition, in which the musical interest was continuous and cumulative. Often the "Volga Boat Song” is spoilt by a tendency by the players to drag, but the presentation in this case y 33 In the melody “I’m Troubled in Mmd the depressed outlook of the long-suffer-ing negro was emphasised. The clarinet opened the piece, which was taken up by slow cellos and the viola until the full orchestra gradually worked to a climax expressive of negro passion. The popular "Military Polonaise” by Chopin concluded the first half of the programme for the orchestra. Noeline Smart, a six-year-old, captured the hearts of the audience in a musical monologue, “Touching Fings, in which she displayed a naive wistfulness and clear enunciation. Another tiny tot, Rosemary Wiggins, delighted with a violin solo, displaying concentration on her playing. She showed great promise, as did Jack Ward, a slightly older child, in another, violin solp. • ■ The songs by the Girls High School junior choir, ably conducted by Miss J. Fearn, in keeping with the rest, of the programme were exceedingly enjoyable. The voices were well trained and had a lingering sweetness. The ehour presented four items, “The Gondola, May Dew,” "The Cuckoo” and an Elfin Dance.” The gems of the instrumental programme were violin solos by Alex. Brown and David Menzies, in which they displayed artistry that surmounted technical ' difficulties with ease. Brown, m the well-known "Liebestraume” of Lizst achieved a beautiful richness, of tone. As an encore he played “Caprice Viennois.” Menzies in “Meditation,” by Massenet, had many phrases of “linked sweetness long drawn out.” His interpretation of the pensive element was remarkably pure. As an encore he played a sprightly and catchy refrain. An unusual presentation was the choiai speaking, which, though new to New Zealand, is gaining popularity m England. Although only an experiment it was definitely successful. In the first number, “The Sands of Dee,” a good effect of moaning wind as a background was obtained. The pathos of the, piece was emphasised by the several voices in unison. “Tarantella” and Up-Hill, which were of a different nature, also gained emphasis from the unison of well produced and modulated voices. The only other item in the first half was a dramatic sketch by Miss Joan Deare. In a short while she had by her skill won the sympathy of the audience in “The Trojan Women of Euripides. The scene was that in which Andromache, wife of the leader of the Trojan army, mourned the death of her baby which had been cast from the walls of the city by the Greeks. Miss Deare gave a fine presentation in which, stricken with grief, she mourned the child’s death and suddenly in outbursts of passion cursed the Helen who started the destruction of men and innocent children. After her performance she was presented with a bouquet. The second half of the programme opened with a march played by the orchestra. The curtain was rung up on the one-act comedy, “Archibald, in which Margery Fraser (Midge), played by Miss Molly Davies, by her continual adulation and talk of a paragon brother Archibald arouses the envy of the other girls. The act opens in a detention room where Archibald is again given high praise. However, Midge is filled with consternation when she hears that Archibald, who is about nine years old, is really to visit hex at school. She asks a<

school mate, Jacqueline Lemothe (Jack), played by Miss Enid Hay, to impersonate her brother to save her from ridicule. This she does, but Julia Sinclair (Miss Fiona King), who excels in ?n amusing eavesdropping spene, overhears the plan and also impersonates Archibald. The plot is concluded by the appearance of a pugnacious but real Archibald, who shapes up to the impersonators, who are shown up by refusing to fight.

The acting and enunciation were expressive and clear. The spite, jealousy and curiosity that can exist in a school were well displayed, and excellent exchanges of bitter remarks occurred between Julia, Jack and Midge. The others supplied good support, especially “Archibald” (Miss Kathleen Miller), who, in a short appearance, dominated the stage. The part of an excitable French maid was well taken by Miss Betty Aylward. The other parts were taken by Norma Hawkings, Mary Cook, Edna Marsden, Margaret Struthers and Margaret Pegg. Several bouquets from their own pupils, from pupils of the Girls’ High School and from admirers were presented to Miss Hadden and Miss Ross.