CHRISTCHURCH LIEDERTAFEL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5648, 18 June 1886, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH LIEDERTAFEL.

«. . ; The Christchurch Liedertafel gave one » of their concerts last night in the Odd- > fellows' Hall. As this was one of those rather rare occasions on which the fair e«x 5 are among the invited guests, the arrange--5 ments of the Hall were somewhat different 5 to usual. The stage waa curtained off from the auditorium, and upon the effec- > tivo green baizo back-ground was dis--5 played a lyre of very generous proportions, J the badge of the Society. A platform had been erected half-way down one Hido of the 5 Hall, and the seats disposed in long semicircles in front of it. Tree ferns and fine ;* foliage plants grouped here and there and |» placed upon the stage, gave tho well- '» known place quite a novel and picturesque appearance. The room behind the stage > was, for tho evening, made to Berve the purpose of a tea-room, in which, during 5 tho interval between the parts of the per- » formanco, tea and coffee and other light •> refreshments were handed round. The majority of the items on tho pro- » gramme were naturally part songa by mem- » bers of the Liedertafel. Mozart's Quartett > No. 1, dedicated to Haydn, capibally played by Messrs Biinz, Cohen, Alexander Lean > and H. H. Loughnan, afforded a welcome 5 break of instrumental music in tho long lint • of purely vocal numbers ; and eoloa by Messrs Barbaa, Appleby, T. H. Barnett, H. , Gray, Corbett, and Towsey likewise served ) still further to vary tho sameness of the I whole. Mr Towsey, the Society's honorary 3 <'.onductor, whose appearance on the platform to sing Blumenthal's May eong, wae ;• \ the aignal for much applause, received the - 1 compliment of an encore — the only one , ( given during the evening. > 1 It is impossible to speak in detail of the ; I many excellent part songs. That which ' was received with moat favour by tho

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audience wae " On the March," by Becker, a morry soldier's song, and a novelty to Christchurch, certain to always take enormously if done as it was last night. Busses " Serenade," with ite pretty humming accompaniment to tho solo (taken by Mr Appleby) wa3 very well Bung, aa also was Mendelsßohn'a " Love and Wine," which followed, Mr T. H. Barnett in thia case being tho soloist. Prom the largo remainder— the programme was as generous in ita proportions as the lyre aforementioned—" O Sanctiasima," in which the piano Binging was .. moßt commendable, Kiicken'a " War Song/ Winter's " Not a Spot Earth," and Hatton'3 " Sailor's Song"— given in a moßt spirited fashion— may bo singled out as the best. "Comrades in Arms," and Mr Towsey'a " Parting Song," according to established custom, brought the concert to a close. The attention given by the members to light and shade in their singing was refreshing, and the concert aa a whole was thoroughly enjoyable.