A NEW TENOR IN “ELIJAH”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18615, 17 November 1928, Page 5

A NEW TENOR IN “ELIJAH”

MR PARRY JONES AT “THREE CHOIRS” FESTIVAL. (Special to the “ Star.”) GLOUCESTER, September 6. 'The Three Choirs’ Festival opened with a day of time-honoured music, of golden weather, and a general air of that most agreeable contentment felt by people who are conscious of doing their duty and of enjoying themselves at the same time. Only a revolution could upset the tradition according to which "Elijah” is the chief business of the Three Choirs’ opening day. It was a good performance, competent and reasonably refined, but the words did not give the impression of coming from the heart. To put it more directly, the Three Choirs took ** Elijah ” very much for granted. Their style of singing is tasteful and pleasant, but it could be improved and heightened in vividness by more clearcut words. Mr Herbert Sumsion. the new conductor, proved himself an able and level-headed young man. The Elijah was Mr Horace Stevens, the Australian bass baritone, who since one famous day at Norwich four years ago has been the British public’s first favourite in the part. An excess of hammered notes was a fault, but his performance was a distinguished one, serious and impressive Mr Stevens’s best number was “ Is not His word like a fire?”

The scpr. no . T ; . ie Suddaby, var'ea her charmn g notes with others that were different and shrill. She is not quite mistress of her breath. The contralto.. Miss Muriel Brunskill, displayed a truly magnificent voice at times, but she inclined to cloud it with |jver-pressure The tenor, Mr Parry Jones, was mak-

ing his first appearance with the Three „ hol !' s .- „ H,S regrettable fault is the making of vowels. I-Ie sang to-day in two distinct ways When he let himself go naturally he was good. When he made an extra effort to be impressive and oratorio-like he appeared stilted.