A DELIGHTFUL CONCERT.

Wairarapa Age, 1 June 1928, Page 5

A DELIGHTFUL CONCERT.

MISS AMY EVANS AND MB. FRASER GANGE.

Splendid musical fare was set before the large audience which assembled at the Opera House last evening to hear Miss Amy Evans and Mr. Fraser Gange. A programme of wide scope, ranging from classical items to Engdish, Irish, Scottish and Welsh ballads and folk songs, enabled these accomplished vocalists to give proof both of highly developed talent and of exceptional versatility. Both were equally at home in simple and tender airs and in songs of a very much more ambitious type. Miss Evans is the possessor of a very powerful soprano voice of great range and a splendid warmth of tone. Mr. Gauge, with his rich baritone, heard to equal advantage in robust and delicate passages, was not less successful than his companion artist in captivating his audience. Miss Evans scored an immediate success with her opening item, "Hear Ye Israel," from “Elijah,” and had to SeL’V/qSr- eD >° re ? Dearest Heart (Sullivan). In her second series, both "Ave Maria" (Gounod) and . An Eriskay Love Lilt," were charmingly rendered and won great favour. As another item in this series, Miss Evans sang most melodiously “Me ■or™? 811 ? Along,” and as an encore * ,? ader if Love is a Dream.” Both ■,e Cradle Song" (Kreisler) and Down in the Forest" (Landon Ro®aid) are marked by a delicate grace and beauty to which Miss Evans did full justice. She delighted her auditors by smging as encore numbers “Cornin’ Through the Rye” and . a song ,by Hadyn Wood. B 3 Range's rendering of “O Star •of Eve,” from “ Tannhauser, ” was remarkable for fine dramatic fervour as •well as excellent musical quality, and w ®“ the enthusiasm with which he was encored. Nowhere did the gifted baritone give better proof . 1 ’® r “ tUit Y than in following up An Old Song Resung”—a song of dramatic quality, carrying the tang of I?® sea ~ wit}l the tender little melody When Song is Sweet." Mr. Gango °m admirabl y the possibilities ir ™ oy Band >” the lyric by Sir Henry Newbolt which tells how a British regiment in the death-grapple of tne Retreat from Mons was heartened and inspired to new effort and endurance by the notes of toy trumpets and

Bas'des finding high favour with a number of other items, Mr. Gauge g . dowa the bouse with a spirited rendering of ‘Bonny Dundee” and was most vociferously encored. dnZt I9S <<TC n v a !' d ¥ r Gai ’B e sang as a “rLII ial T M j° Padr ®’” from goietto. in the interpretation of «Wv e A°V lassical opera ’ both artists exinbited fine technique and did full justice to the beauty of the music. On ’ an S- “ Oh Take a .“a vu- ° m . Vero niqne.” This light ceiv,.. in turn ’° received that it had to be repeated. . p • , ng the accompaniments, and shXJa s t,° oMi “ Enid Conl ®y herself an accomplished pian- % 10 items ’ " Cit y GarGrainger) was to some monnt Lbed of interest by its rather Mm C™?* repetition of a theme, but advLf.^ e 7 fonnd better and “ore F Mi™ ge /X. BC< ? pe in the “Waltz in I“aT"(&0> andthe " WaJtZ ia