Wanganui Talent In Fine Concert Before Poor House

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 October 1948, Page 6

Wanganui Talent In Fine Concert Before Poor House

| Disappointing from the point of | view of attendance, the light classical 'concert, “Spotlight on Music,” presented by the Queen Alexandra Band and the Wanganui Junior Chamber of Commerce in the first of two perIformances in the Opera House last night, nevertheless reached a standard which deserved better publ’e support. While they will flock to hear visiting artists, an ingrained i ; /. ouite unjustifiable prejudice keeps our pseudo music-lovers away from local I talent. Two features of the well-balanced programme presented last night were the public debut in Wanganui of the Lyric Singers, numbering 16 members, and of the brilliant solo pianist, Madame Agnes Shearsby They were well received. Possessor of a remarkably true voice, Miss Isobei Barirum pleased in (two vocal solos, and in tneir excerpt from the opera “Aida” Mrs. R. Scouky and Mr. J. D. Tizard were at tneir accomplished best. A young party won laurels in the Musical Scene, and lhe vocal quartette showed exceptional blending. As usual, the young voices in the Intermediate School choir immediately appealed. As Grand Opera, the present*; ion from “Rigoletto” would probably have won most approbation from the purists. PupLs from George Allen’s dancing school made a line contribution to the evening, Miss Dawn Taylor’s effort in conjunction with Mr. Colin FranklinBrowne’s “Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair” winning especial applause. Rock on which the concert stood was the Queen Alexandra Band with its tone and sympathetic treatment in the accompaniments. Mrs. Helen Sutherland and Mrs. C. Mcßride were the official accompanistes. The full programme was:— Overture, “Poet and Peasant’’ (Suppe), “Perpetuum Mobile” (Strauss), Queen Alexandra Band; The Lyric Singers, “Good-night, Beloved” (Pinsuti), “Lullaby” (E. O Schnack), and “Simple Simon” (Ma-cey-Dicks); Gipsv dance, “The Gay Senorita” (E. O. Schnack), Miss Dawn Taylor; vocal quartette, “Sons of Men” (Cadman), “Virgin’s Slumber Song” (Trad.). “Short’nin’ Bread” (Wolfe), Messrs C. Franklin-Browne, E. Brandon, I. Wilks, G. Turkington: pianoforte solo, Valse in E Minor (Chopin), “Seguidillas” (Albeniz), Madame Agnes Shearsbv: Intermediate School Choir, “Ladies of St. James” (Lavater). “Cradle Song” (Arensky), “Alleluia” (Mozart); Mr. Colin Franklin-Browne, “The Old Violin” (Fisher) with Mrs. W. Shardlow as violiniste, and “Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair” (Foster); Mr. Ewan Granville, “Intermezzo” from “Cavaleria Rusticana ’ ('Mascagni) with Queen Alexandra Band accompaniment; "Bella figlia dell’amore” from “Rigoletto” (Verdi), Mrs. R. Scoular, Miss E. Brailsford, Messrs J. D. Tizard and Alan Brown; Entr’ acte, “Finlandia” (Sibelius). “Miniature Overture” (Tchaikowsky), and “Dance of the Flowers’ (Tehaikowsky); Musical scene, “They Didn’t Believe Me” (Jerome Kern), Mjss Betty Bosher, Messrs Fred Phillips and Bob London with chorus; Queen Alexandra Band, “Etiam Pro Nobis” (Stainer); Euphonium solo, “O Promise Me” (de Koven), Mr. Howard Watts: “The Wren” (Benedict), and “One Fine Day” (Puccini). Miss Isohel Bartrum; “O terra, addio” (Aida,” Verdi), Mrs. R. Scoular and Mr. J. D. Tizard; specialty number, George Allen School of Dancing; “Bonny Wee Thing” (Fox) and 'Songsters of Spring” (Schubert-Pearson), the Lyric Singers; Finale, “Land of Hope and Glory” (Elgar), Mr. J. D. Tizard and chorus, with band accompaniment. ~~~~