THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20230, 26 June 1937, Page 17 (Supplement)

THE WORLD OF MUSIC.

“ Elijah ” at Auokland. The first concert of the Auckland Choral Society’s 1937 season will be held in the Town -Hall on July 8, when Mendelssohn’s " Elijah " will be presented. The part of Elijah will be taken by Len Barnes. There will be a full chorus and orchestra under the conductorship of Colin Muston. Molselwitsch Next Month. Benno Molselwitsch, the famous pianist, who is now giving concerts in Australia, is acknowledged to be one of the most modest men on the concert platform. He deprecates his own amazing pianoforte ability. “ Ini never satisfied,” he told an interviewer. “ I am always trying for tiie perfect Interpretation, but 1 never succeed.” Moiseiwitsch will commence his New Zealand tour at the end of July. Opera Chorus Threatens Strike. Mr John Barbirolli, the famous conductor, undertook the longest rehearsal of his life at Covent Garden Opera House, says a London paper. Pome 80 men and women who -compose the chorus of Puccini’s opera “ Turnadot ” liad to go through a series of rehearsals during the morning and afternoon, and then had to leave tiie theatre before the production of “ Don Pasquale,” which started at 8.30. Mr Barbirolli told a reporter afterwards: “I kept the chorus at it until they threatened that unless they had something to eat they would go on ‘ strike.’ I believe they would have done so If I had not gone out with them.” Musloal Moments. The Christchurch Harmonic Society, of 120 voices, is to give a concert in Wellington next month. It will have the assistance of tiie 2YA orchestra, under tiie direction of Leon de Mauny.

The first Repertory Arts ball was held during the year, and this in future is to be an annual event. Palmerston North Repertory Theatre. The Palmerston North Repertory Society lias “ Tiie Shining Hour" in rehearsal. Last week the society presented three one-act plays, “ A Marriage has been Disarranged,” “ A Voice Said Good-night” and "The Language of 15 Teams for Drama Festival. Fifteen teams (12 seniors and three juni\rs) entered for 1 lie South Taranaki drama festival, held at Hawera this week. Mr Paul Latham, Wanganui, was adjudicator. One-act Play Competition. Twelve one-act plays were presented at the competitions sponsored by the Christian Y’outh Council of Wellington. Tiie results were: Taranaki Street Methodist (“Twentieth Century Lullaby”), 1; Knox Presbyterian (“Let’s Build Again”), 2; Vivian Street Baptist ("Rio Revuelto”), 3. Highly commended: St. John’s Presbyterian (“Wireless Can’t Lie”). The adjudicator, Mr Errol Muir, staled that tiie winning play was outstanding. He remarked that “Rio Revuelto” bad been written by a young Wellington man, Mr G. Windsor, who undoubtedly possessed tiie makings of a successful playwright. Other Activities. “ There s Always Juliet,” John vail Druten’s amusing play, was read by Ihe Wellington East Old Girls’ Dramatic Society last week. Flat to Lot ” was rend by the Wanganui Repertory Society last week. A Gilbert and Sullivan opera contest will lie a feature of tiie Dunedin competitions this year. “I ll Leave II lo You," a smart comedy by Noel Coward, was staged successfully by I lie Auckland Little Theatre .Society tills