CHORAL HALL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1055, 26 May 1910, Page 17

CHORAL HALL.

THE ELLWOOD ThlO. A TALENTED COMBINATION. Under the direction of Mr. Hugo Gorlitz, the Ellwood trio—Harry, aged 16; Pauline, aged 15; and Georgd, aged 11—members of a Christchurch family of that name, with Miss Winnie Nixon (alSo a New Zealander) are delighting Auckland audiences with exhibitions of their musical and vocal abilities, which are of an unusually high order. The exhibitions are all the more interesting in that the quartette of performers are all practically self-taught, only one of their number (Miss Ellwood) having received music lessons, and these being limited to one quarter’s teaching. Mr. Henry Brett, with characteristic kindliness, arranged a reception for the children at the Choral Hall on Wednesday afternoon last, to which members of the Choral, the Liedertafel and Orchestral societies and leading citizens were also invited, an opportunity being thus afforded the music-loving public of hearing the talented young people prior to the opening of their orchestral season. The Ellwoods exhibit all the marks of natural genius, the youngest member of the trio ranking indeed as a musical prodigy of the first water. His elder brother, who has taken to the violin as ‘ naturally as his sister has taken to the piano, is said to have been the inspiring genius of the family- When he “ took to the violin” he persuaded his sister to “ vamp” for him on the piano, and his brother, not to be outdone, said he also must have a musical instrument. Boy-like he wanted to play “ something big,” and the violincello was adopted as his instrument, because he “ wanted to do better than his brother.” The choice of; instrument was a fortunate one, and in the concerts already given on Thursday and Saturday in Auckland and - on Monday at Onehunga, Master George Ellwood stands revealed as one of the most brilliant’ players of the instrument that have' ever visited Auckland, and as one of its coming and possibly greatest masters. ’ The Choral Hall was well filled on Thursday, and again on Saturday, for the two first concerts given under the direction of Mr. Gorlitz. The programme presented on the former occasion consisted of a-budget of musical gems, such as might be expected only from the most brilliant players and finished musicians. It was sufficiently taxing, and the items were of such an intricate character, that those who followed its performance with such /evident enjoyment and keen appreciation, . must have felt convinced that only born artists could have venturedupon’, it: ■ Master George Ellwood’s performances were the most remarkable. He has a ’cello that was lent him for the tour by the Hon. Dr. Findlay, who was much’impressed by his playing in Wellington, while his brother Harry plays a volin that was lent him by His Grace Archbishop Redwood, of Wellington (the two instruments being insured by Mr. Gorlitz. for £300), who is greatly interested in the progress of the young performers. The “ Rhapsodie Hongroise” (Popper), which was Master George’s first solo, was played with great brilliancy, the little fellow in his presentation of the number showing complete command over the instrument and interpreting the composer’s ideas with a sympathy, and intelligence that were really surprising. The composition was played from memory, and was practically note perfect- In Saint Saen’s “La Cygne” and Squire’s “Gavotte Humoresque,” Master George again delighted his hearers, and as encore numbers gave “ Meeting” (Popper) and “ Wooing” (Becker).

Master Harry Ellwood, the violinist of the trio, is another genius, and a born musician. In his hands the violin becomes one of the most delightful of instruments with a mellow sweetness of tone that enchants the senses. He is too much absorbed in the music he interprets to strive after effect; that comes without any effort, and, it might also be said, without consciousness on his part- With proper training he would probably rank as one of the world’s great violinists before he is many years , older. His solo numbers were almost as much appreciated as the efforts of his young

brother; though the: enthusiasm, awakened by/the ;sight of the latter was .lacking. Wieniawski’s “ Polonaise” and : Schubert-Wilhelmij’s “ Ave Mavia,”, widely: differing numbers, were both handled in musicianly style and 'expressively played- The encore numbers were “ Czardas,” by Hubay, and Schuman’s “ Traumerei.”

Miss Polly Ellwood figured as the accompanist, and displayed genius of another order, in the concerted numbers played with her talented brothers Harry and George. These were the “ First Movement from Trio in D .Minor, Op. 25” (Bach), Widor’s “Serenade” and Grieg’s “ Norwegian Dance, No. 3,” which was the final number, and resulted in the talented trio being called again and again. Miss Winnie Nixon is a sweet, cultured singer, possessing a naturally fine soprano voice of unusual range (from G below the treble stave to C in alt.), which, though untrained, is also unspoilt- She sings very sympathetically and with a good deal of artistic finish. She was first heard in Mallinson’s “Snowflakes,” her interpretation of the number being at once artistic and convincing. The number in which She was heard to the greatest advantage, however, was Mascheroni’s “Ave Maria,” in which Master Harry Ellwood played the violin obbligato, Miss Constance Prouse accompanying the singer on the piano and Mr. R. Leslie Hunt on the organHer other numbers were “One Spring Morning” and Mallinson’s “O Thank Me Not.” As encores Miss Nixon gave Raymond’s “I Wonder Why” and “Mother Darling.” A matinee Concert will be given this afternoon; a fifth concert is arranged for to-morrow night at the Foresters’ Hall, Devonport, the final Auckland concerts taking place at the Choral Hall on Friday and Saturday.