THE CHORAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 60, 3 May 1873, Page 13

THE CHORAL SOCIETY.

The Dunedm Choral Society gave their fourth and last concert of the season m the University Hall on Tve B day evening. The audience was an exceedingly large one, and, with good reason, was apprSve We have seldom heard amateurs so highly efficient as those who took part m that eoneert. Great credit i 8i 8 due to the new and evident^ able conductor Mr A J. Towsey, for Ihe excellent manner fa which he has produced selections from Sir Michael Costa's oratoria of ' Eli ' and which we consider has placed bejond a doubt his quotation's as an accomplished conductor Mr Sykes accompanied the choruses throughou the evening; M. Fleury rendered great assistance to the leading violinist, Mr Little , and Mr Martin, who played the clarionet! ™ Ti %F™£ on several occasions as the oratorio progressed The band, which has been materially strengthened, opened with the overture .which was rendered satisfactorily and pleasingly. A recitative and solo by Mr- Campbell held the attention Lt * } &Vg t wwe° c "'^J^** fecfc > we h *™ never heard him to such advantage before His effort was just such a one as we would almost unconsciously take for many a day to come as a standard wherefrom o judge others. Mr Lewis we have heard to better advantage; he had a alight cold, neveatheleas he was very good In the chorus, "Let us go to pray before the Lord," a slight timidS was observable at first but confidence was soon gained, and theTood traimug niade itself apparent. A thorough mastery of the music was shown, he voices blending together finely. The tenor onThe left of he conductor had nine clear-tored voices, which blended excellency with the soprano and bass 5 but when their turn came with the others, it was noticeable that the latter were not strong. It would be better also if the number of the contraltos were increased The choruses were remarkable for their steadiness and the harmony of the There was an absence of the want of precision observable on former occasions, and great attention was paid to the conductor's baton It may beiere mentioned that the prayer « Turn thee » by Miss Thompson, wai remarkable for the correct manner in which it was rendered. We have not heard anything sung equal to this overture here? with the exception of Mozart's 12th Masa-which the Society might at tempt to produce some of the* days-by Miss Julia Mattims and Mrs Mitchell m the old Theatre Royal. In the « March of the Levites » the want of an organ was very prominant, and if ihe Society could secure _,t«,lf a permanent habitation they could, remedy that want-m fact, considering the good that a Society for the promotion of S-t 8 mvs \ c dd ° e8 * n th « *V of cultivating a proper taste, wa thh£ Itf Si lr° y ■ ul°T d> but a9Bisted > i a the erection of an organin the hall. Many might derrur on the score of expense, but where there's a will there's a way, and, if once permission were given £ pit SSwS 8 ! 11 ', m? 0U d » 88 ° On be Paid for The effect °* c dve P t?o Hannah and Elkanah was much impaired by the tenor, than whom a better was obtainable. Hayden's No. 2 Symphony was artisticalS executed-apomt deserving of special mention was tho blenSnTo? Lhe violin m the A minor passage of the largo movement. The short space allowed compels us- to curtail our notice of the second part sufficed it to say that the brilliant rendering of the rUin and pjano duett • Grudlauxne Tell " was such as was listened to wito pleacultivated contralto voice, and the fascinating singing of m£ sTncllir