CONCERT AT LIPHOOK.
CHORAL SOCIETY’S EXCELLENT EFFORT.
There was a large and representative gathering at the Village Hall, Liphook, on Wednesday evening, when a concert in aid of the funds of the Liphook Choral Sociely was held. An excellent programme had been arranged, the chief items being the choral work that was taken by the Liphook choir in the competitions at the recent Petersfield Musical Festival. It will be remembered that Liphook, although not gaining a banner or a prize at the Festival, did exceedingly well considering the difficulties they had to contend with. Owing to the length of the programme no encores were allowed, although the audience showed a desire to have some of the items repeated.
The concert opened with the singing of the National Anthem, and the way this was rendered gave audience some idea of the treat that was in store for them.
The second item was, perhaps, the chief one. It was the cantata, ‟God’s time is the best” (Bach), by the Choral Society. This was the cantata that was so successfully taken by the massed choirs on the third day of the Petersfield Festival. The cantata opened with the chorus, ‟God’s own time,” which was the subject of Class II. in the Thursday competition at Petersfield. Listening to the performance of this chorus on Wednesday evening, and comparing it with the competition work, a marked improvement was noticed. The members of the choir appeared to have benefited by the criticisms of Dr. Vaughan Williams, and the interpretation of the work by Dr. Allen, when he conducted the massed choirs. Miss Maclean had a fine control of her choir as a whole, although some of the males paid perhaps more attention to the book of music in their hands than to the conductor. The “sliding” fault was also noticed in one or two voices, particularly among the sopranos, but not so much as at the competition. The tenor solo, ‟O, Lord, incline us to consider,” was a personal triumph for Mr. R. Cæsar. He is the possessor of a voice of particular sweetness, especially on the top notes, and his enunciation is clear. The basses of the choir took in unison the passage, ‟Set in order thy house,” which was rendered as a solo at the festival by Mr. J. Campbell Mclnnes. This was not one of the best performances. There was one pre-eminent voice, and if the owner of it had rendered the passage as a solo, the effect would have been better. In the chorus, ‟It is the old decree,” the expression marks were well observed, and there was a great improvement in the work of the male voices, particularly the tenors. The contralto solo, ‟Into Thy hands my spirit I commend,” was taken by the conductor, Miss Maclean, in a highly satisfactory manner. The lady has a sweet voice, of good register, and the low notes were clear, enunciation perfect, and the interpretation, as a whole, a thorough success. Mr. Ferguson took the splendid solo, ‟Thou shalt be with me in Paradise,” and he did justice to it. The altos were rather uncertain at the commencement of the obligato part, ‟In joy and peace I pass away,” but recovered very well. The close of the cantata was the chorale, ‟All glory, praise and majesty,” which was taken finely. The whole work was meritoriously rendered, and reflected the highest credit upon the conductor, and the accompanist. The work of Miss E. M. Peake at the piano was a feature of the cantata. She was scrupulously correct throughout, and considering the imperfections of the instrument, her assistance cannot be too highly praised.
The third item on the programme was the song, ‟Angus Macdonald,” rendered by Mrs. Fergusson. The lady possesses a strong contralto voice, of very low register, and the song was rendered in a style that drew forth loud applause. The trio for female voices, ‟The Nightingale” (unaccompanied), was rendered by the following ladies of the choir: Mrs. Dryden, Mrs. Parkins, Miss Walker, Miss C. Gauntlett (soprano), Mrs. Clinker, Miss Peake, Miss A. Gauntlett (2nd Soprano), Miss Maclean, and Miss J. Gauntleit (alto). This trio was the test in the competition at Petersfield for female voices, but the Liphook choir did not compete then. It was rendered in a pleasant manner, although some of the “cuckoos” were somewhat uncertain, and the passage, ‟the nimble, nimble lark,” could have been improved upon. Miss Dewdney was most successful in her rendering of another well-known and favourite solo, ‟Oh, that we two were Maying,” her soprano voice being well suited to her selection.
The solo and chorus, ‟Laudate” (Mozart), which was part of the work so much enjoyed at Petersfield, was next taken. The soprano solo (Psalm cxvii.), was entrusted to Miss Walker, who was one of the chief favourites of the audience. The chorus, ‟Glory be to the father,” was well up to the standard of the best work of the choir. The part song, “How merrily we live” (Este), was sung by the gentlemen of the Choral Society. Another year Liphook should run a team in the competition at Petersfield for male voices. As it was, only three teams were entered this year, and it is a pity that such a team as Liphook could have produced was not included. This part song was preceded by a reading by the Rev. A. Titherington, and a duet by Mr. and Mrs. Fergusson.
The second portion of the programme opened with the chorus, ‟Thus spake Jehovah” (Mozart), another portion of the work of the massed choirs at Petersfield Festival. Mrs. Fergusson delighted the audience with another song ‘‘Vanity fair,” and Miss Dewdney and Miss Maclean combined in the duet, ‟Maybells” (Mendelssohn). The blending of the voices was almost perfect, and the performance most enjoyable. Mr. Ross Cæsar sang well, ‟Remember me no more.” Instead of the quartette, ‟Empire Flag,” which had been announced to follow this, the madrigal, ‟Flow, O, my tears” (Benet), which was the test piece for Class VI. at the festival was rendered. This was the great success of the Liphook choir at the festival, Redhill—the prize-winners—being only two points above. On Wednesday the madrigal was rendered quite as well as at Petersfield.
Mr. Fergusson’s song was that grand and ever-new composition, ‟The Bedouin’s Love Song.” The concert was brought to a close with the part song, ‟When Twilight’s Parting Flush,” by the Choral society.
We have already praised the work of Miss Maclean and Miss E. M. Peake, in their respective positions, as conductor and accompanist, but a report of the concert would not complete without mention of the work done by Mrs. Dryden, hon. secretary and treasurer, who was energetic and enthusiastic. Mrs. Fergusson played the pianoforte accompaniments to her husband’s songs.