PETERSFIELD MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
Yesterday’s Interesting Competitions Attended by Complete Success.
Petersfield wore quite a festive appearance yesterday, large numbers of people from all the country round attending the second musical festival, which was held as before in the Drill Hall. During the morning three competitions were decided. The first was for mixed choirs, and the test piece was the difficult chorus “With drooping wings,” from Purcell’s “Acis and Galatea.” Some extremely good performances resulted. The competing choirs were Langrish, Red Hill, Horndean, Purbrook, Woolbeding, and Petersfield Temperance. Horndean, conducted by Miss Mary K.Long, won the challenge banner and £4, gaining 53 marks. Woolbeding conducted by Miss Elwes, came second with 51 marks.
The next competition was for sight reading. The same choirs entered with the addition of Littlegreen. The results were very instructive and amusing. Purbrook, conducted by Miss Keily, did splendidly, and won the banner and £3. Horndean were a good second. Class 3 was for male voices, the test piece being Schubert’s ‟Hail to the Chief.” The competition, for which five choirs entered, was very close, Langrish. conducted by Mrs. Vaughan, being placed first, and Horndean second.
In the evening the holding powers of the Drill Hall were taxed to their utmost, and when eight o’clock came, only a few seats were to be had. It was about ten minutes past eight when Miss Craig Sellar mounted the rostrum, and the strains of the National Anthem swept down the hall with fine effect. Mrs. Bonham-Carter then presented the banners and prizes to the successful choirs, and the concert proceeded. The programme was an ambitious one, and at the first sight looked almost beyond the powers of the singers. But as item succeeded item, it was clearly demonstrated that such was not the case, and that the performers, under the guidance of a master hand, had entered thoroughly into the meaning of the music they sang, and accordingly acquitted themselves well. Opening with Wood’s setting of “Full Fathom Five,” from Shakespeare’s “Tempest,” which was marred slightly by the tenors and basses failing to attack the opening bars with quite enough vivacity, the programme continued with the prologue from Leoncavallo’s “I Pagliacci,” finely sung by Mr. Lawrence Rea, whose fine baritone voice declaimed this fine morceaun with telling effect.
After a very capable rendering of Goring Thomas’ “Oh, my heart is weary,” by Miss Lisa Gibson, came what was undoubtedly the “chef d’ouvre” of the evening—the performance by Miss Rosalind Craig Sellar and the orchestra under the leadership of Mr. Arthur Somerville, of Mendelsshon’s Concerto “Cappriccio Brilliante” Op. 22. Miss Rosalind C. Sellar is a performer of rare ability. Brilliant in execution, and sympathetic in expression, this item went without a hitch from start to finish, and thoroughly deserved the vociferous recall it received. Following came the solo and chorus “When I am laid” and “With drooping wings,” from Purcell’s “Dido and Æneas,” well sung by Miss Fillunger and the choir, after which Mrs. Douglas Scott delighted the audience with a superbly rendered violin solo, Beethoven’s ‟Romance in F.” The first half of the programme was brought to a conclusion by Schubert’s male chorus. “Hail to the Chief,” which was given with much spirit by the gentlemen of the combined chorus.
The second half of the programme was chiefly remarkable for the performance of Act II of Gluck’s “Orpheus,” the solos being taken by Miss Fillunger, Miss Lisa Gibson, Mr. Lawrence Rea, and Mr. E. Martell. This was, perhaps, a little above the choir, but the various choruses were given with an attention to expression that denoted careful rehearsal. Mrs. Douglas Scott gave another violin solo, “Air and Gavotte” (Bach), which was heartily applauded, and Miss Fillunger received an ovation for her rendering of Arthur Somervell’s “The Night Bird.” Mr. Lawrence Rea sang Cowen’s “Border Ballad" in excellent style, and the concluding item was the chorus from Handel’s “Acis and Galatea,” ‟Galatea, dry those tears,” in which the chorus acquitted themselves well.
The festival throughout was one which was a great credit to all those concerned, and effectually dispels the illusion that good music is to be heard only in the large towns. The orchestra, led by Mr. F. Royston Cambridge, was one that would not disgrace any festival of much larger pretensions, and the combined chorus, conducted alternately by Miss Craig Sellar and Mr. Arthur Somervell, kept well together, and on the whole did excellent work. Petersfield had every reason to be proud of its second Musical Festival, which throughout gave ample proof of the truth of the motto displayed on the programmes, ‟ln victory and defeat alike is harmony.”