The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-12-16 00:00:00

DORCHESTER VOCAL ASSOCIATION.

This musical society on Tuesday night scored
another gratifying success. It will be remembered at
the lag concert given by the amordation the first part
of Moodelasohn's masterpiece, the MEM, 1/34 per.
formal with unequivocal success, end the 0 mtuittee
decided that the principal feature of the awing
concert of the gee= should be the sec .n I p rtion.
The action of the oommittes in dividing the, wok i* to
be commended. For van Jos and obvious r.asons.
indeed, it warn ten lend neceeeary to do so ;
in the first place the society had, we
never attonitted such a work before, ant it
would have been almost Impossible ti have got
it up in the abort time at command, and in the second
place the eonsmittee exerAsed a very wig diecretion
is the matter, for the following among other remains.
During the fifteen years of the society's exigence it
Lae been the custom to divide th- concert into two
parts, the fint consisting of a sacred cantata, or selec-
tions from the works of one of the great masters, end
the second male up of ballade and tuetrutneotal
performances. Thia errangenunt Ina proved eminent',
acoeptable to the public taste, and it is doubtful if
Dorabester audience, would be 'unlined to sit
out three hours of undi;uted Handel, Hadyn, or
hiendelasoho, however efficient a performanci might
be presented them. They are content to aaxpt such
serious music as their plea de reftllo,l(.4, but their
second course moat be composers of lighter calibre.
No c intuit to the popular mind ii complete without
a due proportion of 3ullivan, Hutchison, Boykin
Smith, and other well•known English song-writers.
Cando enthusiastic minicionitdeplore such as impious
profanation, but the executive of the amociation,
moved by an earnest desire t please their patrons,
have adopted a mode of procedure which is pleasing
to the majority. For these highly-Important
reasons, then, Iffiendelesohn's great musical narrative
wee given In two parts. We must mention the Corn
Exchange wee crowded to the door.; in feat, we
believe there were IN many, or even more, reserved
gate appropriated than on an, previous occasion. The
audience comprised old and tried friends of the asso-
ciation, and most of the leading Inhabitants of the
town. . _

The soloists were :—Soprano, Madame Eva Scorer';
contralto, Mies Isabel Chatter.° ; tenor, Mr. W.
J. Darden; hem, Mr. R. Andrews.
This la Madame Scorey's third engagement, and we
are sure no one will bo Inclined to find fault oith the
oommittos in selecting her for such an important tack,
comideriog the satisfaction the lady gave in the
Orcation and tho first part .4 the Zl4/.A. Miss
Chetterton visited Dorchester some five year. ago, but
a,. Is oomparstively • stranger. Mr. Andrew.,
we believe, halls from Hereford Cl•thedral, and
It ia, we believe, hie first engagement by the
sir. The tenor music was undertaken by egurdea, and as him ability lam well knows, and
his warrices always so highly appreciated, we need
make no comment on his selection. Though a con-
siderable pull on the society's pares, the committee
wisely determined to ham a full orchestra, ii that
the pegformanes should not be deficient In one of its
most essential reeptadtim. It was °unposed as follow.:
—Violin., Mr. W. Stone, Mr. L. S Laves.., Mr. F.
Stone, Mr. Parkman ; viols. Mr. K. Moos g violon-
cellos, Mr. W. G. Alma, if,. Sydney B. Smith
oostrabasso. Mr. F. Sharp ; lute, Mr. H. Smith;
sbarisetts, Beer Becker, Herr Bra.; bassoon, Mr. E.
Damon ; trumpet, Mr. J. Steven.; drums, Mr Ala
Frampton ; pianoforte, Mr. .1. Robinson, hum
The woad part'pf the lifitjak. as I. no doubt known.
dose not commence with any orchestral prelude, but
with the fins 'ovum air "Hear ye, lesel," and in
this Madame :Morey, who was In splendid voice, am...-
passed herself, giving the high notes with t Ding
effect. She sang the sir with a rialto"ee of voice and
• devotional fervour sad feeling that could Sol fail
to be sppreolated. The following chorale, " not
afraid," we. given to • manner that set all doubts at
reit am to the "'Mammy of the amocistion. We are
pleased to notice the member, have considerably
incresered in number, and they are fairly-well
balanced. The soprano. are remarkably good,
but the benne were warmly s' strong.
The bas. recitative. " The Lird hath
exalted." wee fairly well sung by Mr. R. •••dre.r..
Cliatterton *mg the declamatory recitatives of
the Queen with ennewhat exceative vig me, the shorn,
traitn,r up their r 000• with em in the
highly depriptive chorus. "W. to Him," dieolaye ii
breadth of tone that w very telling. Mr. D &Mao
lane the r. cdatiae. "Man of Gal, " with a finiah
and taste th at 11l him an ihfisit• amouct of credit,
and he we ...unity applauded. In the bass air," It
he Enottah," Mr. Anima. was heard t a great advan-
tage, but his sucrose was greatly enbancad by the
exquisite violoncello obligate, which wee beautifully
played Ly Mr. Aback. The tenor recitative, "His
now fie Slvvnetb," wee f Mowed by tne
knees Angel.' big, "Lift nat. Eye.," which
wee faultle.'y sung by Madame Scorey, Mrs,
W. .1. Darden, and Mis. Ch....ton, and was lon.lly
applauded. A geedn, success wee gained by the
member. in the chum. of Aneele, "El. Watchir. over
Israel" This number was excellent. The next
recitative lea I. un to the gem of the oratorio, 'O,
Rest in the Lewd,' and which for it. wondrous pathos
and tewie,stre hare p chap. never been 'quilled. blies
Ohattort in sang It with the utmoet care, and
...mid a greet impression by the feeling
which she infused into it. The sumeedlag base
.o.Cve wa, not somatidactory maid be
wished, Mr. Andrews being ut of tam.
In the *horns " Beh al I, God the Lord pared by,"
with it. remarkable orchostratin, the members sang
er-seedingly well, displaying • steadinese and a ems.t.
nese ol attack that wore highly corannoadahle. The
eigerratge. v Holy, holy, holy,' was taken by Madams
aporg,y,J, RoLigum, Mr. Stedman. and Miss
Chetterton, whose voice. blended admirably. Mr.
Andrews male up for previ .ua shortcomings by hie
admirable ren'iwil•ff ''f ih• air, " For the mountain.,"
and be Wee 4 rewarded with hearty plaudits. We must
again compliment the chorus on their excellent per-
formance of the succeeding another, "Then did
Klijeh." The excellent quality of the eopuda a was
itepecially nolioeshle. Mr. D irden gained the first
memo if the evening by hi. dosing of the lovely
tenor Mr, "Then emit the righteous," and he dewerved
the c.aplitnest,not for Lie resisting of this air aloes,
but for the artistic ability he bad displays I thr ugh-
out. Another r. el, able feature was th- q bat •tte,
"0 Gelele every "1.0 that thiretetia," which we, cane
by Madame &a/my, Miss °batten , Jude ..
ant Mr. Andreera The oratorio was brought to a
moat a.tiefactuy fini.h by an excellent rendering of
the c ruoludica chorus.
Egooptio...o peal. ii doe co the band f.r th etli-
Meet psrfornatenceof the exouipmitnent, andespecially
to the leader, Mr. Stone, who wag ably aegimed by
Ks. Livros, and ogler will-known lastramarialleb.