The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-12 00:00:00

OORCHEBTER VOCAL ABBOOIATION.

Now that the Dorchester Vocal Association has
insooessfully emerged from ths pieno-and-harmonium
regime under which it bas been content to remain so
long, it is earnestly hoped it will not suffer a relapse.
It has now been most conclusively proved that our
own association is as capable of Interpreting the great
oratorios, accompanied as the composers intended them,
In their entirety, as Weymouth or any other local
society; and we may reasonably expect as the
natural outcome of the new departure which the exe-
cutive have taken there are In store for the admirers
of good music many • treat. It will be remembered&
short time ago the prospect before the association was
not of the most cheerful character, in fact, there were
rumours of a total collapse. It is, therefore, all the
more surprising, and sierteioly It I. very gratifying
to see the society a ming before the town, proving
to demonstration there is @tau:lent life, vigour, and
talent in their composition to give One of the best
concerts given by • local society in this town, and lot
this result Mr. Herbert Hodges deserves a large share
of prairie. Since his connection with the society aa
honorary secretary, its welfare has been the subject of
his deepest interest, and be is now to he as heartily
complimented on its phosnix-like rise as he would un-
doubtedly have been odirniserate I on its downfall.
The attendance at the Cora Exchange on Thursday
wee very large, in fact, it was one of the beet houses
the association UM lied, and the unbounded satisfac-
tion which was so freely expressed at the close of the
concert augured well for the result of futons essays,
however ambitious they may be.
. . .

The first part of the progremme was the first and
second parts of Haydn's oratorio, The Creation, with
full orchestral elects; of course no one would dream
of performing this masterpiece of the great Haydn
without an orchestra. Tee "Representation of
Char." as a pianoforte and harmonium duet would
be the reductso ad absurder& ; it would be confosion
worm confounded. A careful selection of the principal
artistes load been made. Madame Eva Soorey, the
popular Southampton soprano, Mr. Juba H. Hayden,
first tenor of Salisbury Cathedral, who has established
a reputation as • singer of great merit and • cow
misname and thorough Magician, and lily. A.
Fowles, late of Londonderry Cathedral (at present
choirmaster at Wimborne Minster), who created such
• favourable Impression by his rendering of the bass
music in the Creation at Weymouth last year. The
chorus was strong. and fairly well belamed, the only
perceptible weakness being In the sopranos, though
the fault was not sufficient t imperil the sucoess of
the chorness. The basses, on the other band, were
particularly strong, there being amour: them some
good "big ' , voices which t 'id well at intervals, and
especially in the tumocompained port song in the
second part. Contralto and tenors were of excellent
quality. The singing on Thursday showed them to
be fit for the perfornemeeof any reasonable music, and
we hope they will have ample opportunity of display-
ing their powers. With regard to the band, we can
only say the success they achieved would have been
I doubly gratifying had the local element been
i larger, still this fact doss not detract on* iota
from • really excellent performanoe, which rightly
enough should be edjudged on its owo merits.
Mr. W. Stone was the leader, and right
well did he fulfil the onerous and responsible duties
of his post. The principal violonoellist was gr.
Alcor* and the pianoforte wee presided at by Mr,
J. Robinson. Though the latter gentleman's duties
were not of that all-important natal.* as those which
he has been wont to fulfil as the principal aocomithoist
at former concerts, yet he played judiciously and well.
and was of great genies. -Mr. Robinson'e abilities in
this direction are too well known to every member
who attends the practices to need much comment,
but now that he has been practically superseded by
the band, we cannot refrain from remarking on the
excellent work be has done for the society In the put.
It was • pleasure to see that firsteats contra-base, Mr..
Sharpe, who is so well known at all oratorio perform-
awes In this dietricr playing with all his noted I
precision and oars The following was the composi. !
lion of the band :—ld violins (Mr. W. Stone and Mr.
Stone, jun.), find violins, (Mr. Perkman and Mr.
Blake), viola (Mr. Champ), violoncello (Sir. Aback),
contra-bass (Mr. Sherpe). lute (a member of the
Royal Marine Artillery B end), alarionet (a member of
the Brunswick Band). cornet (Sir. J. Stevens, of the
Volunteer Bawl), and piano (Mr. J. Robinson, Jon).
It le no light duty for the most accomplished
iostrumentalist to surmount the technical difficulties
which abound in the so ire of the Creation, and, there-
fore, the finished and able rendering of the various
numbers dose them an infiaite amount of credit.
Within a very few minutes after eight the con-
ductor, Mr. Bruton Smith, t up his positi ot in hie
rostrum, and was greet, I with • hearty roond
applause from audience and chorus, and with the
utmost possible dispatch the band were rep-emoting
" chaos ' in their ablest manner. This wo
specimen of the great master's power sa • tone-painter,
but which is so inc onpreheneible a jumble to the
uninitiated, so weird and subtle In its harmonies, so
chaotic telt' construation, was played in such a manner
as to stamp at ono* the success of the hand. Mr.
Fowles' (Raphael) then recited "In the Beginning,"
displaying • solos of rich quality and a musicianly
style, which at once found favour with the audience.
Heat came the mul-stirring chorus, "And tie Spirit,"
culminating in the grand mojor chord, coming as an
autbund of real light, dispersing before it all that is
dark, gloomy, and mysterious. Uriell's recitative,
"And God Sow the Light," which was well
declaimed by Mr. Hayden. was foil oved by that
bae woir of tenors in Ike Creation, "N,,w Vanish,"
but Mr. Hayden grappled with his diffimlty manfully,
giving the difficult musk as only • real musician
could. But here comes the first and only shortcoming
of the concert; from some unforeseen cause the tenors
failed to take up their line in the chorus which
accompanies the tenor air, sad, but for the efficient
band and the presentee of mind of the conductor' the
result might have been "chaos come again." For-
tunately the chorus fell In and from this point till
the "glorious work" achieved there was not the
slightest hitch worthy • mention. Mr. Fowles
sang the recitative, "And God made," remark-
ably well, the beautifully descriptive acoompani-
meat aiding greatly to the effect Ma lame Eve
Scorey here ma le her debug with the joyful air "The
Marvellous Work." This lady, by her deep feeling
and unaffected manner, soon established hermit in
the favour of the eudiseos, sad • hearty outburst of
applause greeted her at the close. Her solos is of
extensive range, and of peculiarly sweet quality,
especially in the upper register. The chorus "And
to the Bthara Vaults," was grandly nog. Medium
floorey's voice Doming out full and strong in her
solo music. Mr. Fowles' beat effort wa, undoubtedly
the air "Rolling In Foaming Billows," with Its ex-
quisite description of the limpid betie, in which the
Instrumental effects add so much charm to the vocal
part. The applause bordered dangerously on an
encore, and we cannot help complimenting Mr.
FOWIlla on Ms rendering of this number. His dogleg
of the air at the Weymouth concert must be fresh In
the recollections of those who heard the performance
of 27th Creation by that town's Oratorio Society, but
In our_ iinien he surpeneed himself. Ftie soprano
air, " With Verdure Clad," which runs "In Native
Worth" very aloes for pronier bosours se the gem of
the oratorio, received an exquisite rendering by
Madame 'doom*, who received the heartiest applause.
There Is nothing calling for particular notice till we
reach the tame In Splendour Bright," which
wee we of Mr. Iffeyden's beet enacts. Thls was
followed by the Llellethlak thong of rA• (kora"

"Th. Heavens are Telling," which put the chorus
on their mettle, end they acquitted thenuelves in •
m inner which did th,inelver and their conductor
great orerlit. Th, to cot 'a and smartness of attack
in the first part, and t in (1111.014 and bras lilt of tone
In eaudinfl Pee t.ou, an Me well for the general
efficiency to which Lucy it ed attained.
In the second pert ul the Oratorio we may mention
the principal features. Firstly, to the sr "On
Mighty l'eue," it is to be regretted Medan. Score),
did n.rt rend ,r the number in it. oompletmese. IL m
a charming solo, and one which evibi by cutting.
Leavi.g the lengthy trio and Raphael's recitative an
air " Now Heaven," we come to•• In Native Worth,"
welch Mr. Herren sings as well as my tenor we have
heard. The feeling and expression be threw int, the
air, with the delightful 'cello bits of Mr. Aloock,
main up • performance which it is dicult to dee.
ord., and the *whenoe were not alor to testify their
appreciation The sooottoling trio and the grand
chorus, " Achieved is the Women. Work," imucluried
• most enooseeful performance.
Part two oconnenoad wile the °lecture to Rossini'.
"it ciarbiere." which was played by the band with
ezdeeding taste mid adinirsi.le precision. Kr. IN./iees
then gained the first •0001.0 eel tbs evening by hie
manly rendering of Spark'. Pad "Mile and Drum.
and in reel")"e he repealed the concluding verge.
am Made boon . , emag " (Millard) is •
highly finished manner and was Gummed, but wag
unable t acknowledga the compliment, Mr.
Etryt in Smith explained the lady wee tired
by reason of the arduous ststare of bee
duties. (From • primate source of information we are
trammed Maclaine doorey'a child was dangerously
IU at the time of the oonceit, and, in fact, hoe Mime
deed; any falling off whim three who have heard
her before detected will thus be accounted for. It
must be a sorry teak to sing under aitob a burden a.
that,) The unnooompanied pert wog, '1111.01,011 to
os Fovea," w.a remarkably wed sung, the light so,'
'Audi, being well emiotain Patentee semi-damned
song" rh• lAA Watch," one of Plat celebrate c on-
porier's best wriUngs, wee sung in grand ecyle by dlr.
Hayden, NW was euthudaetioally elm Ire I. At sued
• lete hour Mr. thydeu bowed ins acknowledgmeots.
The lively "Dense Romanesca," payed en exoeilent
style by the band, was as adininable ounoludon to tie
oonowt. Mr. Boyt in Smith wielded the Wagon
throughout with ula socrustornal abiuty.