The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-12-15
A REVELATION
IN VOCAL MELODY
WESTMINSTER GLEE AND CON
CERT PARTY GIVE A MOST DE-
LIGHTFUL CONCERT.

Glee and Concert Company was a re-
violation in unaccompanied singing and
in the possibilities of voice training for
the purposes of concerted vocal har-
mony. Without any very wonderful
voices in the party, though with none
that are not trained to purity of tone,
and accuracy and variety of express
sion, they gave concert last night
that was thoroughly enjoyable and en-
joyed, a delight to the ear, a liberal
education in the possibilities of the
human voice.
Whe opening number was a glee by
Sir Henry Bishop, "Foresters Sound the
Cheerful HoIn." No better selection
could have been made. The verse
though not of the highest quality is
rythmical dignifed, true, and grace
full i'm sentiment and diction. 1t was
fit vehicle for the splendid melody Of
the music and the open air clearness
and early morning harmony of the
voices. one might close ones eyes
and hear in the perfect harmony of the
voices the blending of the early morn
ing sounds and voices of the woodland
and the hunt There was the delicate
but penetrating quality of the horn
in the alto, the deeper sounds of the
hunt in the bass, and the clear wood
land notes in the tenors. There was
the purity of the early morning sounds
throughout.
The second number a part song, in
troduced the entire glee party. 1t
was "The Dawn of Day" by Samuel
Read, verses designed for much ,the
same quality Of voices as the other
though pitched in a gentler mood. In
this the beautifully trained voices of
the boys had ample scope and charm
ed with their birdlike purity, their
seeming naturalness, the perfect time
and rythm. The beauty of concerted
singing was given glorious eXemplifca-
ton. The well rounded, perfectly har-
monizing voices of the men attuned
with the sweet, clearvoices of the boys
blending in full throated harmony and
swelling in delightful diapason.
The remainder of the first part of the
program was duet, "Violets' by Mas
ters Ludlow and Travis; DAISIES and
Il Wonder" by Madame Hooten; and
an old English ballad Cherry Ripe
Master Albert Ludlow; a catch, a most
decided novelty introducing dramatic as
well as vocal expression, Poor Thomas
Day." by Mr. Bauhof Mr.. Coward and
Mr.. Bennett; and a humorous part song
THE House That Jack Built by the
entire party.
What was undoubtedly the finest
number of the evening, in noble words
welded to noble music, and rendered
with every element of excellence in
which the party is strong was the
opening number of the second part of
the program, the anthem send Out
! Thy Light" Yet perhaps it was. the
( least appreciated. Certainly it was
! the least applauded. To account for
! this is possibly to strike at the only
vulnerable point in the performance.
Many of the numbers were so light
| and trivial in their literary aspect as
to at once emphasize the difference
between the words and the musical
rendition and in a sense to exaggerate
the quality of the latter. There was
the element of pleasing surprise that
rious musical effects could be secured
In the anthem, there was not this con-
trast. The words were as worthy as
the music and the rendition was worthy
of both.
1t is not to be understood that il
this criticism, the songs chosen for this
program are spoken of slightingly
There was evident a purpose, and &
legitimate one, in the arrangement o.
the program. 1t was to bring out il
clear view the qualities of the voices
and the training they have received
and the possibilities of the human voice
considered as a musical instrument
And certainly the company worthily
and interestingly presents those posi-
bilities.
There win be an entire change o.
program at each of the performance!
to be given, and each program will b,
designed to present some characteristic
or excellence of concerted vocal music
The humorous musical sketch, the
Musical Village" by Dudley Caustor
was a delightful comedy touch that
made itself a feature of the program
The following are the artists com
posing the company.
Lady Vocalist: Madame Marie Hoo
ton
Boy Sopranos: Masters William Edg
ley, Albert Ludlow, Gordon Travis
Arthur Bates, Albert Sheppard, Johr
Marzicani and William Waters, from
the London Training School for Choris
tiers.
Male Altos: Percy Coward, past as,
sistant Lay-Vicar of Westminster Alb
hey and Hayden Fraser, past soloist
Westminster Abbey choir.
Tenors: Edward Branscombe, pas
Lay-Vicar of Westminster Abbey and
Frederick Bauhof, past assistant singer
Westminster Abbey choir
Bases: II. Sterndale Bennett, A. r
c. NJ, and Frank Romney, r. A. NJ.
Musical Sketches: Dudley Causton.
Accompanies: Edward BranscOmbe
and II. Sterndale Bennett "A. r. c. NJ.
Manager: Charles Chambers.
Director: Edward Branscombe