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SPLENDID SINGING BY THE CHOIR,

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SPLENDID SINGING BY THE CHOIR, CARDIFF, Wednesday Night. Tell it not in Gath that a city of the IirBtBnsions of Cardiff is too pre-occupied tO pause for a day or two once in three years to hold intercourse with the most Aspiring of all democracies, Music. Art, and particularly music,- should not have to supplicate to commerce for recognition. Musical progress has Senerally been coincident with commer- Clal prosperity, and the luxury of a festival generally implies that a town has risen to an appreciation of its desirabi- lity. There were, however, empty seats 4t the Park-hall this morning for the "Pening concert of the fifth triennial ^Uskal festival. Hence the gentle Philippic, gentle because, although there Wore empty seats, the attendance seemed a good deal larger than at the corre- sPonding gathering three years ago. But '■We should have been no vacant chairs. »The presence of the Lord Mayor (Sir S. Crossman), wearing his chain of -See, and accompanied by the aldermen councillors, gave a civic flavour to ^6 function. The procession was received by Mr. Robert Forrest and pther festival officials, a guard of honour being provided by members of the fire- rigade. As soon as tne members of the chorus and orchestra were in position— It group of nearhT 400 performers-the Scene drew pleasant compliments, a brilliant sunshine adding to its pic- turesquene&s. Promptly at half-past one Dr. F. H. Cowen took his place, and camo in for a reception that left no 'joubt as to his popularity. The National 7*ithem having been sung, without ^broidery, the festival opened, appro- pately and well, with "Hail! Bright $cilia," from Pureell's "Ode on St. .^cilia's Day," written for a celebration London in 1692. j The general character of the four faJ"s' programme leaves little room °r complaint on the score of j^tholicity. The whole arrangements, an indicate a comprehensive discriminating musical outlook on G part of those responsible. It would, .^rtheless, be interesting to know why g- "e Golden Legend should have been en pride of place for the opening ^eeting. The reason would not have so far to seek if it contained any ?°ral matter worth talking about, jJ.her in extent or character. That it ftill has admirers need not be doubted, IjUt its glories have for the most part ^parted. For soloists there were Miss Jpes Nicholls, Miss Gwladys Roberts, "lr. Ben Davies, and Mr. Charles Tree, tich being adequately provided for bv Zl composer, while the chorus through- Ocr en^re concert were probably not b cUpIed more than three-quarters of an a^SPtner. The chorus may be to make the festival even in sue daj's wihen the orchestra is &r» a big factorJ and no pro- t'haf0?16 Can satisfactory tk ^oes not provide adequately for the '< It was not until Beethoven's Of alIelujah" was reached at the end tL 6 concert that the real quality of clK)ral singing made a definite tjw ^ssion. In "The Golden Legend" ^Jffect was satisfactory without being eW convincing. The Beethoven ha/Us' however, removed any doubt that ,existed as to the capability of the The tone is of an essentially „ y quality, round arid mobile, while Q-Uer attributes of vocal expression It clearly been carefully cultivated. perhaps, in the all-round intelli- ^rouSht to bear upon the inter- clve side of its work that the chorus r;l-ttbl:i&hed its right to admiration. Dr. omen's requirements seemed to be H^erally anticipated, with the result tat th«re a smoothness and spon- $eity that impelled appreciation even 0^\n the intonation was not quite at tlio orchestra or the pitch was ^atoamtainffd, as in "O Gladsome A more stimulating perform- ty Than that of Beethoven's Hallelu- 4esi could not, however, have been th fed and there can be little doubt in the other congenial works to the chorus is destined to distin- ^lis'h itself. {. Miss Gwladys Roberts, a cew-comer to 1 ^festival. sang the music of Ursula 1 owf genuine feeling, and, although 4 it ?Kasl*v nervous, her voice carried with rij^j °f smcerity- Miss Agnes kt s d,!<i not S1™ of her best until 1 l^RaU>a> ton Harty's "Ode to a Night- ] W,l?, was reached. This proved a of turned and picturesque setting P<>«m, the orchestra being y and effectively employed in 1 W«ratins the varying moods of the Of 01 > the whole resulting in a collection Cl., 17aore or less attractive orchestral j *os, with a vocal superstructure for ( ap s°Prano or tenor. The composer <w6^rs to have been influenced to a extent by Elgar, and there can 4 objection to this, since the work as a sufficienibly individual to make it acoeptable. Although ( ^mposer, who conducted, occasion- j allowed her to be overweighted by •( orchestra, Miss Agnes Nicholls ft^6red the vocal pa<rt with the success c ■1^ generally comes of con amore work. s fcrima donna was tho recipient of c"0jq '1 floral tributes, and the youthful c 'i^ ^r was vigorously cheered. ] Ode to a Nightingale" was } an°ther novelty, Mr. Arthur c it ,s ^one-poem "Summer." That tlian merely scholastic ^oSe ^3 hoard +Vf/a<Iily understood by f ^ll + ilniHmn + oomPoeer's delight- t "h> festival °f 1904, t -T>ast and the two rvir>fin- £ «a th?, March, { t;°auced at the 1901 festival. The par ^lar summer depicted by Mr. HeSrev i J^Qot have been the summer of 1907^ t his muse is largely charged with the i ^it of languor engendered by a sultry j There are, however, many moments c k sheer brightness, the work suggest- v§, here and there the orchestral t of Saint-Saen's Phaeton. As S 1" Hervey happens to be an authonta- s conductor as well as a composer who j ^^b^ys^omoUiin^freah^to^^y^ t b

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SPLENDID SINGING BY THE CHOIR,