Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 11 March 1932
Conisborough Musical Society.
Operatic and Orchestral Programme. “The Rebel Maid.”
The Conisboro’ Musical Society gave their annual concert on Wednesday evening, using for the first time the Epworth Hall, Denaby, a building suitable in itself and very convenient for the patrons of the Society.
There was a fairly good attendance (for a foggy night), and a splendid programme was thoroughly appreciated. The second half was occupied by the concert version of “The Rebel Maid ‘ (Montague Phillips), and the outstanding features of the first half were a delightful performance of a Dvorak quintet by the Yorkshire String Quartet and Miss Ivy Smith, and a pianoforte concerto, the familiar Capriccio, of Mendelssohn, by Miss Ivy Smith mid orchestra. This last was the outstanding feature of the concert and was rapturously applauded.
The best work of the choir was heard in the first half, though the opera was their most substantial contribution. But they sang two songs by Kennedy Fraser, charmingly contrasted, with a delicacy and beauty of tone which they never quite achieved when they came to the principal “item on the agenda.”
The recent death of Mr. Agar Craven, for many years a devoted tenor member of the choir, may have deepened the mood in which they sang “The Death Croon,” but the effect was very touching. They went on to the other Hebridean song in a recovered spirit of gaiety, and achieved a delightful rhythm and vivacity, without the least sacrifice of tone.
The second song. “The Road to the Isles,” had been lightly but effectively orchestrated by the conductor. Mr. W. A. Twelves, and choir, orchestra, and audience alike thoroughly relished it.
Another of Kennedy Fraser’s song’s, “Kishmul’s Galley,” was charmingly sung by Mr. Clifford Kemshall, who also sang “Ninetta” (Dr. Brewer) and some of the solo work in “The Rebel Maid.”
The Yorkshire String Quartet (Mr. Norman Rouse, Mr. Herrington, Mr. Allan Smith, and Mr. Collin Smith), in addition to playing the Dvorak quintet, strengthened and inspired the amateur orchestra which, with Mr. Harry Johnson at the piano, gave us throughout some very fine playing, particularly in the more solemn and tender of the operatic numbers. The orchestral work throughout was a very pleasing feature of the concert.
Mr. Collin Smith, the ‘cellist, whom we are never tired of hearing. played an “Elegiac Poem” of Bantock. Miss Patience Gilman and Mr. John Anderson, in addition to their excellent solo work m the second half, sang the duets, “Passing By” (Purcell) and “Trot here and there” (Messager).
Miss Pirellis Bridgewater (mezzo-soprano) sang the Dorothy and Abigail numbers in “The Rebel Maid,” and her singing of the landlord song had a piquancy which appealed to the audience, who demanded and got an encore.
Mr. Jack Bell, of Doncaster (baritone) was to have sung some of the minor solos in the opera, but was too ill to come, and Mr. Norman Hunt, a member of the choir. sang at short notice one of the duets with Mr. Anderson, “Ho, ho, diddle dum.” and sang it very well. “The Rebel Maid” was given on the whole, a sound performance, bearing every mark of careful rehearsal. The choir had some help from Doncaster.
The ladies were pleasing in tone and satisfactory in musicianship. The men, weak in numbers, but obviously delighting in the work, ware inclined to exuberance, and we had one or two forced climaxes which smote the ear unpleasantly, but these were slight blemishes in a performance which, taken generally, makts a distinct advance in the efficiency of the choir.
This was the society’s second performance of “The Rebel Maid,” which they first sang six years ago.