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An Appreciative Audience Spends a Charming Evening With the Arion Club, Good Music Well Presented and a Programme Agreeably Diversified. The Arion Club, Mr. William Greig con ductor, gave their third, and in general es timation beat, concert of the season at In stitute hall yesterday evening, a large, fashionable and thoroughly musical audience of invited friends enjoying the feast. The Programme was arranged as admirably as it was presented, and contained something for all tastes and every fancy—the vividly de scriptive, quaintly humorous, romantic, lively, sentimental and heroic. Each num ber was interpreted in its true spirit, even those of the listeners least educated in music understanding without effort the meaning of the songs. Assisting the Club were Mr. R. Hurick, solo pianist (a recent arrival in the city, well-recommended from European conservatories), and Meysre, Par fit, F. Hall and H. Burkholder—who fur nished the string accompaniment to the ninth number, introductory of the conclud ing half of the programme. There were in all thirteen numbers provided, but all or al most all were a) heartily applauded that the club kindly gratified the expressed desire for repetitions. Appropriate to the season, the first num ber of the evening was the ‘Spring Song”’— an airy, breezy, invigorating appetizer, if such were needed. Then followed the weird “Song of Harold Harfager (H. Werner), a typical ballad of the Norge—a waif and a pwn of martial pride in glorious history and valorous success. Johannes Brahm’s''Lullaby,” whose words are as simply sweet as its gentle melody, came in a gravade contrast next, preluding the aoto (for tenor) '* Hie Thee, Shallop” (F. Kitchen), by Mr. Ju. H. Russell, the club ac companying, ‘The song is of the character best suited to Mr. Russell’s familiar voice, and its execution was no thoroughly satisfac tory on anyone could desire. “Soumi's Song” (Franz Moir) was to many the bright gem of the evening, show ing asl it did to fullest advantage the splen did blending of the voices and the excellent quality of the bass. Thia foundation and groundwork of the music, swelled and throbbed through it like a grand organ note, throwing into harmonious relief the tenor, and perfecting a result charming to the ear as well as artistically perfect. Fun, free and jovial and running over, brought the audience heartily in sympathy with Mesars. George Sheddan, J. A. Grant and C. W. Rhodes in their trio ‘* Maiden Fair” (Haydn), and equally full of humor, though humor of a more subdued and quainter order, was ‘*A Canon” (Hisen hofer), by the club. A good choice had been made in the selec tion of the soloists for the descriptive piece “Lord Ailin’s Daughter (Alfred H. Gaul), Mr. E. A. Wolff's sweet, pure tenor, Mr. Herbert Kent’s manly, ringing baritone, and Mr. Percy Wollaston’s resonant and filling bass being just what was required for the delineation of the characters ; the story being told most effectively by the club, who in this number quite as well as in any other during the evening demonstrated the thoroughness of their instruction and the keen perception of their leader of the true effects of strength and shading. The serenade ‘* Dearest Awake,” (A. M. Storch), with string and piano accompani ment, (Measrs. K J. Middleton, 8. Y. Wootton, W. H. Pagram and George day forming the quartette) which introduced the final half of the programe, was very well received, a proof of popularity being the vociferous demand (for it was almost too demonstrative to be a request) for an encore. ‘* The Song of the Pedlar” (C. Lee Williams) was given with grace and humor; while ‘Good Night” (I. Kitchen) and “King Witlaf's Drinking Horn” (J. L. Hatton) introduced the club again in dreamy lullaby and picturesque descriptive respectively. Mr. Eurick chose for his number Liszt's pianoforte fantasia ‘ Norma,” and go well pleased his audience (the first public gath ering which has had the pleasure of listeni ing to his music in Victoria) that a return to the instrument was demanded, Mr. Eurick responding to the call and giving one of Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Songs With out Words, a difficult selection executed in a manner distinctly creditable. To do full justics to the merita of the concert as a whole or to the individual numbers making up the programme, is es sentially the province of the specially edu cated musical critic, who, captious and capricious as he might be, would find little to suggest and much to praise. Additional
Newspaper Details
Victoria Daily British Colonist
Victoria, British Columbia, CA
Thu, Apr 26, 1894
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Scott K.
USA 13 Jun 2026
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