The Wireless Military Band, conducted by B. Walton O'Donnell
Alice Moxon (Soprano)
Cyril Towbin (Violin)
THE Overture opens with a few bars of Introduction ; then we hear, very softly, a well shaped, rather slow tune in the Violins (Rienzi's Prayer). This proceeds and is soon taken up, loudly, by the Full Orchestra. After a time, the music comes to a period, and makes a fresh start (quick and energetic); the Wind instruments have loud repeated chords, the 'Cellos and Double-basses do rapid downhill scales.
Soon after comes a very striking passage, in which the Brass alone thunder out the Call to Arms from the Opera.
Then comes Rienzi's Prayer Tune again (but quicker this time than before), and after that the Call to Arms again, and then a stirring march-like tune, at first in Strings and Woodwind softly, but soon afterwards by all the instruments of the Orchestra, as loudly as they can (to it.
Out of these tunes the Overture is constructed.
COLOMBA, Sir Alexander Mackenzie's first Opera, was produced by the Carl Rosa
Company in 1883, and has also been performed in Germany. The plot is taken from the story of Corsican love and vengeance by Merimee.
Tho Prelude is based on four themes from the Opera. First is heard the motif of Revenge. The next chief theme, given out softly, to a throbbing accompaniment, is that of the ' Vocero cr lament sung over tho body of a victim of vendetta. After this has been developed, the music works up to the sweeping Love theme. Towards the close, we hear the quiet theme of the Prayer that is sung over Colomba's dead body. Finally, tho previous themes are briefly recoiled.
FRANCK'S piece is the Prelude to the second part of Redemption, a 'Poem Symphony,' or sacred Cantata, written in 1872, expounding the idea of man's redemption from the fruits of his selfishness and anger through tho influence of Christian ideals and conduct. The Prelude is a blend of graceful melodic ideas, woven with all Franck's skill and dramatic declamation.
Hymn, ' Thy Kingdom come, 0 Lord ' Confession and Thanksgivings Psalm 100 Lesson
Nunc Dimittis Prayers
Hymn, ' Hark the glad sound '
Address by the Rev. H. R. L. SHEPPARD Hymn, ' Abide with me '
SOLOMON (Pianoforte)
THE WIRELESS CHORUS
THE WIRELESS ORCHESTRA, conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON
THIS work on which Elgar has exercised his skill as an orchestrator, a splendid specimen in Bach's most dignified and spacious manner, dates from the later portion of his time as Organist at Weimar (towards 1717), when he was making his reputation as the greatest organist of the day.
Chorus with Orchestra
Toward the Unknown Region Vaughan Williams
THOSE, probings of the mysteries of Life and Death, which so often occupied the mind of America's great poet, Walt Whitman , have always made a strong appeal to Ralph Vaughan Williams.
We find an early manifestation of this affinity between poet and composer in the choral work Towards the Unknown Region.
LISTENERS are by now fairly familiar with several of the works of Borodin (1834-1887), that curious combination of musician with Doctor of Medicine and Professor of Chemistry. His powerful Second Symphony was completed in 1877. It is in four Movements, of which we are to hear the Second and Third. The Second, the Scherzo, has persistent rhythms and plenty of gay orchestral colour. The Third Movement is of a quiet reflective type. A solo Horn's soft melody, at the beginning, is notable. This a solo Clarinet repeats, and after a good deal of intermediate matter a long, noble declamation of this tune, dying away, normally brings us without break to the final Movement. This, however, will not be played tonight.
