The School Concert

Mr. Waine gave a talk on Organ Building, illustrated pictorially by the epidiascope, fitted up for the occasion by Kay and Lamb, and aurally by a demonstration on a miscellaneous array of organ pipes (kindly lent to us by Messrs. Summers and Barnes, Organ Builders, York) and on the Chapel Organ played by J. A. Sutton. 'Mr. Waine coupled a brief analysis of the specification of the Chapel Organ, copies of which were provided for all, with some pictures and • comments on two famous organs, the organ in St. Paul's Cathedral and the new and controversial organ in the Royal Festival Hall. The talk was followed •by a short organ recital ending with the thrilling and ever-popular fugue on the 94th Psalm by Reubke.

SHROVE TUESDAY, 2nd MARCH, 1954, IN BIG HALL

This year the concert came as a welcome break near the middle of term and one could feel that the players, singers, and audience were ready to make it a half-term celebration.

The programme opened with a competent interpretation of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony (1st movement) by the orchestra. This marvellous work was scored by Schubert for eight wood-wind parts, seven brass, drums and strings. At this performance there was no brass to give that richness of tone which Schubert had in mind and no double basses to give the depth : they were sadly missed. On the other hand the balance between our strings and wood-wind was not unsatisfactory and the performance "came off". All departments of the orchestra had a chance to show their mettle and the 'cellos sailed valiantly through their famous tune.

Individual instrumentalists contributed the next four items. W. B. Hawkins gave a spirited account of the finale from a Handel Concerto : perhaps it was taken a little too fast to be entirely convincing. M. A. Jones and E. H. N. Turner made their debut in the double concerto world securely but without much expression. A. Bloomfield's fingers twinkled amiably and accurately through a Cramer study. R. Atkinson once again charmed his hearers with the sheer beauty of his violin tone.

After the interval came the real "meat" of the programme, and the Choral Society, hitherto silent, sprang to life with a rousing account of Handel's "Samson". Some of the leads might have been more confident but the climaxes were thrilling and in the quieter numbers the veiled tone succeeded in conveying the sadness and tragedy of the music. The orchestra, too, obviously enjoyed its Handel and gave the chorus plenty of support. We had the help of three visiting soloists,

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