French Club

On Tuesday last, the V.U.C French Club, in co-operation with the Music Department, gave such of us as were sufficiently interested to go along, a rare treat. Most of us find some fascination in the work of French composers of the second half of last century: but perhaps the most fascinating section of the period's production is the work of the song writers. Such men as Faure and Duparc. by their musical settings, succeeded in raising the poetry of the time above a level which could other-wine with justice be termed "mediocre." Paure, for example, gives us a translucent setting, exquisitely thin and diaphanous, yet rich and almost painfully moving, of lines which are almost banal as they stund.

Ferme tes yeux a drmi,
Croise tes bras sur fon scin
... et ... les rosaignols tera . . ."

Yet in his hands, words and music become a thing of extreme beauty.

The French Club had the happy inspiration of giving us the opportunity to hear some of these songs, played and sung by some of the most gifted artists at present at Wellington. The first and last group were sung by Honer McKellar, accompanied by Dorothy Davies while the centre group was sting for us by Donald Munro, accompanied by Frederick Page. Included in the programme were Les Berceaux (Sully Prudhomme) and Nell (Leconte de Lisle), both by Fuure, and Phldyle I Leconte de Lisle) by Duparc; then Donald Munro gave us L'Invltation au voyage (Baudelaire), an exquisite little bitter-sweet love song. Elcgie. a translation of Thomas Moore, Chanson Trtsto (Jean Labor), concluding with Le promenade des deux amants (Trlston l'Hormito)—all with settings by Duparc. The final portloa of the programme sung, as the first, by Honer McKellar, was devoted to Vorlalne's cycle of verses "La Bonne Chanson," with nettings by Faure.

Honer McKellar sang sweetly and truly, with a fine appreciation of the I subtleties of her material. Donald Munro, who has a fine voice, although perhaps a trifle too robust for this sort of material, sang with artistry and—most important with these French songs—unobtruslveness. We have only one regret, and that is that some of what to us are the best of Fnure's work, and who will deny that he is one of the best of the three composers who can write a song?—xv.is omitted from the programme. We would, for example,. have welcomed with Joy either "Apres un reve" or "Claire de Lune." to mention but two.

All credit is due. however, to the French Club for organising such an original-and yet obvious-evening, and to the music department for Its sympathetic and fruitful aid.

If this be the French Club's new inspiration, may its fount flow ever more copiously!

—R.E.H.