8 Pianos in Concert
Played Simultaneously by 32 hands, Like a Grand Organ |
By our Music Critic
Novelty in the form of a concert is difficult to discover, but Madame Morfydd Williams found it in a band of eight pianos at a concert given at the City-hall, Cardiff, by the Cardiff Ladies' Choir in aid of the funds of the Royal Infirmary and the Central Boys' Club and Institute. The pianos were used to accompany Roeckel's descriptive cantata "Westward Ho!" sung by the choir, who provided the soloists in several attractive numbers.
The novel accompaniment approached more nearly the effect of a grand organ than a band of percussion instruments.
Chopin's " Polonaise in A," with eight players, opened the programme, but the piece of the evening was the " Caprice Concertante," by Coenen, with sixteen performers, who succeeded in creating the effect of one mighty instrument which disturbed the echoes of the City-hall, but throughout the performance the melodies were kept clear. and distinct, and flowing gracefully to a big accompaniment.
AUDIENCE DELIGHTED
The performance was successful, whether one admired the big effect or not. That is a matter of choice, but the novelty delighted the audience.
The pianists were Mrs. Ceinwen Bowen, Mrs. Fred Jenkins, Mrs. W. J. Jenkins the Misses Vida Angle, Mable Briley, Enid Burgess, Olwen Davies, Kitty McCallum, Muriel Pearson, Nancy Stickler, Kathleen Vaughan, Winifred Walrund, Gwendolen Williams, and Messrs. Fred Jenkins, Cyril Luker, and Reginald Pye. Madame Morfydd Williams conducted.
Two piano duets were played by Mrs. Fred Jenkins, Morfydd Williams, Fred Jenkins, and Reginald Pye.
The soloist was Maelgwyn Williams, whose principal item was the famous aria from "The Barber of Seville. Members of the choir - Enid James, Daisy Summers, and Marian Bell contributed a number of solos in the second part of the programme, and encores were frequent. Part songs by the choir concluded an interesting concert of an unusual character.
In the interval the Lord Mayor (Alderman C. F. Sanders) complimented Madame Williams and the choir upon their work on behalf of many good causes, and Sir William Diamond, K.B.E., thanked the choir and their conductress for their assistance on behalf of the infirmary. Madame Morfydd Williams acknowledged the compliment of the presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress (Miss M. Muriel Sanders), which they fully, appreciated.
Source and date unknown - probably about the mid 1920s
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