SHEET.
THE CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT.—The concert given in the Institute on last Thursday evening in aid of the funds of the Sheet Choral Society and the Petersfield Musical Festival was attended with the success it deserved. There was a full audience and the programme was a remarkably good one. The performance of the Choral Society, ably conducted by Miss Nettleship, naturally excited much interest and was for the most part satisfectory. The manner in which the singers interpreted the different selections evidenced diligent training of the voices. The tone was fairly good throughout and the pitch generally well maintained whilst as regards the other desiderata of choral singing the display was creditable. The choir sang Purcell’s chorus, ‟In these delightful pleasant groves,” Elgar’s part song for women’s voices, ‟The Snow,” the chorus ‟He that shall endure” (Mendlessohn), and the part song for men’s voices, ‟Thuringian Volkslied,” arranged by Frank Abt, all of which pieces are subjects for competition at the Petersfield Festival this week. The choir were at their best in the rendering of Schubert’s ‟Song of Miriam” in which the soprano solo was excellently sung by Miss Sylvia Bennett, A.R.C.M. The rest of the programme as we had predicted, was of special merit, indeed Sheet people have few opportunities of hearing such fine talent in their midst. Miss Sylvia Bennett’s songs ‟Olivia” (Cotsford Dick) and ‟A Broken Heart” (Gerard Cobb) were rendered with capital vocal quality and taste, while Mr. Leonhardt Sickert’s singing was very highly apreciated. In ‟Myrra,” a tender love song by Clutsam, and Molloy’s soldier song ‟The Lads in Red,” Gounod’s ‟Swift Flies the Arrow,” and the old English song ‟Jordan,” Mr. Sickert’s agreeable baritone voice and smooth style were displayed with nice effect and in response to a hearty encore after the last-named he gave a delightful interpretation of ‟The Arrow and the Song.” The instrumental items of corresponding excellence. Miss May Crum’s violin playing was splendid, revealing a breadth and purity of tone coupled with execution and artistic treatment which rendered it altogether admirable. Her solos were ‟Romance” (Sunsden), ‟Tarabande and Tambourine” (Leclair), ‟Idyll” and ‟Lullaby” (Hubert Parry), and Dvorak’s ‟Humoreske.” In all she was most successful and elicited the warmest applause. Quite one of the best items of the programme was the slow movement of Bach’s Double Concerto as played by this lady and Miss Causton on two violins. Mrs. Urmston and Miss Hilda Causton were the accompanists and did much to add to the general success of the concert.