Clara Butt (1872-1936)

MISS CLARA BUTT'S CONCERT.
Produced at Colston Large Hall, Bristol on 26th May, 1897

A brimming full house - the orchestra being brought into requisition to contain the overflow of folk from the area and galleries - attended the concert given in Colston large hall last night by Miss Clara Butt and her talented associates. That so large an assemblage should come together under a roof towards midsummer, when out-of-door entertainments are more appropriate, shows the high esteem in which the young Bristolian is held by the residents of her own city. There was a good array of talent, sufficient, apart from Miss Butt, to command hearty support.

Mdme. Emilie Frances, Miss Nellie Griffiths, Mdlle. Lily Rebna, Mr. Herbert Grover, and the Royal Ladies' Welsh Choir (directed by Mdme. Clara Novello Davies) were the singers. The instrumentalists were Mons. Johannes Wolff, violin; Mr. Henry Bramsen, violoncello (in the place of Mr. Leo Stern); and Mons, Bemberg and Mr. S. Liddle were jointly conductors and accompanists. The band of Welsh lady vocalists, who were attired in evening dress - not in the orthodox Welsh costume - shortly after eight o'clock took their seats on the platform (where they remained during the whole of the evening), and opened tho programme by singing the famous Welsh composition, "The March of the Men of Harlech " (arranged by Sidney Fifoot), which they interpreted from memory with clearness, precision, and expression, for which they were awarded hearty applause.

Two other artists having appeared, Miss Clara Butt (who wore a couple of beautiful decorations given her by the Queen) ascended the platform and was greeted with enthusiastic plaudits. Molloy's "Golden Bells" (new) was her first piece, which she rendered with great charm, fulness and richness of voice, clear articulation, phrasing, and arstic appreciation, but not quite with the steady voice production and absence of vibrato we should desire. The assemblage, who were delighted with the song and the way it was sung, as they had reason to be, showered upon the fair vcalist a torrent of applause, and recalled her to receive, at the hands of Mr. Crichton, a large basket of beautiful flowers. The assemblage were not content, however, until Miss Butt returned to the platform with the copy of another song to oblige again.

The second piece was Hahn's "Si mes vers avient des ailes," the singing of which was rather spoilt at the commencement by someone in the gallery persistently calling out "Sit down." Towards the end of the first part of the programme were inserted Schubert's "Der tod und das Madchen," and Clara Novello Davies's "A Voice from Spirit-land." Miss Butt grandly unfolded them with a passion and pathos which deeply impressed the audience, Madame Davies, who acted as accompanist, shared the reward so lavishly bestowed. Again more was demanded, and Miss Butt obliged with a charming interpretation of the famous valse song, "il segretto," from Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia." A lovely and tender composition of Cowen, "The Voice of the Father" (with refrain by the choir), was her first essay in the second part, and it was magnificently given by soloist and choir, and once again an encore was persisted in, the response being "A Souvenir" of Bemberg, who accompanied it.

Mdme. Emily Francis, a member evidently of the Welsh Choir, achieved great success by her singing of Sullivan's "Poor Wandering One" with refrain by the chorus, and accompanied by Madame Davies. There was no escaping the insistence of the audience , to whose behests the singer yeilded, and added "Butterflies," of F. Corbett. Mdlle Lily Rebna, who has a cultured style and a fairly robust voice, which is rather spoiled the use of the vibrato, selected a couple of charming songs for her first essay, Schubert's "Maiden's Lament" and "Impatience," which were praiseworthily given, albeit with some nervousness. The lady subsequently did better in a couple of children s songs," and was heartily applauded. Everyone was agreeably surprised with the quality of the voice of Miss Nellie Griffiths and her charming method. She gave an exceptionally neat rendering of Verzano's "Ah! che assorta," and, other demands being made upon her powers and good nature, she afforded further gratification by her equally crisp singing of "Solveig's Song" (Greig).

Mr. Herbert Grover, who has a cultured voice and good style, and who seems fond of making much of his upper notes, contributed a couple of graceful ditties of Noel Johnson, "If thou wert blind " and "Goodnight, pretty stars," for which he was cheered and re-called. A yet more marked appreciation of his talents was forthcoming in the second part, when he so tastefully unfolded Blumenthal's "My Queen" that the audience called for an encore, and the artist added a verse of "An Evening Song," by the same composer.

The Royal Welsh Ladies' Choir gave from memory performances of other favourite compositions in their considerable repertoire besides the national air with which the concert opened. Lassen's "Spanish Gipsy," with which they won the first prize at the Chicago World's Fair, was made much of by the ever varying rate of movement at which it was taken, and the expression, sometimes a little exaggerated, with which it was marked, A crisp interpretation of "Clychan Aberdyfi" (arranged by D. Emlyn Evans) evoked enthusiastic applause, as did their rendering of Pinsuti's "Le Spagniole." It was refreshing to again hear Mons. Wolff, after an absence of a considerable length from Bristol. The compositions he selected were some of them essentially show pieces, the first one being Wieniawski's "Airs Russes," in which the lovely melodies are varied by every kind of ornamentation. His harmonics were freely produced, and with astonishing clearness and purity. The executant was cheered with great heartiness until he played again, and treated the assemblage to a performance of an Andante Religioso of Thome, the charms of which were the beauty of the melody, the warmth, richness,and fulness of the tone, and the grace of his playing. His other pieces were an Elegy of Ernst and an Alpenklange pf Hubay, to which he was constrained to add a clever and arresting serenade of Moszkowski.

Mr. Henry Bramsen (who took the place of Mr. Leo Stern, indisposed) proved himself to be an executant of high accomplishments and a talented composer also. He chose for his first essay "Nocturne Of Chopin" elaborated by himself, and so neatly and tastefully did be unfold it that he was thrice recalled and then was compelled to grant an encore in the shape of a gavotte by Klengel. A Spinnerlied of the evergreen Popper met with a like recognition, and "L'Extase" of Thome was given as an encore.

The last piece in the programme was "La Ballade du Desespere," by Mr. Bemberg, in which Miss Butt, Messrs Bemberg, Wolff, and S. Liddle took part. It seemed to be a clever effusion, but the many encores had lengthened the concert to nearly 11 o'clock, and no adequate opportunity was given of judging properly of its merits. Miss Butt returns to London to-day to take part in a concert at Cadogan-place in the afternoon, and in the evening she is to sing at a State concert at Buckingham Palace.

The Bristol Times and Mirror (UK) - 27th May, 1897