Yorkshire Herald , 7th March, 1914
York Symphony Orchestra will give their second concert of the season on |Monday, March 16th, in the Exhibition Buildings, York. The programme will include, overture, "The Bartered Bride" (Smetana), Symphony No. 2 in D (Beethoven), Slavonic dances (Dvorak), and a group of songs by Mr. Campbell McInnes. It would be almost superfluous to dwell upon the excellence of this clever band of musicians, who have annually for many years given delight to hundreds of the music-loving public of York. It may be taken for granted that when the York Symphony Orchestra take any work in hand under the- leadership of the popular Minster organist, Dr. E. C. Bairstow, as in the case under notice, it will be well done. Special interest centres in Mr. J. Campbell McInnes, the eminent baritone, whose return visit to York will be warmly welcomed. He won high favour when he was here before, and something equally as good, perhaps better, is expected of him this time.
York Star , 12th March, 1914
The York Symphony Orchestra will hold their 28th concert on Monday next, March 16th, when Mr. J. Campbell McInnes, the eminent baritone, will pay a welcome return visit to the City.
Mr. McInnes was the principal baritone at the Leeds Musical Festival in 1910, and has already rendered valuable assistance at York Symphony Orchestra concerts on two previous occasions. A programme containing particularly attractive and inspiring music has been arranged, the items of outstanding interest being the comedy overture, "The Bartered Bride," by Frederick Smetana; Symphony No. 2 in D (Beethoven); Dvorak's "Slavonic Dances"; and Handel's aria from "Berenice." Dr. E. C. Bairstow and Miss Knocker will share the duties of conductor.
The prices of admission are: Reserved seats, 3/-; Gallery, 2/-; Second Seats, 1/-. The doors open at 7.15, and the concert commences at 8 o'clock. Tickets may be obtained at Mr. Arthur Anderson's Coney Street, York.
Yorkshire Chronicle , 12th March, 1914
The second concert of the season will be given on Monday next, March 16th.
The York Symphony Orchestra, as is well known, was established in 1898, by Mr. T. Tertius Noble, and until his departure for New York, in April last, his devotion to its affairs and the steady progress which was continually made will be always considered one of Mr. Noble's greatest services to the cause of music in York. Since his departure, Dr. E. C. Bairstow and Miss E. G. Knocker have been co-conductors, and, judging from the excellence of the last concert, the success of the Society is well assured.
The Society deserves well of the music-loving public, as it provides the only opportunity of hearing classical orchestral music in York, and in addition renders very valuable assistance to the York Musical Society at their concerts.
The principal item in the programme for the next concert is Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D. This work was completed about the year 1802, and is a profoundly interesting and stirring work. It was first performed in Vienna in Holy Week, 1803, and its performance astonished the critics of that day. It is full of energy, of daring contrasts, and of lovely melody, and bears marked evidence of that infinite care and refinement which is one of the great secrets of Beethoven's undying fame.
For the first time, we believe, in the Society's career, one of Dvorak's orchestral works will be included in the programme, and in selecting the Slavische Tanze or Slavonic Dances, a very admirable choice has been made. They were first played at the Crystal Palace in 1878, and have ever since enjoyed the widest popularity. The dances reproduce in an idealized form the strong contrasts of expression, rhythm and brilliant ornamentation that characterize the natural music of the gipsy bands of Southern Europe.
Smetana's overture to "The Bartered Bride" will also be included in the programme. Until the advent of Dvorak, Smetana was regarded as the greatest of Bohemian composers, and the overture is remarkable for the variety of its themes and contrasts, and contains an amusing fugato movement.
Mr. J. Campbell McInnes, who will be the vocalist, is no stranger to York. He was principal baritone at the Leeds Musical Festival in1910, and won golden opinions not only for the rich beauty of his voice, but for his fine gift of interpretation.
Yorkshire Gazette , 14th March, 1914.
YORK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
The programme of the second concert of present season, which takes place on Monday evening in the Exhibition, is of a particularly attractive character. The works to be given include the overture to "The Battered Bride," by Smetana, a Bohemian, who died in 1884. The opera is entirely unknown in England, but the overture, which is also known as "Lustspiel," is a great favourite, the composer being one of the greatest of his country's musicians. Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D is a splendid example of the great master's genius, being full of energy, daring contrasts, and exquisite melody. Dvorak's "Slavonic Dances" will also be played. Bright, lively, and full of energy, these dances have obtained wonderful success, and are always welcome. The whole of the works have been carefully rehearsed under the conductorship of Dr. Bairstow and Miss Knocker, and a thoroughly adequate performance of the works may be anticipated. Mr. J. Campbell McInnes will be the vocalist. He has already appeared on two occasions before York audiences, from whom he received the heartiest of welcomes. He is a most accomplished vocalist, with a baritone voice of great richness. He will sing "Si tra i Ceppi," ("Berenice"), Handel; "Silent Noon" (from the cycle of "The House of Life"), Vaughan Williams; "D'une Prison," Reg. Hahn, and "Von ewiger Liebe," Brahms.