congratulated on the presentation of the Annual Heritage Month Concert last Saturday at City Hall, featuring J. Robert Thacker, piano, and Ru-Zelda Nisbett-Severin, soprano, with Lloyd Matthew as accompanist.

What a memorable occasion this was! The Rev. Robert Thacker played a difficult but well-chosen programme.

This local rector began playing early in his life. After graduation from high school he won a full scholarship to the Sherwood School of Music, Chicago, but after two years he made preparations to be a priest. He graduated with a major in history and a minor in music. This "neo-debut'' after 30 years of non-performance was encouraged by his family, friends and co-chairman of the Association, Dr. Marjorie Bean.

Robert made a masterful start with Sonata in D minor by Johann Adolph Hasse, dispelling any possible sign of nervousness. The opening allegro gave way to an adagio of beautiful legato tone. The Gigue featured a delicate and delightful conversation between left and right hands. The whole piece had a full German Baroque flavour.

Ru-Zelda Nisbett-Severin opened her programme with a charming rendering of Purcell's Music For A While. Then followed Schubert's Am Meer displaying lovely phrasing and effective changes of mood. She was sympathetically and discreetly accompanied by Lloyd Matthew who gave the singer the calm and gentle support always needed at these times. Ru-Zelda captured the distraught and questioning mood of the Countess in a well-sung Dove Sono (Marriage of Figaro) by Mozart.

Robert Thacker finished the first half of the programme with Sonate Pathetique Opus 13 by Beethoven. This is a fiendishly exacting work and was well tackled.

Although there were some slight slips in the first movement, the lovingly and thoughtfully played Adagio Cantabile gave full compensation for these. The Rondo received a lively and dexterous performance. This sincere and stylish playing made a refreshing change from some of the hackneyed performances we hear elsewhere.

A lively and charming Dr. Marjorie Bean spoke to the audience in the intermission explaining that proceeds of the concert would help to raise scholarships for well-deserving young people with their various studies.

Chanson d'Amour by Faure opened the second half. This was followed by The Trees on the Mountains (Susannah) by Carlisle Floyd. Ru-Zelda has a fine technique with plenty of colourful and interesting phrasing. Her clear diction and a thoroughly satisfying sense of performance help to communicate her own enjoyment of singing.

In Passing Clouds by John Carre, the moods of this eclectic unfamiliar piece were admirably caught. The technical difficulties of Sonatina No. 1 in C by Kabalevsky were surmounted by Robert Thacker with ease. His encore of Chopin's Nocturne in B flat minor confirmed the reflective and sincere nature of his playing. This pianist succeeded in maintaining the interest of the appreciative audience throughout the whole programme.

In conclusion, Ru-Zelda gave a rich rendering of three Spirituals. What an atmosphere these created! Long may this genre be cultivated and preserved and our culture thereby enriched! They were certainly very popular at this concert as was the unique rendering of Summertime from Porgy and Bess, which brought the musical presentation to a close. Barbara Howson.