The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Side 17

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
15
voluntary, the price is $1.75 which just
covers cost of publication. —
Orders will be accepted by the follow-
ing:
Canada Press Club — 619 McDermot
Avenue, Winnipeg.
Bjornsson’s Book Store — 702 Sargent
Ave., Winnipeg.
The Icelandic Canadian — 869 Gar-
field St., Winnipeg.
G. Eliasson
JRjeyRjavi&itsr
★
The visit of the Icelandic Male voice
Choir, (Karlakor Reykjavikur), was an
event of profound significance to the
people of Icelandic descent in the city
of Winnipeg, which is the centre of Ice-
landic culture on this continent.
The choir is an o two months’ tour of
the United States, under contract to the
National Concerts and Artists Corpor-
ation, to sing in 60 of the largest Amer-
ican cities. It was organized 20 years ago
by its present conductor SigurSur ThorS
arson: It toured the Scandinavian
countries in 1935 and central Europe in
1938, scoring triumphant successes. Now
it has taken America by storm.
When the Icelandic Singers turn home-
wards, Decenber loth, they will have
thrilled with their superb artistry, count-
less thousands, in 25 states of the Union,
and over 7500 people who listened to
them in Winnipeg. So varied and so
glowing are the tributes paid to them
by music critics everywhere, that we
feel almost justified in saying that they
are perfect in their art. This they would
no doubt deny, as true art sets its goal
above and beyond any perfection that
may already have been attained.
The choir has been lauded for the
beautiful quality of its voices and for
the perfect balance and blending of
tone; for its technical skill and mast-
erly discipline; for the masculine vigor,
rythmic energy and absolute precision
of its presentation; for its broad con-
trasts of mood and style, and its expert
graduation of tone.
The Washington Times Herald com-
mends the singers especially for their
good taste in choosing mainly music
of the typically folkish style, “such as
has vanished from our lives, crowded
out by films, juke boxes, and the radio’’.
Another chitic says: “The choir has
proved that it stands in the front rank
among world choirs”.
SIGURDUR THORDARSON
The Winnipeg Tribune says in part:
“ . . There is no display of virtuosity for
its own sake, no theatricalism, every-
thing is very simple and direct, with
little mark of showmanship. . . Every-
thing was done with a fine sincerity and
conviction........SigurSur ThorSarson
is a superb musician and leader of his