SINGERS AND PLAYERS

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 271, 13 November 1909, Page 14

SINGERS AND PLAYERS

Arrangements are ibeing made for the public appearance in Sydney of Haydn Beck, the clever boy violinist from New Zealand. The bright little chap gave a private recital at Nicholson's, Georgestreet, Sydney, a week or so back. The Sydney Philharmonic Society were to give a performance of Berlioz's "Faust" on the 10th inst., with Mies Rosina Buckmann as Marguerite, and Mr. Philip Newbury as Faust. The chorus and orchestra numbered 400. Another nota;ble recruit at the music halls is announced. Mr. Ben Davies, the eminent tenor, who for years haa been a prominent figure at all the leading musical festivals, appeared for the first time at the Palace Theatre, London, recently. It is an interesting coincidence that at the opening of the Palace as an opera house by Mr. D"Oyly Carte 18 years ago Mr. D&vies played the principal part in "Ivanhoe." Besides being a fine tenor singer, Mr. Davies is a good raconteur, and is known among his friends as "Jolly Ben." M. Saint-Saens, the composer of the music for " False Gods," now being played by Tree at Her Majesty's, attending a minor concert on one occasion as an unrecognised listener, became co irritated by the wretched performance of the pianist that during the interval he went to the keyboard and improvised, to the delight of the audience. Having been prevailed upon to act as pianist for the rest of.the evening, the manager at the end offered him a continued engagement of 5/ per night. " I am afraid I must refuse your offer," said M. Saint-Saene. " You see, it would not pay mc, as in Paris I can get ten shillings." The year 1013 will mark the centenary of the birth of Guiseppe Verdi, and in order to commemorate this notable event there is to be an International Theatrical Exhibition, which is to receive the assistance of the Italian Government. It will ,be divided into three main sections—(a) The theatre, which will include reproductions of ancient, mediaeval, and modern scenery, fashions, representations of mysteries, tournaments, etc.; (b) music embracing all manner of instruments; (<j) artists, and theatrical literature, under which will be included everything appertaining to actors and thsir work. ■Dr. Harries, who proposes a visit of a big English choir next year, has arrived in Australia from Vancouver. Interviewed, he said he* had come to the ■Commonwealth to feel the pulse of the people- and" authorities regarding the proposed visit in 1911 of the famous Yorkshire Choir, which consisted of 200 voices, male and female, and was acknowledged the best in the world. Dr. Harris said he had, in accordance with a scheme to link up the Smpire musically as well as commercially, visited South Africa and Canada, where he had arranged for a tour. The Governments of those countries had practically guaranteed 'his returns, and he now came to Australia to endeavour to complete the chain. In the event of an arrangement being concluded, the choir would -leave England in March, 1911, on a six months' tour, the cost of which w»uld reach £ 50,000. The object of his mission was to effect a mutual exchange between, the component parte of t(he Empire in all the branch. - % and departments of music, and to strengthen the ties that help to bind the Empire together. Dr. Henry Coward has resigned his position as chorus master of the Sheffield Musical Festival, with -nihieh he has been connected since it 3 inception in 1895. The Festival, now one of the leading events in the musical world, had a very humble origin. It consisted merely of a performance of Mendelssohn's "Elijah," which was conducted by Dr. Coward himself. Since then Dr. Coward has devoted his energies to the superintendence of the Sheffield choir, with the result that during recent yeare some of the most difficult musical compositions ■have been successfully rendered, and the choir has attained a first-class reputation for its chorus-singing. Dr. Coward, who started work as a boy of nine in a cutlery establishment at Sheffield, has been successively schoolmaster and musician. He embraced the latter profession when 30 years of age, and in 1894 tool; Ihis degree of Mus. Doc at Oxford. Mr. Elliott, broken in health and well stricken in yeara—toe is sevenfcy-eix—has been compelled to resign after thirty-six years his position as organist at St. Mark's Church, St. John's Wood. He was an organist ■of repute, but he was ■best known to the musical world as the composer of "Hybrias the Cretan," which for fifty years has held its place in the front rank of English songs. His "Nursery Rhymes," too, are still played in many English and colonial horn«». The churchwardens of St. Mark's have issued an appeal, ajid it is hoped that Mr. Elliott will be enabled to spend the evening of his days in peace and comfort. In the "Girl's Own Paper" Miss Marie Hall, who will be well remembered by music lovers here, and who is described as tho first woman violinist in England, tells how a girl may become a professional violinist. She lays great stress upon the need of persistent and uninterrupted practice. She says: "Practice must be continuous and unending. I shall never forget my own bitter experience when I had typhoid fever a few years ago. The enforced break in my study and .practice was almost fatal to my career, for when I became convalescent and (attempted to handle my instrument again, I was almost heartbroken to discover that through my weakness and lack of practice I seemed quite unable to get any tone from the violin, or to be able to do anything with it at all. Coming as it did after my .years of training and my never-ceasing struggles to get on, the shock was almost more than I could .bear, and, indeed, it threw mc into a violent relapse which much retarded my recovery. This, of course, iwae after I had mot touched the violin for some months, but I can assure you every day that is missed makes some difference, causing something to be lost which part of the next day ie wasted ia recovering." More important even than confidence, she says, is concenbration: —"Concentration ■upon *he music which is to be played is the goal to aim iait. The player should lose ail sense ■>£ has or iher personality, and forget the very preeence of the audience altogether. Personally, even from my earliest years, my intense love of my instrument and my a-rt has enabled mc to entirely lose all sense of selif when playing. All my soul is wrapt up in tflie music, and I am conscious of nothing else until the piece is finished.. I remem■ber that as a child, when people were frequently asked to hear mc play, I was so intensely nervous that I could hardly be induced, to come before them, but when had my bow in any hand and commenced'to play, this feeling entirely .vanished."