MR. HENRY SAINT-GEORGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 179, 29 July 1913, Page 6

MR. HENRY SAINT-GEORGE.

MUSICIAN AND AUTHOR. MUSrc IN AUSTRALASIA. MELBOURNE AND DUNEDIN LEAD. After an absence of five years. MiHenry Saint-George, examiner for the Board of Trinity College of Mueic (London), its making another visit to New Zealand. He arrived this morning by the Vancouver boat, and in looking forward with interest to hie trip through the Dominion, for which i*, has a koen regard. For the pttat cix years Mr Sa-in;.-C.borgc hae been engaged in thie examining work in the colonies, with only ooeaeJoTiaily a Hying visit to Liondon. His pre-.-ent itinerary started wUh Newfoundland in the first \ve<;k in .)une_, a7nl will conclude in December at Tasmania. Naturally Mr Sain't-iSeorge has had exceptional facilities for becoming acqiuuiuerl with musical matters throughout Austral aeia.

'"The thing thai lias struck mc roost in Allßtralasia," remarked Mr Sa'ntOieorgr this morning on board the Maraina to a "Star" reporter, "ie the largo amount of musical taJ-e.nt and temperament. ai'.J it seems to nip thst it reaches its highest point in Melbourne and Dunedin." Asked if there were any particular reason for Danedin'e superiority, he said tho climate might poefii'bly give the t»tndenie imirp energy for thoir study and work. Ppeaking f'f New Zealand np a whole. Mr =aid he had noticed that Ihe work "tighten*"'!up" Rβ he '.sent south, lie was particularly interested in his present vifeit, as he was anxious to make comparisons with what hi- had observe*! on hie previous visits, and see if the same conditions prevailed. When fhe question wse pnt to him ao to whether be nolJcp<i any improvement in the work from year to year, the evsmirver said it wi« a most difficult matter upon whioh to give an opink>n. He dealt with the earn-" grades year after year. The students vrpre continually cominE: up from below. He did not follow them further. 60 that it wae practically for him to make any corop:irif<on in the manner suggested.

'On? thing, however, that I hav P noticed in the oloni-PS," Mr ParTrt-Heorfre went on to say, "ie the amount of temperament, the real music , '.! feeling among the players. The *.-m? class of English echool-girl plays coldly and mechanically by comparison. The Aufitralafiian girl plays d:Rtinct!y wifn temperament. Sometimes sh» nhows 100 much, but that ie not a bad fault. You can tone doivn and check 100 much temperament much more easily than you can build up or produce it. 1 tvn!: th-e reason for this dliTerener ie due largely to the open-air, free life in the colonies. Here you have not the ocneona.l reserve of -the Enjjlaihcnr.. It ie jt;pt i'his reserve lhat po of:"D liicoun-is ihr r.i.iying of ii"o|-'!p. Th»y arc afraid of 'letting tiiemcelves <;:<,' and giving cxpmseion to their ferlin'•■<."

Mr Pnini-Oforgp will be remembered nrnonjr musical people in Aucklind for his playing on the viola Flo !>ad hope.l t-o be able to give a roci: nl during iiVi stay on this occasion, but last Saturday :>e was one of a *ong line of pawnnjfre and ship's company which w.'nt f.iroiicrii the ordeal of vaccination in view of the virclp«R reports about sir* illpoy. "I'm afraid." h< , observed. '"lliat my arm will he ju»l :>tiont m.ituring 1 y the time T \v:int to ;.!ay. hut I will fier 'vlifn I crci ashore."

Mr Sain!-t;-eorgc hac written a good • Ic.il on mueical ma-tore. Since he w:is hrro two book.---, from hip pen have been pnWi«hrd in Lond-on. One waf on violiiw. Th- other wee hardly Hie eort of thing I'tv w<v.i!-! evpect frim :i mueician. ''The Young Man from Stratford" is its titie, an,! it is ?iil! another contribution to tb.i , , fruitful source of controversy.

"\\"hn wrote sniakrsp n prc?" "'I got some vf-y good Trn-s notirer.' , remarked Mr S'nint-George. remraisi'fntlT. "and one or Iwn very ineultin? lptlera from Baroni-

::!ifi." \fr Sμ irrt -fipnrjjc maintains thn! Sk-vkrßTiearr wrote his rnvn playg, ami sitig-nlariy ennug-h. lip sxys -thart he ramo to thai, conclusion from the mrnle 'ie had read in books published to prnye t'l?"*, Bncon was the true author.

Tho r.vaminntionu b»'iHn to-morrow, ;>ml Mr P.i-'-nl-Onorjje will prohaWy he in Auoklnnrl for a wpfk or ten days. T A"hile hern ho will Kt-tj at iho Central ITot<>l.