MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 52, 3 March 1930, Page 9

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

AS OLD AS MAN

ADDRESS TO ROTARIAXS

"The sacred tongue of God." This was the description utilised by Mr. Alfred Eady in an address delivered to fellow Rotarians to-day on the subject of "Musical Instruments" The speaker declared that the craving of mankind for some form of musical selfexpression appeared to date back as far as the earliest record* of man's history when "the morning stars sang together." Through music came the divine urge towards higher aspirations and Mr. Eady took his hearers back thousanads of years to the times of the Assryrians, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Chinese and other ancient peoples, describing the instruments they had used and tracing their connection with those in use today. There was a remarkable {similarity, he* said, between the ancient 'and the modern types.

Mi'; Eady said the progress in construction of musical instruments in late years had been almost bewildering. He particularly referred to a new type, the Theron, which had no keyboard, but the strings were operated through the waving of the hands by the performer who stood in front, but never touched the instrument.

11l referring to modern organs, Mr. Eady said he was afraid the people of Auckland did not appreciate as they should the superb instrument lodged in the Town Hall, nor did they sufficiently recognise the wonderful musicianship of its presiding genius. Interesting pictures, illustrating musical history, were shown on a small screen, and very entertaining items were played by Mr. Arch. Don. to demonstrate) respectively the oboe, the clarinet, the bassoon and the saxophone.