MUSICAL HONOURS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 10, 13 January 1931, Page 6

MUSICAL HONOURS.

A SOCIALIST KNIGHT

Tlit" inclusion of two Scottish worthies in the New Year honours pays tribute to two musical institutions of which Britain is most jiidtlv proud. Jt was natural that the respected principal of the Royal Academy of .\lr<si<: would sooner or later enjoy si titular distinction. John Blackwood McEwen is made of the stuff that commands the respect, of all who discern the constituents of sterling character. He id essentially a product of the institution over whose destinies he so efficiently presides. With Hugh S. Roberton it is another story. This remarkable man possesses an outstanding and independent personality, boundless energy and musical ability of unique and valuable qualities. He is a selftaught chorus master, composer, adjudicator and playwright. He in an uncompromising democrat of strong Socialistic leanings, has arranged "The Red Flag" a* a choral part song, and in a quarter of fi century has built up, in the world-famous Glasgow Orpheus Choir, a body of singers second only to Sir Henry Coward's noted Sheffield Choir. When "Comrade" George Bernard Shaw described "The Tied Flag" as a composition that could only be likened to the funeral march of a fried eel,

"Comrade" Hugh S. Roberton, among many million others, was undismayed and continued to lend, the Socialist International Anthem the distinction of an occasional place on his programmes. It will be characteristic of the new Socialist knight-musician to continue to brave public opinion with (lie t-ianie sangfroid with which he braved the certain scorn of his fellow politicals when he accepted the title. Clyde-side will be a hotbed of argument this New Year, and "Hughie" will be bound to-come in for some frank and free, criticism. The Orpheur* Choir owes its origin, and its present prestige and astonishing efficiency, to one man, and that is Sir Hugh S. Roberton. The .society is flourishing and takes in London and Ireland in its extensive itinerary. Last year's two London concerts in the Queen's Hall to crowded audiences and their appearance at 11, Downing Street, on the eve of the Budget were in themselves a big week-end's work; but in addition to this they spent several hours in strenuous work in making records for a British "talkie." At all concerts the ladies of the chorus wear a 'becoming blue "uniform," which lias the eiFeet of making all members equal iu appearance. This is one of the shrewdest master strokes of their democratic conductor. Sir Hugh's career .started in his native Glasgow as a church choir trainer, later he conducted the Toynbee House Choir, a small body of singers who met weekly at the Toynbee .Men's Social Club. He used this ais a nucleus for a more ambitious choir, which ultimately became the Glasgow Orpheus. As one of the originators and pioneers of the competitions-festivals movement in Scotland, and a frequent adjudicator both in England and Scotland, he k an acknowledged authority on choral matters and is a skilful arranger of part songs. He in a musical idealist wh'ti has made a success of everything he has taken up except the week of chamber music concerts which the Orpheus Choir inaugurated. After .several annual attempts and losses totalling over a thousand pounds, these concerts may have to be dropped. Glasgow and the whole of Scotland will be the poorer thereby. He blames the gramophone and wireless for the present position of music and musicians, which ir> in a state of flux. The remaining one of the two latest musical knights is a native of Howick, N.B. He is, apart from being an a'ble director and principal of the R.A.M., a composer of no mean order. Hio ■compositions are very soundly constructed and Scottish characteristics are at times strongly marked. Hiri chamber music is a valuable contribution to modern composition and hi<s text books are widely used and appreciated. Of his five orchestral symphonies the last one in C sharp minor ("The Solway'') was first produced under the baton of M-r. Stark, a newcomer to New Zealand and a one-time prominent orchestral conductor in Scotland and London. Sir Jolm McE wen's musical compositions aLso include half a dozen fine cantatas, a comic opera, "The Royal Rebel," various eongs, incidental music, a pianoforte sonata, a goodly array of the aforesaid chamber compositions, two overtures and other orchestral pieces. Sir John wae one of the founders of the Society of British Composers and in 10*20 received the honorary degree of doctor of music from Oxford University. There is something quietly rugged about hw personality. He wastes no words in carrying out his wishes —a feature which is found in one of liis own compositions, i.e., "Grey Galloway," which is one of the tersest and most direct orchestral poems written, yet withal it has a power and grandeur quite distinct and personal to its creator. These are also the outstanding features of the "Solway" symphony and several line string quartets. One of the several happy arrangements which owe their existence to the present principal of the R.A.M. is the conductorehip of the important orchestral class by Sir Henry J. Wood. Aβ a conductor at rehearsals he has always been popular with professional orchestras. At the 11.A.M. the boys and girls who form the orchestral class simply love him, for he in the paterfamilias. This is one of the many innovations introduced by Sir John McKwen, who is the third> Scot in succession who has ruled the destinies of the R.A.M. He hae certain fears about the future of mechanised music. He recently said: "We are living in a peculiar time in which the machine ii? almost as important as the man. Every part of our lives is taken up with machinery. Within the last thirty or forty years that process has been applied to music. There is a tremendous amount of mechanical music in existence—the gramophone, the pianola, and, finally, the most important, wireless. Mechanisation of music has been of enormous valut to the country; it has brought within the reach of m'any people who otherwise would have had no opportunity of hearing it good music, well prodiiced and well played. But there is the groat danger that we should allow the machine to become the superman and displace the artist." Sir John having eeen it, will 'be one of the best men for the job of laying this ghost. Pergonal performance will never be supplanted. —K.A.