WOMEN IN ORCHESTRAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 269, 13 November 1935, Page 14

WOMEN IN ORCHESTRAS.

FAMOUS MUSICIAN'S PRAISE. Have women a future in orchestral concert work, not only in all women orchestras, but with men, in large orchestras all over the world? Can a girl student, now training at a musical college or academy, look forward with any degree of certainty to taking her place in an orchestra later on? These are questions which every girl with musical ambitions is asking, and in addition, I think, every one who is truly interested in the future of orchestral work, says Sir Henry Wood, in discussing the subject, in an English paper. I have said on many occasions that women in an orchestra, are an advantage, and despite adverse criticisms, I still maintain this point. To go a step farther, I say that women will definitely take a prominent part in the orchestras of the future. Many of the revolutions which have taken place in all spheres of life have wrought changes which were the very things the prophets foretold would never happen. When I conducted niv first promenade concert at the Queen's Hall 41 years ago, an allBritish orchestra was jinknown, men of other nations were always included among the musicians. Now think of the all-British orchestras which exist to-day. Queerly enough the critics against women in orchestras do not object to them on purely musical grounds, otherwise they would not be favourable, as they are, to orchestras composed entirely of women, like the Women's Symphony Orchestra, which quite rightly receives a good deal of - praise. Some complain from the point of view of appearance; women make an orchestra look patchy and untidy, they say, even if they do wear black dresses as decreed by the 8.8.C. This objection seems not only foolish, but rather contradictory when one recalls that these same critics are in favour of women harpists "because they look better play ing the harp than men do." Also this suggestion that most male musicianu dislike a feminine invasion I find unfounded.

Question of Physical Endurance. Another objection is made to women on physical grounds. They are not as strong as men, and orchestral work is not only highly skilled but very hard work. Few women, say their detractors, could stand the strain of a Covent Garden opera season or a long Continental tour. What about the "Proms."? The season is hard enough, arid I never noticed the women in my orchestra showing any more signs of fatigue than the men. At a--time when women have proved their worth, both physically and mentally in. almost every field of activity, from aviation and motor-speed racing to rifle shooting, and in several countries, engineering, this objection is rather out of date. It might have been made 30 years-ago, but not now. r In every case the question of physical -endurance depends upon the individual . woman. Students at the Royal Academy !of Music, the Guildhall School of MuSic, or any of the' ►other colleges would not be ..encouraged by their professors to take up orchestral work if these teachers did not think they had the necessary stamina as well as musica 1 ability. _ Imagine the stamina needed to sing right through some of the Wagnerian leading parts for several nights running, yet I have never heard it suggested that these fine soprano parts were too much for a woman. I have always been a strong advocate for women in our concert orchestras, and since I introduced them into the Queen's Hall Orchestra, some years ago, they have been of the greatest assistance and have permanently taken their proper place beside the men, and upon equal footing. Same salary, same conditions, and the same placing at the various desks in each department. I feel women in the orchestra give a different atmosphere to the whole affair ; the' men play better when seated next to a woman and certainly behave better. The women do not smoke and drink as much as men. They treat their job more seriously. As regards tone and technique, the women are quite on an equal with men, and owing to the vast amount of chamber music they play during their studentship, lasting usually from five to seven years at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, their playing is often of a more refined character. So many male orchestral musicians 'spoil their tone and style through forcing their tone in a theatre or jazz band, waiting for a job in a good concert orchestra. I find women on the violin, viola and violoncello are most excellent from every point of view, and during the last few years our schools of music are turning out some delightful flute, oboe and clarinet players. In fact, at the present time', I have five female flutes, two oboes and four clarinet player* in my Royal Academy of Music Student's Orchestra —all learning their business and attending the orchestral rehearsals, under my direction, six hours a week. They are studying the entire classical orchestral repertoire of symphonies, suites, overtures, concertos, operas, arias, etc., and even after three years they are most trustworthy and competent to take their part in orchestral concerts.