PEOPLE'S MUSIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 248, 19 October 1937, Page 8

PEOPLE'S MUSIC.

CHANGING WORLD. MR. C. E BEGG'S VIEWS. PROGRESS IK SCHOOLS. Aβ in other spheres, the world o; music is changing. Many aspects 01 this change were noted by Mr. Charles E. Begg, general manager for Charles Begg and Co., Ltd., during a six months tour of the world from which he re turned by the Niagara yesterday after noon. Mr. Begg was in close toucr with the leading publishers and uianu facturers of musical instruments and formed interesting impressions. "All firms making and selling musical instruments are enjoying a better time now than for a good many years." h< said. "It is not that the radio and th« gramophone are less popular, bid mechanical music has now found .its place, and has lost something of its novelty appeal. People are learning tc play again, and the result is that the factories where instruments of all kinds are made are busy." Lesson for New Zealand. The plate of music in the schools of the United States and Canada, and to a lesser degree in Kngland, had a lesson for New Zealand, he said. Every school in the lirst two countries mentioned had its band, its orchestra and its choir, and this factor was doing a great deal in making the public musically appreciative. Children had an opportunity of learning to play some musical instrument in school hours, and the countries concerned were benefiting as a. result. New Zealand would do well to follow their example, he said. With problems of leisure to face it would be of value to this country if the children were given as great opportunities as possible to gain a musical education. The Government might well give a lead in this direction. With all these developments the publishers had noted a definite change in the demand of the public for sheotliiusic, he said. Where previously the demand had been cither for old masters i and classics, or else for extreme popular '"hits." there was now a demand for something in between those two. The sales of the extreme were dropping, while the public was asking for good class music by modern composers. The growth of public interest in musical self-expression had al«o had result in an increased output by the publishers of "educational music" of all sorts. The publishers were doing their best to cater for the want* of teachers as well as meeting the wishes of the buying public. The Hammntt electric organ had revived interest in the organ, he said, and itn popularity was such that it was "sweeping the world."' It was a definite development, and the manufacturers were having big sales in every country. Germany Friendly. Referring to hie visit to Germany Mr. Begg commented on the friendliness of the Gorman people for the British Empire "in spite of the things that have been said from time to time by their leaders." He had found expression of that friendliness everywhere—and it had been shown decidedly one night in a music hall in Berlin where one of the stage turns had been a girls' pipe band. The music had been "nothing wonderful." but the band, which was British, had been given an ovation. They had been recalled three times, and could have played all night if the opinion of the audience could have been judged from the applause. Conditions in German v seemed considerably bettor than they had been some years ago, and the people generally appeared happy. Mr. Begg W ae impressed most with conditions in England, by far the most prosperous and stable country he had visited. There was a feeling of optimism everywhere, and the people seemed to have confidence in the Government and 111 the future of the Empire.