TRINITY COLLEGE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20025, 5 September 1930, Page 5

TRINITY COLLEGE.

DEMONSTRATION CONCERT MEDALS PRESENTED. For two reason the gathering in the Y.M.C.A. concert hall last night, when tho medals were presented to winners of the Trinity College of Music examinations, was an unusual one. A particularly interesting address upon music in general was given by the examiner, Dr. C. Edgar Ford, and at the conclusion he presented two improvisations. The medal winners were as follows: Gold medal, senior honours—Miss Joan Bonifaco (pupil of Miss Bessie Pollard). Silver medal, intermediate honours— Miss Joan S. Ormerod (pupil of Miss E. Boswell). Bronze medal, junior honours —Miss Linda Grennell (pupil of tho Ferry road Convent) and Miss Cicely Hutton (pupil of Miss Bessie Pollard) equal. Increase in Candidates. Dr. J. Hight, who presided, welcomed Dr. Ford. New Zealand, he said, was fortunate in the examiners sent out by Trinity College, and the committee was very gratified at the increased number of candidates this year. The work of the College waa mainly to spread a knowledge of music and to stimulate interest. No man or woman could live a full life if he or she had not an appreciation of music. Sir Hugh Allen had said that no man could be regarded as educated unless he had at least »ome knowledge of music. The intellectual value of music was very much under-rated. It had an ennobling and uplifting effect and was a very potent factor in the training of tho intellect. Dr. Hight congratulated the entrants who had been successful and added that the credit for the arrangements was duo to the secretary, Mr J. Cross. Miss Betty Hannam referred to the assistance given at all times by Mr Cross, stating that his work \Vas appreciated by all who had to deal with him. Dr. Hight then presented the medals.

| Value of Concentration. After thanking Dr. Hight, the members of the committee, Mr Cross and Mr E. A. Horne, for the vay in which he had been received and for the kindness shown to him in Christchurch, Dr. Ford congratulated the winners. Their success, ho said with a smiL, was probably due just as much to good fortune as to good playing, for human nature always erred 011 the liberal side, and when a candidate received 58 marks ho endeavoured to squeeze in the extra two, making 60. The examinations were valuable, for they caused pupils to concentrate on two or three pieces. Probably if they did not concentrate upon those they would not concentrate on anything at all. For that reason alone they were all to the good. The cheap music of to-day was very much better than the cheap music of a few years ago, said Dr. Ford, adding that the general standard had risen considerably. In an age when dreamers and thinkers were apt to 1 e treated lightly it must not be accepted as a fact that popular opinion was always the correct one. Many people did not take the trouble to think. They did not take music seriously because thoy did not know exactly what it was. "Classical music that is dull is bad," said Dr. Ford. "To-day, when music is so complicated, one note makes all the differenc in the world to a modern chord.''

Dr. Ford then acceded to a request to play a few improvisations. "What key would you like?" he asked. A suggestion was made. He accepted it, and asked for a suggestion as to theme and treatment. It was given, and he delighted his audience with a very masterly piece of work. He responded to an insistent encore.

The programme was as follows: — Pianoforte solo, No. 2 of "Two Little Dances" (Hubert Smith), Miss Linda Grennell (junior); violin solo, '' Andan tino" (Martini-Kreisler), Miss Joan Ormerod (intermediate); pianoforte solo, "Nocturne in F Minor" (Chopin). Miss Joan Boniface (senior); pianoforte solo, "Elle a daignee sourire" (Poldini), Miss Joan E. Owens (higher local); aria and recitative, "Flower Song" (from Gounod's "Faußt"), Miss Myra Pollard (associate); pianoforte solo, "A Romp," from 2nd Suite (Bowen), Miss Margaret Walker Campbell (associate); violin solo, "First Movement of Kreutzer Sonata" (Beethoven), Miss Doris Beck (licentiate); pianoforte solo, "L'Alosiette" (Glinka-Balalrircw), Miss Elizabeth Tipping (licentiate); and song, "The Pretty Creature" (arranged by Lane Wilson), Mr Hugh Findlay (licentiate).