MUSIC MEMORIES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20148, 29 January 1931, Page 5

MUSIC MEMORIES.

THIRTY YEARS AGO. MR ROBERT PARKER'S ADDRESS. Beminiscences of "Music in Christchurch in the Early Days" were related by Mr Robert Parker to delegates to the Musie Teachers' Conference ■ last evening. It was in 1869, he said, that he came to Christcliurch, so that for many of his audience it would be merely a catalogue of names and of events in which they had little interest and of which they had probably never even heard. It was inevitable that pioneers should be forgotten, for by inspiring their successors they tended to put themselves out of date. When he began his work in Christchurch, said Mr Parker, there had been only a few professional musicians here, but there was a good number of cultured amateurs — really more in proportion to the population than there was to-day. Notable among them had been the family of Mr Loughnan, a retired Indian Judge, one of whose daughters was Mrs George Harper. The name of Harper reminded him of Mrs Leonard Harper and Mrs Charles Harper, both of whom had been invaluablo in oratorio.' Other women singers had been Mrs Fitzgerald, the wife of tho superintendent of Canterbury, and Miss Ada Sinclair Taylor, who had a light and flexible voice. These had formed a group of singers of a typo that was now rare, with no display, no platform tricks, and without that detestable tremolo which was the bane of so many sopranos today. Other women singers were Mrs Palairet and Mrs Long, who had done excellent work in "The Messiah." The tenor soloists had been Messrs Pryce and Appleby, with, later, Herr Puschel, while others had been Messrs Harley and J. A. Plimmor (now in Wellington). Early Male Singers. The bass soloists had included Messrs Stansell, Hobbs, E. A. Lindgard, and Charles Merton, of Ilangiora. Mr Merton, the father of the Christcliurch musician, had been equally at home in ballads or in oratorio. Mr Stansell had been the first singer in Christcliurch to sing the part of St. Matthew in Bach's "Passion." Another family of musicians had been the liowleys, of whom a daughter had had a light musical soprano, while one Bon had been a flautist, and another a 'cellist. The leading violinist, in fact tho only professional, had been Ilerr Bunz, tho father of the present musician of I the same name, while Mr (later the lion.) George Jones had been the outstanding amateur on this instrument; To theso had later been added Mr Charles Bunnington and Mr George BonI niugton. In the orchestra had been I Messrs Spcnceley ('cello), Triphook I (clarinet), Tankard (oboe), Wood, and Cracroft Wilson (flutes). Mr Cracroft Wilson, who was later knighted, might not have played very well, but he made a brave show, making up in enthusiasm for his defects of performance. Mr Parkei had on accasion played at his home at Cashmere, driving out in a waggonette drawn by four , mules, and with two Indian servants behind. Others had keen Mr George Jameson and Mr Segar, the latter of whom bad charge of the drums. Colonol Alexander Lane, a scholarly amateur of tho best type, was for years conductor of the old Orchestral Society. Mr Par leer himself had on one occasion played the Mozart Piano Concerto in D minor at ono of the orchestral concerts. Miss ILavinia Taylor used to entertain with the English concertina, on which her solos were one of the most popular items of tho miscellaneous concerts. Haydn was Modern. In 1869 there had been a small but efficient musical society under the conduct orship of Mr H. W. Packer, who himself played tho French horn. Tho committeo in those days was very conservative, and looked askance at any ciioral work later than Haydn. Not one of the works of Mendelssohn had ever been performed, and consequently a small band of enthusiasts had formed a Mendelssohn. Society, which began giving concerts in 1870, with a performance of "Athalie." At the same time Mr Parker had been offered the. conductorship of the Musical Society, which performed Corta's "Eli," with Miss Agnes Loughnan as the leading soprano. He had also taken a posjtion on the staff of Christ's College. In 1870 also there had been a festival * performance of "The Messiah" in tho old Drill Hall,, with 200 voices, which had been so popular that it had had to bo repeated two days later. Herr Bunz had led the orchestra. Even in those distant days they had been able to perform a certain amount of good music, continued Mr Parker. Some of the younger generation of musicians seemed to be under the im-. pression that music was only beginning at the present moment. In May, 1871, Mendelssohn's "Elijah " had been . performed for the first time in Christcliurch, and possibly for the first time in New Zealand, while in Junq of tho same year his "St. Paul" was performed. Mr (later Sir) J. von Haast, who was a very fine musician, came to the front in "St. Paul." In one of the two performances he sang the part of St. Paul, and in tho other he conducted tho orchestra. In the course of the performance lie had remarked that the last time he had played in it had been in Dusseldorf, under Mendelssohn himself. The Middle 'Seventies. At that time St. Michael's Church brought, together the best available singers in its choir, and some very fine works had been performed there. The Orchestral Society had been formed at this time under Colonel Alexander Lane, and performed Mozart and Beethoven symphonies and Haydn. . In 1877 was the first performance of Bach's "Passion" music, the choir including tho wife of Judge Johnson, Mrs Tancred, and the daughters of. Canon Cottrell. At. the same period the musical life of the City was enriched by the arrival of Mr H. M. Lund, who brought into the City the first breaths of the 1 high ideals of pianoforte playing which he had worked for through all his life. The work of these older men was liable to be forgotten, and it was well to rouse the public memory occasionally. With Mr Lund at the piano, Mr Parker had _ played concertos—on his harmonium! Tho instrument was much in demand at the time, and Mr Parker had had to play it on all occasions. Another valuable arrival had been Mr Wallace, who had played in the matter of stringed instruments the same part as Mr Lund on the piano. In conclusion, Mr Parker■ said that ho wanted his hearers to realise that tiu people of forty years ago had realty done the foundation work in the cultivation of music generally in the City. He was pleased to revive what was now so much ancient history.