SONGS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21255, 29 August 1934, Page 8

SONGS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND

SURPRISING DEARTH ! MR W. H. DIXON'S VIEWS AND j A SUGGESTION | | That he will not be able to take Home with him any songs about New Zealand and New Zealand life, written and composed by New Zealanders, is the one regret of Mr W. H. Dixon, for five years conductor of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society and a judge during that time at competitions festivals throughout the country, who will leave on his return to England on Friday. To an interviewer, Mr Dixon, who has also had considerable experience of broadcasting, suggested that the New Zealand radio authorities should sponsor a competitive scheme to encourage local song-writing talent. "During my stay here I have constantly been on the look-out for a good New Zealand song, but I must confess that I go home now with one great disappointment," said Mr Dixon. "The position is this. Supposing when I reach London I have the good fortune to meet some New Zealanders there, and gather them together for a musical reunion. All of us, more or less homesick, will doubtless desire to sing something reminiscent of New Zealand Now, what will we sing? Well, I suppose we will fall back on "The Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond," "Killamey," "Hearts of Oak," "Men of Harlech," and the rest of the old favourites. We will sing lustily all the evening, but not a word about New Zealand,

The Material Not Lacking "In other words New Zealand has yet to evolve her national songs," Mr Dixon went on. "It is a remarkable thing that so far New Zealand has no national songs, neither made nor in the making. With its historical traditions already established, with the already distinct character of its people, with i I its abounding country life and environj merit of unsurpassed beauty, it is truly j amazing to me that New Zealand has j not yet learnt to sing about itself. j Perhaps the self-consciousness of youth i is responsible. Englishmen, Scotsmen, I Irishmen, Welshmen, Germans, Frenchmen, Esquimaux even—when they foregather instinctively recall their national refrains.- But we. . . . "Well, the other night I was at a farewell conceit, and, at the end, I propounded my old question: 'What about a New Zealand song?' All they could give me was 'God Defend New Zealand.' Which was earnestly intended no doubt; but hardly what was my intention. "Yet that lyrical talent, both poetic and musical, exists in New Zealand, I am sure. During the last live years I have met numbers of people with the desire to write and yet not that urgent need which is partly the product of encouragement and partly that of habit. As for the material—the peculiarly New Zealand life of farm and station, those somewhat hackneyed but far from over-rated scenic glories of bush and mountain and coast, the intense interest in outdoor sport here—why paean upon pcean of lyric praise awaits musical expression!" Part of Broadcasting Pressed for an opinion on the best method of evoking the latent talent to which he had referred, Mr Dixon at once said that he considered that the radio was the most potent force for musical good and evil to-day, and that upon the radio New Zealand's musical future would largely depend. Therefore, he ■ suggested, in order to place his remarks uponjfa materia]

basis, that the radio authorities here would do well if they sought in a direct way to encourage the New Zealand song-writer and composer. "In the first place I would suggest a song-writing and composing competition, conducted perhaps through your valuable paper, or through the radio direct. Lyric verses, dealing with a New Zealand subject, and expressing the New Zealand character, would be asked for first; and, these selected, composers could be solicited to compete with suitable musical scores. The avowed object of the competition would be to establish some musical and poetic expression of New Zealand and its people. "The wonderful influence of the radio should facilitate the attainment of our object. Through the radio it is possible to reach a national audience, so that little musical cliques may no longer, by their jealousy, impede the healthy growth of the general musical consciousness. That. I think, is the only wise advice I can leave with you: Regard the radio as a miraculous musical dispensation, and use it with courage." New Zealand No Longer Isolated Mr Dixon was asked to speak generally about music in New Zealand, and, if necessary, to give some instructive criticism. He said, however, that it was not his wish to give offence by harsh strictures, which he was afraid he would have in some respects to make. "I have given you my best advice," he said. "It may be applied generally In many ways New Zealand lags behind other countries: and in the past she has had the good excuse of her isolation. But, the time is now past when New Zealanders can deprecate their artistic shortcomings by pleading their distance from the great centres of art. The radio, and the speeding-up of general communications that is our greatest present-day marvel, have destroyed your old isolation. Musically speaking, it is now as easy for New Zealanders to listen to Ber-

lin as to a concert of a l«al dwr«l society. Therefore, New Zealandew musical progress should be greater » the next few years than it has ev« bC 'fi the near future New Zealand should attain the same musical lew as the older countries; but this wu onlv follow systematic study and naru work. As I have already said tneu is much latent talent here. But u". character of the works that it v,mJ\ possible to perform in New Zeaiana will remain low until such time as; yu have evolved a distinct musical traui tion of your own. I shall be the nw to welcome the first signs °f sucn tradition when they are brought to w notice." _