GRAND MUSICAL FESTIVAL

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23004, 26 April 1940, Page 6

GRAND MUSICAL FESTIVAL

COMBINED SECONDARY SCHOOLS A further stage in the city’s share in the Centennial celebrations was reached when the Christchurch secondary schools on Wednesday night combined to contribute a festival programme of excellent music in the Civic Theatre. To make the occasion wholly a festival, and to keep it entirely free from rivalry or competition between the schools participating, the si-gers were grouped according to locality, and appeared as Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern groups, and not as representing specific schools. There were in addition a boys’ group, an orchestra and a band, and at both beginning and ending of the programme ail the singing groups combined into a massed choir for the singing of Hugo Anson’s centennial composition “New Zealand” and several other equally fine items. i . „ Anson’s song is melodically and rhythmically strong and direct, and, •sung as it was with clear diction, good., tonal contrast', right understanding and feeling, it created from the*outset the festival character intended The boys’ group appeared next, and sang Stanford’s “Sea King” and Thiman’s cheerful canon “A Shepherd Kept Sheep”: and considering the difficulties that must have been encountered in organising combined rehearsals, it was surprising to find such a wealth of fine detail in the enjoyable rendering they gave to these difficult songs. Two rousing marches, “Invercargill and "Wairoa,” played by the combined br:.'s bands, were given between the bovs’ vocal items and those of the Western division. These latter sang very enjoyably, too, and for their con-, tribution to the programme gave Moeran’s beautiful Irish part-song “Green Fire” and Bach’s manly tune "We thank thee, God.” Three neatly played instrumental pieces for piano and two violins were now given by a trio from one of the girls’ schools: —“Lied,” "Lullab- r ” and 1 "Jaglied.” by Polonaski, after which the Northern group sang Carey’s bright “Pastoral” and John Ireland’s very refreshing setting of Sydney Dobell’s "Aubade.” The second half of the programme was planned similarly, the Southern and Eastern groups now appearing and contributing respectively Dyson s “Praise,” and Rowley’s “Be Strong” for their unison songs, and Thiman’s “Sing we and Chant it” and Markham Lee’s “Summer Impromptu” for their twopart work, all of which were delightfully sung and fully enjoyable The Instrumental items in this portion of the programme were another trio (boys on this occasion), playing Raff’s “Cavatina.” and the combined schools' orchestra. This orchestra, of strings, wood, brass, piano and percussion played remarkably • ’ell. the music—a set of pieces by Woodhouse — being admirably suited to the age of the players, who obviously enjoyed every moment of their nlaying and made others enjoy it equally ■'o. The final set of items on the programme were for the massed choir. These were Purcell’s "Fairest Isle” and Holst’s canon “The Song of the Shipbuilders,” following which came a hymn for the whole assembly, “Now thank we all our God.” Much careful work must have been done in organising, in training, and in conducting combined rehearsals to bring about such a satisfactory performance of these excellent musical compositions, for tht. musical value of the items (as in the case of those performed recently by the primary schools) is high, and is something that New Zealand has every right to be proud of. The members of the musical committee who were responsible for the very fine work done in connexion with this concert, were Mr A. G. Thompson, Dr. A. E. Fieldhouse, Mrs Osmond Smith. Misses M. Loughnan, J- L. Black. C. M. Miller, J. Burrell, Messrs C. Cross, F. J. Turner, R. O’Donel Davis, T. W. West, L. W. Stewart, and F. H. Dephoff. ■ (E.J.)