MUSIC FESTIVAL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24982, 17 September 1946, Page 2

MUSIC FESTIVAL

AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME ARRANGED

A notable feature in the cultural life of Christchurch has always been the number of groups actively engaged in music making. Right from the year IkM, when the ffrst mu,jooi society was founded, BUT city and province have been enriched by those self-sacrificing lovers Of musfc who have . devoted tupe and energy to the bunding up of the organisations that new are numbered in scores and whose total membership touches the 2000 mark. In ihusic, as in every other aspect of Oilman activity, areatest advances have been made when the spirit Of co-operation has been prominent, so it is with sincere approval that we mgke reference to the work of the Canterbury Music Festival Committee, wpich is sponsoring the festival that hdgilM on Saturday Of this week. Thanks to the energy CQlRputtee—one representative of the musical organisations in the city and having the active and valued support al the City Council, the National Broadcasting ans the business community—an attractive programme will b« presented. One mM pleasing aspM of the whole festival » the inelusion of musical societies of four of the provincial towns, This is an innovation mueh to be commended. Commended because of the meritorious work being done by pouhtry musicians and because pf the stimulus that such visits can give both to the City and to the pppvmpigj sop.mtms. Music has a universal appeal—hence that anneal necessarily covers a range as wide as life itself. For this reason the seven programme? to bp presented offer the widest possible. choice —oratorio, chamber music, orchestral works, solo work (instrumental and vpcal), cantatas, and excerpts from operas. Two notable examples of cooperation yrill be exhibited in the combining of societies the more adequately to present great choral works. Haydn 3 noble oratorio “The Creation,’’ will be sung by the combined epoirs of the Royal Christchurch Musicpl Society, and the £hriptphurch Harmonic Society Under the conductor: sHp °f Viptpr Q PPterg. _ MH societies toe Liedertatoi and the Male Voice Choir, will sing Schubert's Cantata, “Song of the Spirits Over the Water." In this case Mr Lan Barnes wiU conduct Three Christchurch orchestras will be heard and all indication? are that a eheftrg ip well Known, gs also is the . string orchestra of the Laurian Clup. "he appearance at the festival of the . Canterbury University College qr- , ehestra is most welcome, and we hone ; the day is not far distant when the ' Technical College orchestra will perform at festivals. The outlook for <wI chegirgl music is certainly prightI pright also is the future of our instrut mental and vocrJ sploistg- We specii oily commend the excellent proI gramme of chamber musip that has ■ peen arranged. . The festiyal wepk to be a » potable one—and presents to the city , on pppoFtototy to po-ioperftte to a i splendid endeavour.