SCHOOLS’ MUSIC FESTIVAL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 3

SCHOOLS’ MUSIC FESTIVAL

PLEASING SINGING BY PRIMARY PUPILS Children from the Aranui, Burwood, Cashmere, Elmwood, Lyttelton Main, Mairehau, Mount Pleasant. Opawa, St. Albans and Woolston Schools took part in the first concert of this year’s primary schools’ musical festival in the Civic Theatre last evening. This choir, as well as other school assemblies,, recently seen in the Civic Theatre, showed only too clearly how inadequate the*stage there is for the massing of large numbers. In this year’s programme, the practice of having semi-massed choruses has been discontinued, and all massedchoir items were sung by all the children. Sung very well they were, too, but it seemed that this programme contained fewer choruses than was formerly the case. At any rate, one would have liked to.have heard more of them. There has been a noticeable advance in the tone of the singing this year, and also a much wider range .of expression is being used. “Hey-Ho-Hey,” by Richards, contained some beautifully mellow singing on low notes —a distinct advance—and in this, and m many another chorus, there was a flexibility and skilled control in rise and fall. All this is most creditable and has not been achieved without much hard study. In clarity of words, even at high speeds, the work of these children was most exemplary. There was confidence in all their efforts and an obvious and infectious enjoyment. Rhythmically there was a high standard. The choruses had forwardpressing movement, and were not toe four-square in it, as has sometimes been the case in the past. Mr Keith Newson, the conductor for the festival, directed with vitality and energy, and the children certainly responded to the clarity of his directions. Mr Gordon Mathieson was a most helpful and artistic accompanist, both on pianoforte and organ. As this festival is not competitive, there will be no mention of individual choirs by name. Many of them reached a high standard of performance, but some were badly at fault in the basic matter of intonatiort. For the most part, the tone was most pleasing. When it was poor, it was horrid. A recorder and percussion band from the Elmwood School was most efficient and quite charming in its performance. A choir of teachers, and a „ choral-speaking group from the St. Albans School, gave variety to the programme. There will be another concert this evening. —C.F.B.