Seal Listens To Concerto

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31290, 9 February 1967, Page 16

Seal Listens To Concerto

With head raised attentively, and flipper poised, a Weddell seal in Antarctica listens for its first time to the Bach concerto in D minor for two violins.

This serenade of the seal is being played by Mr J. Lawrence of Picton (right), and Mr G. Hancox of Island Bay, Wellington, who were together in a New Zealand Antarctic research programme field party this summer. Mr Lawrence was the field leader, and Mr • Hancox, the senior geologist. While they were at Scott Base, the mess hut often became the conservatoire for evenings of select recitals. On this occasion, the solitude and splendour of the nearby pressure ridges became the music bowl, with an audience of one seal. Mr Lawrence was born at Papplewick, Nottingham, coming from a family of professional musicans, he started the violin at the age of three. Ho is an Oxford honours graduate and was violin scholar at Oundle. and Exeter for four years until 1956. He lead university orchestras and played in the Indian Calcutta Symphony Orchestra.

Away from the soft cadences, Mr Lawrence is a

double blue in boxing, lieutenant in the Royal Marines, and an experienced climber. He has been an Outward Bound School instructor in Australia and New Zealand, and is shortly going to similar work in the United States. “I bought this violin in Christchurch just before flying to Scott Base,” he said.

“It is a Chinese make and did not break too much into my life savings, it cost only 22s fid.”

He has presented the Instrument to the Scott Base leader, Mr C. Clark of Christchurch, who instead of whistling and humming Bach, or movements from Beethoven, intends spending some time during the winter months practising scales before graduating to the mess hut conservatoire. Mr Hancox took bls violin back to New Zealand: “Neither my violin, nor the price, is Chinese,” he said.

Mr Hancox is an honours science graduate from Victoria University, Wellington, with degrees in zoology and geology. This year he is doing his doctorate in science.

He started the violin a bit later in life than Mr Lawrence. He was seven before taking his first lesson. He has his L.T.C.L. and played in the National Youth Orchestra for two years.

Mr C. W. Mace has been appointed a director of M O’Brien and Company, Ltd Mr Mace is managing director of Mace Engineering, Ltd., a director of Cyclone Industries, Ltd, and Alloy Steel, N.Z, Ltd, and president of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association.

Mr Hancox’s other interests are swimming and climbing, and this was his second season of geological research In Antarctica.