School orchestras show progress

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33664, 14 October 1974, Page 16

School orchestras show progress

Three orchestras, trained at the Christchurch School of Instrumental Music, showed the progress made during the year at a concert given in the Ngaio Marsh) Theatre on Saturday evening.

Each week well over a thousand young people are given training in playing orchestral instruments and are drafted into orchestras according to their ability. All of them get a chance at concerted playing. From them have come many players who, having reached professional standard, are now to be found in orchestras overseas, in our Civic Symphony Orchestra, and in the Auckland Sinfonia. A very much greater number, not attaining these standards, have had their lives enriched through the joy of concerted music-making. Orchestras 6,5, and 3 played at this concert. Promotion depends mainly on ability gained by each year’s tuition, and, when heard at a concert such as this, the progress is impressive, and easily discernible. Orchestra 6, conducted by Mr P. J. Craigie, showed that the players keep well together and have reached a praiseworthy standard of discipline in following their conductor’s beat. Learning to

play in tune will mean learning to hear what they are about to play rather than what they have just played. This will be their new discipline. Orchestra 5, conducted by Mr Keith Morgan, has made notable advance in this direction. They have not arrived but are well on their way. The quality of tone in their concerted playing shows considerable advance and, at times, they produce a pleasant texture of sound governed by an awareness of the problems of balance. The woodwind and brass playing deserves .special praise.

I By the time players have I reached Orchestra 3 they , show impressive gains : which experience, good : teaching, and faithful practice have given. Conducted by Mr Francis Dennis, this I orchestra showed great

advances in tonal quality, cohesion, and in expressive refinement. Liveliness and pleasing use of nuance in phrasing marked the playing of the Intermezzo from Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor. Varying colours were smoothly produced and maintained in concerted effect. Rhythm, and attack and release, were highly pleasing. Robert Webster did good work in the solo part. Extracts from “Swan Lake’ I had vigour and precision* and a composition by Phyllis Tate, in which Wendy and John Williams were excellent pianists, was of good standard. Lapses can occur, for an extract from the "Bartered Bride” found the poor girl far from well. The Wind Orchestra A, conducted by Mr Ken Young, did interesting and valuable work, playing with excellent discipline and effect. Good training in brass and woodwind instruments is of highest importance. Their playing of the “Londonderry Air” had splendid tone.

Two chamber music groups deserve high praise and encouragement. Ingrid Van Roosmalen, violin, Kathleen De Goldi, cello, and Linley Exton, piano, played Mozart’s Trio No 5 (last Movement) with excellent musical feeling for tone, balance, precision and expression. Marie Coates and Rachel Hamilton, violins, Jennifer Wheeler, cello, and Diane Cooper, piano, showed good promise in an extract from Corelli’s Sonata No. 10. All these players should take every opportunity to hear chamber music being played. —C.F.B.