SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 9

SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS.

FIRST ANNUAL" MEETING. 'Tho first annual mooting.of tho Wellington' Society of Professional Musicians was field last evening, the president (Mr. J: Maughan Barnctt) presiding over an attendance of about a score. , -. ... . ~ '.' , . The Council's annual report, after outlining the. steps that led to the formation of tlio .spejety/ cpngfijtulated members '."'upon . the excellent results that had so > far...peen oh--t;ii|ied by its fornjation; results fay- jii excess of the nipst sauguino expectatipiis of'its promoters. The truth of the adage, 11 Unioli. is. Strength " had. been again exemplified; and, jjistead of being separate, units, cach:working in his own more or less circumscribed area, they noiv. had their horizon'.broadened,\their sympathies, quickened, and a feeling'.of musical and personal kinship had been established.,' Tho Council regretted tlio loss te tho Societyof a valued membsr arid .cultured'niusiqian ih. Mrs. Glovpr r Eatpii, wlio returned to England in June, and desired to place on record its appreciation - of" the active .interest taken' by her in tho .work of tlio Society... 'By; special motion of the. Council,.. Mrs. Glover-Eaton had been allowed to retain her membership of the Society, and a motion would bo brought forward to sanction tlio action.This motion should permit of general, application.-; A .cou-, ference of professional musicians held in,(January had considered the Mi}sjpia.risC Bill, and njucli.timp apd tfpu))Je wei-p .'dbvpted! tp .get; t-jng it info a fopp that would . satisfy tlip reqiiircmeiits 'of t]ic profession : "rgej.. Tho Sncioty!s.. delegates we're ..'pitfcypjipd oil"i'fho subject of tho desirability !pf,' so,ciifing'.logis-' lation,. but the clauses, in the' original, Bjll tp ' which t hey objected wero altered, and thus their objection to legislation jvas largely reuioved. The Bill was!; i'foiv.-,',l)pfpi'e' Parlia-7. ment, and had passed its' "scconfy reai4> u g\, Tho attendances at the City Council's organ recitals had shown that-there was "a sufficiently large section of -.the, community -interested in organ music, to make,;the.S(! recitals, self-supporting.' It could lio/-longer bp said that tho city was allowing-a-magiiificciit.in-.! strument to lie practically idle, and i.t had now become a moans 'of'instilling a .love for music of a type, hither.tor.pnly knoyn to a comparatively small ■ section - of- tho.-commu-nity. The president (Mr.- Mwghair.Barnptt) had given liijiiself heart arid spill tp the. furtherance of the Spcietyjs best- ;;; intercsts. Largely. through his efforts and to . those of tho secretary '(Mr. Hpi'ace' Hunt)"t)ic .Society was now a strong one, already: .exerting an influence both in t-jiii city and outside it. The balance-shept showed a debit balance of £9 12s. 6d. Had it lipt fepn for..the heavy expenses entailed by the 'holding of the con--ferenco, • t.lie financial burden of which was undertaken ■by 'trie Society, a • substantial credit balance would hayp bpen shown.

Thanks v,-ere accorded to , ii'umprpuspersons who hacl helped the Sopiety. The Sohoq! Music'Coism>tt°ee reported, tjiat the EvJuijatian Board of: this; district, .recog-, nisjng the ■ importance ' of, ; tlip,, subject,., had again arranged for a courso of',practical, lesspns for teachers and pupilrteacliers, in lington and the suburbs. Tliedesscjiis were given on Saturday mornings at" the,Kpni)^l ; School;, and were attended by about' spyentx,',_tcaciier3. of all grades. The yyork : flphp'..included breathing pxercises,' vpjpe-ti-fiin}ng (pspgcially as applied to children), sight-reading;, (time and tunc) from both notations, '.ear-trainjn'g,. and tho interpretation of school songs. Much ill: tercst was shown by tho teachers who attended theie classes, and it, was hoped that throij'gli; tlipin tho children., of., tlip district might'be effectually trained. . At:the.conclusion of tho course,-the lessons were to he repeated at Masterton, for th.e'benefit of the country schools. bad ...arranged, for visits to bp paid by' the'singing tor toschools in Wellington and tho suburbs, that ho might hear tho children, and, if desirable, advise the teachers in their' work. The President said thr-t -jj n t-il tlija" Society. was formed lie had opposed any-such' organi-, sation, but.now ho was"g)fi'd of : its existence. He suggested that at future Social, meetings concerted works Which were probably unknown in Wellington should be played.. lie-, ferring to the propose) tp .cstfibjish* a pPUseryatojro of Music ill Nevf." Zealand, he expressed his disapproval of the tone adopted ill a petition circulated by somo Southern musicians, which opposed the proposal iu toto. Hp tlipught that the majority'of earliest minded musicians felt at heart that a properly-managed ponseryatoire of. Music, would be a good thing. ' Everything' would' depend upon tho way in .which, the' Conserva-' tqire was mniiaged. Fears existed in ; the minds of sonic musicians that fees iyoi)l(l. lie so jow as to interefpre with the connections of private teachers, and also, that teachers in New Zealpnd wpuld he ignored.., Ifany petition was presented/to Parliament in the matter it should be with a view to' the. avoidance of -these defects. Referring- to the subject of singing in schools Mr. Barliott said that hp would 1 like, .to see; jn..alj the largo-centres a . professional liiusician teaching'-tho children in the• school?, and if. that was impossible, , hp ' would like to see the-systeni of. the Wellington JSdiication Board' adopted throughput, tho Dominion. During tho present year-ten concerts wo'ujd jie given by the choral societies, together with ten chamber concerts, sevpral. cpncerts by the Liedertafel, and 36 organ .recitals, making a|i avpragc of over ope concert each' weoltj for which, the members of tljp, Society were morb or loss responsible. ' Mr. It. Parker wfnrsed" the President's remarks. He suggested that tho social evenings would ho made : mo'rp useful if papers were read by experienced musicians for the benefit of younger members. ' While 'ho thought that tho music examinations conducted liy the Associated' Board had dona inuclV good ho deplored tho elcipont of "cram.": Tho difficulty was to standardise the work done. The annual report was adopted. Officers for the ensuing year wero elected ps follow President, Mr. J. Manghaii Bariidtt; vice-presidents. Messrs. Robert Parker and Lawrehco, F.'Watldns; lion, secretary, Mr.' . Horaco Hunt;' .ho'n.. 'treasurer, Mr. C. D. Mackintosh j ho'n. solicitor and trustee, Mr. R. Herbert. Webb; council, Misses Phoebe Parsons,' Lloyd • Ilassell, Scaly and B. Richmond, Mr. Raymond and Heir Max Hoppe. AH tho officers were re-elected with the exception of tho council. . . . _