CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 428, 10 February 1909, Page 3

CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC.

SPEECH BY MR; <?. W. RUSSELL : M P i •"/;.■»>* TSLEBIUI'II-rRKSS ASSOCIATION.'! '■' ' ; a - ! -i ? hr,st °hurch, February 9 :. :.,-Speaking ;at the annual prize distribution «Kconnect,on. with.the; School of m" G. J. Russe l,.M.P.,!,chairman of. the Board of Governors of Canterbury College, referred to the proposal to establish a contervatorfum of music iii New Zealand. He expressed the -hope that the.time.was,not when the board would be.able te do the sanie for-music as ; i«had;done, for purevand ath Pjied.art. ; He had not endeavoured to force his views m regard to, the conservatorium of music, .but, -as his hearers were .no doubt ,aware,;,;his:.proposal.-.had.v met,, with -tremendous, hostility-/from .a /body which ■ was of New Zealand. Wherever there was such a class, -as;that of professional musicians, there was probably likely to besome, opposition-to. the idea that State assistance should be given tea conservatorium of _music . Ho did-not think that theladies and gentlemen who formed the society - had any,need-to.fear that the whole' sky would f all, _.and. that, all, their opportunities of earning their livelihood would disappear if a. opnservatorium were established m some part ofNewrZealand.- He had been exceed ingly amused when he found that the verv .same, body .wluch. had shown such : hostility to: a conservaterium, and had branded j ;km as : >an agitator, had, actually proposed .that a' professional orchestra- should be established, a thing that would cost from, :£30,000 : to.£40 ) 000a year, and •perambulate..-.the"- Dominion giving'orchestral concOTtsi -.for the purpose- of educating :the pubhcj.taste.VHe. supposed that the protessional:. musicians would all have fat' billets ■in coWtion> with the .'orchestra. (Laughter.) He had very, grav'o doubts whether the -Government and; Parliament would be/.Prepared. to place the-large sum on the estimates which would be required for that purpose...;, Parliament would be far more lively, ta. .spend - one-fourth "of the : amount in establishing a, : consetvatorium of , music where.our .young people wpuld be -able to learn vmusical , science ; ; without • being. com.T pelled-.to go to Europe for thovpurpose of completing.'their education; '■ .'■■■.-■• - : ■