MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2641, 11 December 1915, Page 9

MUSIC.

— 4 TBr Thumb CtiT.l More "Messiah." On Tuesday evening the Royal Choral Society is to sine: "The Messiah," a work which has been performed regularly eyery Christmas-tide by tliis body since its institution. On this occasion the performance, which has ' invariably been marked by the appearance of some outstandingly good artist, as witness the engagements of Charles Saunders, Madame Mary Conlv, Madame Kirkbv Lunn. Mr. Andrew Black, and Mr. Peter Dawson. The rule to illuminate the cast witli vocal personality has not been departed from this year, chance having thrown the society in the way of Mr. Sigurd Lestrup, a Danish baritone, who is said to have a splendid artistic equipment and voice for heavy work, such as is encompassed in oratorio and grand opera; Mr. Lestrup was a year 'ago singing in opera in Germany, but the war caused him'to return to his native Denmark, and later . t-o' seek sanctuary in these parts until tho final roll-call is made in the world-shattering war. It i* Wellington's good fortune that Mr. Lestrup has decided to settle hero, temporarily at all events, and the measure of liis capacity will he made manifest on Tuesday next at the Town Hall, when lie is called upon to sing "Why do the Nations Rage So Furiouslv Together?" the very title of which 1 should fire the refugee to altitudinous. dramatic heights. The other soloist; will be Miss Nancy Rhodes, of Auckland, soprano; Mrs. Rosewarne, contralto; and Mr. Martin Duff. of 'Duni»dm, tenor. ,An orchestra of strings will bo supported by tho grand organ, with Mr. Bernard Page- as musical director. Margaret Woottrow Wilson, Singer, Margaret Woodrow Wilson, the daughter of the President of The United States, has proven the trjue democracy of her country hy becoming a professional singer. She had determined to take up the art professionally prior to. having any thoughts'of her father becoming President. and prior to taking Up her duties at- White Houso this season, she made her debst at the Syracuse Musical Festival: last (American} spring, receiving a fee -of one thousand dollars. It was last . April when she made a semi-professional appearance at the Bandbox Theatre in New York. -Pasqualc Ainato was in the audience, -and after the concert, he asked tobe taken to Miss Wilson. • "You have it here and here." he said.;touching the forehead and heart. "Yon sing well. Keen on. working!" Such-words from Aniato, who never pays compliments, yet is always ready to help the really earnest and promising student, were almost priceless as a stimulant. Miss Wilson is a soprano, clear and vibrant in tho upper register, and of a rich mezzo 'quality in the lower. Her diction ,in French. German, - and-Eng-lish shows the outcome of careful training in her earliest years. She studies the meaning of her songs, and convoys it to her audience. Miss Wilson is cif distinguished appearance. She has her .aquiline features, wears her mouth silently open, her large grey eves are seen through pine nez, and she trains a- mass of nice wavy fair hair low over one eye mcl parted over the other. In America she would be de- . Kxribed as !of highbrow appearance— she certainly is superior in feature but thore is gentleness and refinement in her make-up. She has sung "The Star Snangled Banner" for the Columbia Phonograph Company, the royalties from which are to" go to the Red Cross Funds. An Orchestral Tour. Mr. John Fuller, jun., offere a very attractive suggestion: in his idea that MrVerrbrugghen. and his N.S.W. Conservatoire Orchestra might bo induced •: to "pay New Zealand if, visit, but whether ■ it is practicable or not. is'quite another story. - Those ■who had, anything to do with the tour of the fine Exhibition Orchestra may remember tho manifold difficulties -which'presented themselves to tho management, and that was only a tour within, the-country. How much greator then would be the difficulties involved in the tour of an. orchestra of sixty or soventy performers coming from Australia? The idea is of value as a possibility for the future, but as Mr. : Verrbrugghcn has only been in Sydney a few months, and -may from all accounts' be able to produce much better results in -the course, say, of a couple of years' time, it would be just as well to wait—at least until the war is over— before seeking to promulgate a very enticing, but, I am afraid, impracticable,' proposition. Perhaps my, musical friends woukHike to express their opinions on ■ Mr.'Fuller's commendable notion. A Lively Feud. John C. Ferund, editor of "Musical America,'! and Leonard Liebling, editor of tho New York "Musical Courier," were at each other's throats when tho last mail left America, over the respective merits .of European teaching as compared with home (American) ■training. ; The following interview with Liebling in the "Duluth News Tribune," of October 18, gives a.pretty accurate idea of the cause of all the pother:— ■ "I challenge John Freund to meet me at any time, any place, before any body j of musicians, when he is giving the leo-1 turo he is scheduled to give in Dnlutb and I'll puncture practically every statement he makes,' said Leonard Liebling. Liebling is associated with the "Musical Courier," and Mr. Freund i 8 editor of "Musical America." Freund is scheduled to give a lecture at the First Methodist Episcopal Church to-night, whioh promises to be of special interest to musicians and music lovers of Duluth. "Through a route scheduled, published in our paper, Freund has been abled to arrive in every city at about the same time we do," said Liebling. Rne Domes, general representative of thd 'Musical _ Courier,' is with Liebling. "In his address Fround attacks the morals of European teachers," continued Liebling. _ '/He forgets that many American musicians studied in Europe, and that when he says many girls return with the_ stamp of tragedy showing plain, he is coming rather close to home. Thou, too,. he seems to lay claim to being, a sort of a musical .George Washington Second—coming into a city and telling musicians they are free. No longer are they dependent on Europo to furnish them with teachers and directors. Abuse of Europe and indiscriminate praise of everything American, forms the basis of his leotura. "Veering from his criticisms of Mr. Fround, Liebling talked on the effect of war on tho American musical world: "At the outbroak of'the war it looked as though the American musicians would suffer as a result of the sudden influx of European talent. But it had a directly_ opposite effcct. It spurred our musicians on to great effort and as a result has done much to improve conditions. Then, too, many students who would have gone abroad hayo stayed in this country and taken their studies." Referring to popular music of to-day, Liebling said thore had boen a great improvement in- recent years. • He was enthusiastic in his praise of some of the latest music from a music oritic's viewpoint.

During tlie past week Mr. Hugh J. Ward • arrived back _in Sydney from America, bringing with him a portfolio of new plays, which sooner'or later will see the light of tho stage. j