MUSIC AND RECORDS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 112, 4 February 1933, Page 17

MUSIC AND RECORDS

(By

C.J.M.)

Stray Notes. . . Mr. Harold Whittle, when last hcaid of, had left the United States and settled in England. . The Apollo Male Voice cllolr " Y sume rehearsals on February the Harmonic Society towards the tmi of the month. . . It is said that musical society treasurers generally are regarding then 1933 budgeting problems with mn„ faces. A Famous Boys’ Choir.

Writing in the London "Daily lelegraph” of November IS last, a writei gives au interesting account of tne choir of the Vienna "Sangerknaben. This is a very ancient institution established for the purpose of training choristers to sing in the little chapel of the Imperial "Palace. The court is no more, and at the revolution of 1918 the Court Choristers were disbanded. A determined effort, however, to save from oblivion this choir, where Franz Schubert and many other boys who later became famous first learned to music, was made, and with the aid o; the Vienna Broadcasting Co. (a strange link joining the modern with the mediaeval) the choir has now been placed on . a sound financial basis. Over 1000 boys apply for admission every year. There are "study choirs, from which are selected boys for the two trained choirs after one or two years’ study. Twenty-two of these Viennese boys have recently left for a tour of the principal American cities, including New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago,. Aiontreal, Quebec, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Boys’ Choir for Wellington. As the news of this famous European boys’ choir comes to hand, we have details of the formation of a boys’ choir in Wellington. Air. H. Temple White, so well known as a voice trainer and choir conductor, is forming a choir of boys with unbroken voices, commencing this month. Already about GO boys have been enrolled, nnd this new choir will take its place among the successful musical institutions of our city, and we venture to predict will be one of the most popular features of our musical life. A Young Auckland Composer.

A 19-year-oid Auckland boy, Norman Olan Kersland. has just had his first song composition accepted at sight by Miss Ella Shields, who Intends to use it on her southern tour. So delighted is she with the tunefulness and charm of the song, which is entitled “Waiting for the Summertime.” that she intends to have it published on her return to Sydney and it is also likely that she will make a recording of it. Kersland is the son of musical par-

■cuts, his mother, under the professional name of Nola Caselli, being well known in Auckland as a brilliant solo pianist. He is at present a radio mechanic. He had two years’ pianoforte tuition from 12 to 14 years of age, but he then entirely neglected the piano until three years ago. In the interval he had almost forgotten the notes, but. when he was 1G he took studies again on his own, and after hard work reached performing standard. At a Town Hall concert for the unemployed early last year he attracted the notice of Mr. Robert Adams, who introduced him to his father, Mr. Samuel Adams. Mr. Samuel Adams was so greatly impressed with (lie boy’s promise that be gave him advanced tuition gratis. Since then lie found that he could improvise readily, and he evolved several compositions which have been given in Auckland concert halls. Only a few of these have been reduced to paper. “Waiting for tlie Summertime” is the first song he has written, others having been pianoforte solos.

Boy Soprano’s Royalties. Ernest Lough, the former boy chorister of the Temple Church, whose voice went round the world in the record of Alendelssohn's "Hear my Prayer,” was 21 years old on November IS, and he then received the accumulated royalties on this and other records in which he acted as soloist. For years there had been speculation about the amount of money Lough was likely to receive, and it frequently was said that when he came of age he would find himself the possessor of a fortune. Alore than 600,000 copies of his record "Hear Aly Prayer” have been sold—and it is still a best seller. The total value of the sales is iu the neighbourhood of £130.000.

Lough’s share of the royalties, however, is in the neighbourhood of £lOO. and has been invested on his behalf in Consols. How these royalties stand at such a small figure was explained to an English pressman. When the gramophone company made the record their contract was with the authorities of the Temple Church, which is under the control of the Master nnd Benchers of the Middle and Inner Temples. Under this contract all royalties were payable quarterly to the Benchers. Altogether 26 people co-operated in the making of the record —12 professional men singers, 12 boy choristers, an organist, and Lough. A portion of the royalties was set aside for charity, and the remainder divided among the 2G performers. Each boy received half as much as the men, but for purposes of royalties Lough ranked as a man.

Recorded Music. There should be au eager welcome from the many lovers of Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 for the recentlyissued records of his Third Concerto, played by Horowitz with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Albert Coates. Parts of this new work are reminiscent of some of the lovely material used for the earlier Concerto, and there is about the whole, the rich, colourful, satisfying quality characteristic of the work of this Russian genius. The playing is superb—and the balance of piano and orchestra admirably kept. (11.M.V.) Imagine “an Imperial Court, about 1855,” and a scene that is at first partly obscured by “whirling clouds,” which gradually disperse, when “an immense hall is seen, filled with dancers. The scene clears. The glare of the lights bursts forth.” That is Ravel’s note to his extraordinarily clever and successful work, “Poem Choreographlque—L:i Valse,” au old Viennese waltz touched by his masterly hand. This performance of it has tremendous richness of colour. (H.ALV.) Clemens Krauss, the hero of many Alunich festivals and director of the Vienna State Opera, is held in great esteem by German and Austrian musiclovers. He certainly knows how to get the best out of an orchestra —listen to the gloriously rich massed siring tone in these clever arrangements of Brahms’s "Hungarian Dances.” (H.ALV.) Kaufmann's famous Continental light orchestra plays that well-known, graceful little melody, "Stephanie Gavotte,” and the jolly “Visit to tlie Woodpecker,” with a variety of effects. (H.ALV.) BANDS AND BANDSMEN (By "Kneller Hall.”) TO CORRESPONDENTS.—Band secretaries are invited to forward reports oi eenceris and bund functions generally by Wednesday of each week, in order to ensure publication in the following Saturday’s issue of “The Dominion.”

Eyes on Dunedin. The campaign now in progress to raise funds to send the Port ?>’ieholson Silver Band to the Dunedin contest is not meeting with the response from the public that was anticipated. A fair amount of support has been accorded, but not at all commensurate with the strenuous labour entailed on the organisers, and as the time is drawing to a close for tlie receipt of donations it is hoped that the appeal to the generosity of citizens will meet with the prompt response it well deserves. In the past the bands have never hesitated to come to tiie assistance of any worthy object, and they are justified iii looking for a helping hand from some of the organisations that have had their support in days gone by. Of 14 bodies that have been willingly assisted by tlie Wellington bands when the latter have been approached, only one has replied to the request for assistance at the present juncture, and the nature of that reply was an expression of regret that "owing to the bad times and heavy expenses,” etc:, nothing could be done in the way suggested. This is very discouraging to ail those who are working so hard to send our champion band to Dunedin, and if success does not crown the efforts of Air. A. Buckley, the energetic secretary, and bis band of enthusiastic helpers, it will not redound to the credit of the capital city. In furtherance'of the campaign it had been intended to have an openair performance of massed bands at the Basin Reserve this afternoon, but owing to a hitch arising as to conditions, it was found inadvisable to do so, and accordingly the following Saturday (the 11th) Ims been arranged for. Full details will appear in the papers during the coming week. However, tlie City Council has granted the bands the use of the Basin Reserve for to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon, and an attractive programme has been drawn

up for the massed bands. The performance will commence at three o’clock, and the organisers of tlie movement trust their appeal for public support will meet with a generous response.

Friends in Need. For several reasons Wellington Municipal Tramways Band will not be able to attend the Dunedin contest, and bandsmen generally will regret that this decision has been come to. Inability to muster the full strength of players necessary if full justice is to be done to the band’s entry, but due in large measure to a shrinkage of finances, have been the compelling motives which led to this action. The members now having a free hand, and not being burdened with the fear of (he band’s success or otherwise at the contest, have now set about to give every assistance in their power to their Fort Nicholson confreres. They are throwing themselves whole-heartedly into the project of sending the champion brass band of the Dominion ro the southern city to defend its possession of the coveted title, and their activities in this direction have met with warm commendation in all quarters. It is this spirit of good-fellowship and camaraderie among bandsmen that is a pleasure to see, and should meet with its due reward. Public Interest in the forthcoming contest has grown considerably, and Air. J. J. Drew and his men are deserving of a strong backing from Wellington citizens in their laudable efforts; indeed the matter should not be outside the province of his Worship the Alayor and City Councillors, a lead from whom would give the campaign a decided impetus.

Young Australia. It is to be hoped that the visit of the Young Australia League Band will stimulate the youth of this Dominion to follow its example. New Zealand is well supplied with brass and military bands at the present time, but there must come a day when the ranks of players will need replenishing as they become depleted through deaths, retirements, and so on. It is in this direction that junior bands can supply a long-felt want, and band associations by judicious drafting need never despair of maintaining the personnel of the senior organisations with competent players. There are already several boys’ bands in this country that have done real good work, such as the Palmerston North Junior Garrison, Waverley Boys’ Band (Dunedin), the Ponsonby Boys’ Band, Wellington Boys’ Institute, anil the Hawera combination, to mention just a few, and each one has earned a reputation that has reflected the highest credit on its instructor. Capital work has been done by these and others, aud it only needed the visit of the Commonwealth boys to impart fresh life into the junior baud movement in New Zealand. It is hoped the visit will bear fruit, and that the lessons learnt will be of an abiding character. The band is at present in Dunedin, and finishes up a four days’ season to-morrow, leaving for Wellington on Alonday morning. On Wednesday his Excellency the Gover-nor-General, Lord Bledisloe, will tender the boys a reception. Jupp’s Band.

Jupp’s Silver Band is keeping its head above water in spite of the difficult times. At its usual practice last Alonday evening, which was fairly well attended, two new members were elected. The band has been engaged to play at the Wellington Girls’ College this afternoon in connection with the jubilee celebrations. In the course of its career the band has become a recognised institution in Wellington, and has every prospect of surviving the present depression.

Palmerston Juniors. It seemed rather unnecessary for the secretary of the Palmerston North Garrison Band to point out in the daily papers that the C grade competition at the Napier contest was not won by his band, as reported, but by the junior section of the same organisation. The complete results of the Napier contest were published in this column last Saturday, and as these weekly notes, are read by bandsmen generally, the facts were quite familiar to all interested m such matters, and the slight telegraphic inaccuracy misled nobody. By the way, it is'probable that the Palmerston North juniors will be raised a step in classification owing to their conspicuous success at the Napier Contest.

Taranaki Moving. A meeting of the Taranaki Brass and Pipe Bands’ Union was held at Stratford on January 26 to finalise arrangements for the contest to be held at Eltham in March. The Hawera Alunicipal Band wrote reaffirming its inability to attend the contest, and the meeting expressed its regret. It was reported that there would be only two B grade bands competing, but it was hoped all the C grade and pipe bands would be in evidence. Arrangements made by the Eltham committee were very complete and designed to produce a well-organised contest that would warrant the fullest patronage by the public. The music for the massed pipe bands at the contest will be “Donald Dhu” and “79th's Farewell to Gibraltar.”

Scots Forgather. There was a brave gathering of Scottish pipers at the Caledonian sports held at Stratford last week, and the assembled kilties hailed from every society in the Province of TaranakiNeedless to say, there was great enthusiasm manifest everywhere, and the skirl of the pipes was heard in all directions, with occasional bursts of “Here's tae us! Wha’s like us?” ami other toasts dear to the sons of Scotia. Crotchets. "Now. lads,” said the conductor of the village band, which had assembled for its usual weekly practice, “seeing we haven't tried this piece before, I think it’ll be best to leave out all the sharps and flats till we get the right tune.”'

Tlie test of true religion is to love your neighbour, remarks a social, reformer. Aud many a harassed citizen finds that this is especially so if the said neighbour practises tlie saxophone. Bo’ness Alilitary Band (Scotland) attended the last Belle Vue Alilitary Band Contest at Afanchester and were unsuccessful. The band drew the dreaded No. 1 marble for position, am] this upset them.' However, they are competing again this year, and such an exhibition of the right spirit should reap its own reward. The trade depression at Home is being keenly felt in tlie band world, and many organisations are finding it hard to make ends meet.' St. John’s Band, Port Glasgow, a popular musical unit on the Clydeside, has been compelled to withdraw from the first class championship, and the men are keenly disappointed.