THE MUSICAL WORLD

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 113, 6 February 1937, Page 23

THE MUSICAL WORLD

By

C.J.M.

Stray Notes. The annual meeting of the Royal Wellington Choral Union will take place on Tuesday, February 23. The Cambridge Choral Society intends putting into rehearsal for its first concert of the 1937 season Coleridge Taylor's “Hiawatha,” Mr. H. E. Moston, of Wellington, has been appointed to the executive of the Associated Choral Societies of New Zealand.

In a letter to Australian friends, Wilhelm Backhaus, the eminent pianist, says he is resting from concert work for a whole year. “I found this necessary,” he says, “to counterbalance the tearing from place to place which I have done all my life.” Mr. Backhaus had been very ill: but was now recovered.

Miss Essie Ackland and her busband, Mr. Reginald Morphew, are travelling to Australia by way of South Africa. They will arrive in Sydney on March 4, and will give their first recital on Saturday. March 13. Mr. Morphew, who was known in Sydney as a tenor, now sings as a baritone.

An interesting series of broadcasts devoted to twentieth century music was launched recently in Sydney. The items include a sonata by Darius Milhaud and a piano suite by Bela Barlok: the Six Pieces for String Quartet, opus 9, of Webern, in which almost every note in the melodies is allotted successively to a different instrument; quartets by Alban Beyg, Szymanowski, Mala piero, Bela Bartok ami Armstrong Gibbes; quintets by Arnold Bax, Cyril Scott, Arthur Bliss and Florent Schmidt; Schonberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire,” and two Songs Without Words for voice and clarinet by Mr. Roy Agnew, of Sydney, who has arranged the series.

Liturgical Music iu Sydney. Nearly four years ago Father D. H. Hurley, who was at that time Superior of St. Patrick’s, Church Hill, conceived the idea of founding a male choir which should concentrate on strictly liturgical music (writes Hie musical correspondent of the “Sydney Morning Herald”). Pope Pius XI had recently issued an encyclical on the general subject of the liturgy; aud the time seemed ripe for the new development. Yet there were many difficulties iu the way. In a country like Australia, where there was no long tradition, Father •Hurley feared that it would be difficult to find suitable voices. There would be few singers, ho supposed, to whom the specialised type of music would appeal. But the choir was formed: ami in October, 1933, it sang its first mass—a simple two-part work by Dorn. Moreno. This Benedictine composer was living In Sydney at the time; and, together with Mr. Leo Finn, the present conductor, he trained the singers. Since this

initial performance, the choir has been beard each Sunday morning in polyphonic masses by Perosi (the director of the Sistine Choir in Rome), by Mitterer, Singenberger, Joseph Auer, aud others. It has broadcast many times through the national stations. Also, it has taken part in two religious pageants: namely, Thompson’s “The Hound of Heaven” and “The Quest of the Holy Grail,” which wits founded on Malory’s “Morte d’Arthur.” The next important musical offering at St. Patrick’s will be an “Ave Verum” by William Byrd. The intention is that eventually, during Mass, the choir shall sing the Proper (or variable parts) and the congregation the Ordinary (or fixed parts). Memories of Verbrugglien. Those of us who remember Henri Verbrugglien as conductor of the New South Wales State Conservatorium orchestra during its topr of New Zealand many years ago, will be interested in news from Minneapolis of some of the personalities of that combination. James Messeas, the gifted ’cellist, was one. “'£te Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, ’ says Mr. W. J. C. Pennell, in a letter to the “Sydney Morniug Herald.” “thinks a tremendous amount of Messeas, and increased his salary for tlie current season, notwithstanding the financial difficulties—recently added to by the withdrawal of further support by two of the leading guarantors. I stayed in his home for a week, and heard some glorious ’cello playing, including a broadcast of a Beethoven trio which lie announced as being performed in honour of an old pupil of his from Sydney, Australia. He is awfully busy witli a full list of pupils at two large schools. Miss Jenny Cullen is on the staff of one of these. She enjoys a fine following of students. I also met Mrs. Henri Verbrugglien, and found her looking wonderfully well. She did not hesitate to remark that she would return to Australia to-mor-row if that wgre at all possible. They all seemed emphatic in saying that Australia gave them the happiest period of their lives. Dr. Adrian Verbrugghen (son of Henri) is recognised as a clever surgeon. He is in Chicago, specialising in delicate brain work, aud has some remarkably fine operations to his credit. “The story of the last public appearance of Henri Verbrugglien, as told by Messeas, was most pathetic. He could not continue with the chamber music concert, and had to be led from the stage, much against his will, never to return. The incident upset the entire community, which held him in such high esteem. Messeas does not look a day older than when he was in Sydney; and he seems to have remembered all his friends here, judging by the stream of inquiries he directed at me.”