Music at the Exhibition.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 2, 2 July 1885, Page 3

Music at the Exhibition.

A mooting of the Musical and Ceremonial Committee in connection with the New Zealand Exhibition wan held last evening, thoro being prosent Messrs. Pearco (Chairman), Mills, Quiok, Parsons, Waters, and Maodouald. A letter was read from the Committee of • the Wellington Sunday Sohool Union stating that tho Bey. P. N. Hunter was willing to . undertake tho oonduptorship of a children's \ musical fostival during the Exhibition eoa\on, tho choir to be composo! of cbildron worn every Sunday school in tho district;. On tho motion of Mr. W. K. Watera.it was decided to accept the offor, tho for rausio, &0., not to oxooed .£25. A report was road from the Working Committee. Tho following ia a synopsis : — Arrangementß have been mado for a programme,for caoh occasion on which tho Exhibition will bo open during" August. Mr. King has ' agreed to provide an orchestra of not less than twenty performers for one oveninfc caoh week, and a septet band for four afternoons in the wook, tho orchestra to be supplemented by the Orchestral Socioty at the oratorioiperformances. Tho cost of the v?hole for thY month, including inuaio, is to be 4130. Arrangements have boen mado for organ rnoitals'as follows :— First week, Mr. Novillo Baraett, Auckland ; second week, Mr. Hantrie -West ; third weok, Mr. Robert Parker; fourth week, undecided. Mr. Parker, howovor.'us in communication with Mr. Wells, of tbe'Chiiatohuroh Cathedral, and Mr. Towsey, oi£ of whom will be scoured. The organists' fijoß havo boen fixed at 410 for two recitals iu<oaoh week, with travelling eipense) for thoso who coma from a distance. Mr. Mackintosh "has undertaken to provide a ballad concert in the first Wednesday in August, for a fee of jES ss. With regard to the oantata, the Committee were unable to send in a report cm tbo production as a whole. Two appointments were made for a hoaricg of tho work, bnt on neither oocasion was it forthcoming in a complete manner. The Committee, have therefore only to reoord their opinion/tased upon private examination, that the plan of the work, whatevor may bo the morit of ''tho individual pieces of&wbioh it is composed, ronders it aUogottipralnsuitable for the o\oaiion of the openfng*bf the Exhibition, as. it consists of a string of solo pieoeo, relievod ' only by one or two fragmentary ohorisos of no interest. The Committee are strongly of opinion that the musio at .the owning ceremony should consist 6f ohorol and orchestral work only, and tha*lj opinion was deliberately arrived at .in the_ first inetanoe at tho general meeting of ohoirmasters, and was adopted by iha Musical and Gor*monial Committee on thoir rocomniendation, musio of a similar character being ordered from England for the speoial purposo._ Mr!>,T. K. Maodonald moved tho adoption of lf the report with tho excoption of that portion referring to the oantata, whioh he proposed should be referred back for a report on tho whole work. Ho thought it was a, pity the Working Committee had made up' their minds before thoy had hoard tho wholo cantata. Mr. Parsons thought it was unfair to judge of the work until the Working Uommittee had heard it properly produced. The oantata would be potformed in the Drillshed in a few days, and after that an idea oould be gathered as to its value. Messrs. Waters »nd Mills also thought the Working Committee should bo instructed to hear the whole work beforo deciding as to its merit. The Chairman romarkod that the WorV'ng Committee had simply expressed thoir opir : on that the general structure of ' the cantata rendered vUnnsnitablo. Tho resolution proposed by^fr. Macdonaid was then agreod to. • On the motion of Mr. Macdonald, it was dooided to requoHt Mr. F. D. Fonton, of Auckland, who ia now oa a visit to Wellingt)U, to assist the Working Committee in doeiding upon the merit of the oantata. Communications wore read from Auckland, Oainaru, and Inveroarg'", asking for information relative to the band oontoßt. In order t j remove a doubt which appontod to> ' oxist in tho minds of persons at a distance, it was decided tbat members of a corps io whioh a band is attached ehould bo eligible to play. lie Seorotsry wa3 instructed to write to Government and endeavour to obtain free ra: l waypasres for thos,o bands whioh are coming from a distance. Mr. Joseph Clark, Seorotary of tho Wellington Elooutionaty Society, wrote suggesting that co:;teßts of an olooutionaty charaoter «hocM be hold durin? tho Exhibition. The consideration of the letter was deferred.