THE EXHIBITION MUSICAL CONDUCTOR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 6, 7 July 1906, Page 9

THE EXHIBITION MUSICAL CONDUCTOR.

* - TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —l noticed in last.night's issue of the Evening Post the report of a deputation which waited upon the Hon. Minister in charge of the New Zealand International Exhibition with a view to. urge him to veto tho decision of the local committee in .appointing Mr. Orchard, of Sydney, to the position of conductor of tha Exhibition orchestra, and appoint Mr., Alfred 1J ill; and, sir, as I ha*e had a con. siderable experience of orchestral music and musicians in different parts of New Zealand, as well as Australia, I would wish to make a few remarks on the situation forced upon the public mind by this deputation. In the first place I consider the local committeo behaved very handsomely to Mr. Hill in entrusting him with, the musical setting of the Exhibition Ode without even calling for competition amongst tha musicians of New Zealand who are as capable as Mr. Hill, among whom I in- • dude Mr. Maughan Barnett (Wellington), Signor Squarise (Dunedin), and Dr. Bradshaw (Christ-church), without derogation to many others who have benefited New Zealand musically; and, sir, if the committee had offered, cay, £100 for the setting, it would have tempted colonial and other'excellences. v It is a prize of this nature that bis to light men like Mascagni, Pizzi, and others, but no, they decided for Mr. Hill —nothing was said, no strings were pulled,, and the Minister was not placed in an unenviable position. I consider that the deputation took a rather high-handed-step, but I have no'doubt that . Messrs. M. Barnett and Parker were actuated by a friendly professional spirit, which does them-credit —the majority cf the others are not to be considered from a musical standpoint.. I was pleased to note that the Minister singled-out the. opinions he considered valuable and pertinent, and 11 am' certain the musical por- | tion of New-Zealand, who, know the varij ous musicians of the colony, will endorse ! the statement that there aro many others • besides Mr. Hill who are entitled to consideration, including Messrs. Maughan Barnett, Parker, Squarise,' Sydney Wolf, Jas. Coombes, Kahn, Chas. Gray, Zimmermann, and Wallace (late of Christchurch). Again, sir, Wellington is not musical New Zealand, and we have on nearly every important occasion to go to different pai-ts of the colony for our soloists. I fail, sir, to* discover what special claim Mr. Hill has on New Zealand. Surely not' a cantata and a couple of operas, which have never been accepted by musicians as masterpieces, nor which have .achieved any- support outside the colony. Further, Mr Hill' has never considered New Zealand by giving it the benefit of .the genius that gome of the' deputation wished to impress, on the astute mind of the Hon. Mr. •M'Gowan, aad which I look upon as an affront to other' very worthy musicians. I consider -this prate about national pride, fitc.'j'is nauseating, especially in Jview of life -fact that the late Premier's visit to Australia was chiefly to encourage reciprocity between the two colonies; and sir, what a great welcome the Australians , gave him, and does not Australia welcome our New Zealand musicians? Did not the Sydney folk and the musicians of that go-ahead cHy cordially welcome and assist Mr. Hill when he went over a com- * pleta stranger, as well as many others, including Jlissefc Violet Mount and Norah Long, and Mr.'Philip Newbury, an exDunedinite? Verily, it is a nice position to ask any Minister to take up, viz., "New Zealand for New Zealanders'." A nice advanced legislation ior the world to copy in face of the fact that our colonials, Melba, Crossley, -Castles, Manson, Newbury,.' Grainger, Clutsam, G. .WillebyHawthorne, John Prouse,'arid others, have been warmly welcomed and encouraged in the furtherance 'of their talents. Away, sir, with such puerile, silly, and ' one-sided nonsense, which would simply make up a laughing-stock in the eyes of those wnom we, as a progressive colony, wish to consider, us as sensible and up-to-date. I sincerely trust that the Hop. Minister will maintain tbe dignity of his position in this unfortunate matter, despite the interference of Mr. Munro (who, although a public servant, is not' New Zealand, in-toto), and the partial deputation, and give the local com- . mittee that- right which they neoessarity demand as gentlemen of ability, which they have proved themselves, and not puppets or marionettes, which, coma would like to make them. " It may be of interest to you to "know that Mr. Orchard is an ex-New Zealander, having resided at Palmerston North for some time, ajid left the colony for Sydney, like Mr. Hill has done, for his future welfare. In conclusion, sir, I feel'confident that Mr. Orchard's excellent attainments which have been fostered and eminently brought out in a greater musical sphere than New Zealand, in her • infancy, can yet afford, will stand to him in this sorry exhibition, of unnational parochial hysteria. —l am^ etc. INTERNATIONAL. Wellington, 4th July, 1906. I