MUSIC IN WELLINGTON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 93, 17 October 1906, Page 3

MUSIC IN WELLINGTON.

BOGUS EXAMINING BODIES. A WORD OF WARNING. Music and matters relating thereto naturally provided the subject of some interesting remarks at a .gathering of music teachers, candidatesj and others interested in the "divine art," held in Freeman's tea-rooms last night. The object of the gathering was to met Mr. Walter Wescbe, examiner to the iAssociated Board of the Royal Academy of Music, London. Mr. J. W. Joynt, M.A., Registrar of th© New Zealand University occupied th© chair. He expressed gratification at seeing such a large attendance in response to the invitation to meet Mr. Wesche. It showed, he said, the vitality of the interest taken in the work done by the Associated Board. The entries for the examinations this time showed a very gratifying confidence in the system and work of the board. He ventured to say that the Associated Board was not afraid of any competition in New Zealand. The Prince of Wales, as chairman of the board — not merely a figurehead, but the direct working chairman — had recently made some very strong remarks about what he called bogus examining bodies. It was well to emphasise thces remarks in a capital such as Wellington. They had got to keep on the look out for bogus examining bodies. There- were bogus examining institutions which were merely commercial speculations. His remarks did not touch any other institution whose methods were pursued in a legitimate way, but we had to be on our guard against 6ham examining bodies, which, as far as ho could gather, were beginning to find root even in this colony. In the Associated Board we _ had something without cavil or suspicion of doubt which set a very high ideal before it. He did not think we had any reason to complain of the examiners sent out here by the board. They were men who put their whole heart into the work, not to test for certificates, medals, or any other distinction, but to devise as good a standard of musical knowledge through these countries as they could. In recent yeanj these distant countries like New Zealand had been very highly favoured in being brought into contact with 6uch hitrh standards in Ihe musical world as Paderewski^ Mark Hambourg, Mademoiselle Dolores, Madame Melba, Hearmann, and others; while we had only to recall the experience of the past couplo of months, when ths capacities of the "kin? of instruments," the organ, were interpreted by a consummate master. (Applause.) Mr. Wescbe, in the course of a short speech, said he had bsen disappointed in one way in his Wellington experience, in that he had not found any conspicuous example of talent here— something that would have astonished him. "He had found a great deal of pood work and of | very talented people, but nothing conspicuous. Occasionally he had met with pood work mixed up with curious mistakes—mirreadings. He knew the reason ol that. The teachers had not taken the trouble to learn the pieces themselves. Before sending in candidates he advised teachers to learn the pieces thoroughly themselves, and then he would not find two bars clayed in the treble that were written in the bass and vice versa. He had, however, found a great deal of trood work m Wellington, which it RavoJ him pleasure to listen to. When' one got the enjoyment of music in its hichest form, one got the highest enjoyment tnat it was possible to experience. Of course there had been failures, but he was as sorry for the failures as he was glad, for the successes, and whenever hehad any doubt he always gave the benefit to the candidate. Sometimes he met with » trivia} mistake, but he could not pass it over without treating more proficient candidates with,' injustice '(.U. pl*us*.) v * v During the evening, an excellent vocal and instrumental programme w»s contributed to by the Missss Muriel Printrle, violet Lnmacroft. Sylvia Willi.ms, Agnes Segricf, Daisy Reid, and Rita Rabone