NEW ZEALAND MUSIC

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1908, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND MUSIC

PROPOSED CONSERVATORY. DISCUSSED osr UNIVERSITY SENATE. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE WANTED. The chancellor (Sir Robert Stout), in his report to the University Senate, commended to the senate's consideration a communication from the University of Melbourne, regarding examinations in jnusic. Large sums, it was stated, were being paid to two English institutions for the examination of musical students in New Zealand. Tli3 question was, ' could not all the examinations be con- | ducted by the local university or by arrangement with the Universities of Melbourne and Adelaide. The Music Commit tea recommended to-day that a reply be sent stating that the New Zealand University did not conduct any practical examinations m music, and could not therefore, for the present, consider tho question. Mr. Cohen, in presenting the committee's report, stated that both Melbourne and Adelaide had conservatoria of music, and were combining to conduct examinations. New Zealand had nothing of the kind. The recommendation was adopted. The question of establishin ga Conservatorium of Music in New Zealand was referred to in the following recommendation of the committse. :— (1) That a deputation from this senate approach the Government with the request that the Government set apart a sum of money for the establishment of a Conservalorium of Music iii' New Zealand. (2) That the Music Committee be a Recess Music Committee to provide such deputation and report to the Senate at its next annual session ; and, further, that it have the objects of the original Recess Committee of 1907. ■ MUSICAL TASTE. Mr. Cohen referred to a proposal mads previously, which excited the apprehension of the professional musician and caused a Bill to enforce r-egistra- ! tion of musicians to be" brought before Parliament. The Bill was not passed. The conference of musicians, recently concluded, was weakened by the absence of the very men whose voices would have added weight ti the dthberationb. As compared with other graduates, there were very few graduates in music in New Zealand. Thousands of pupils had passed the outside examinations, yet there was not too much evidence that the musical taste of tho country during the past twenty years had shown anything of tho influence on musical performance, as these -'examinations uoiild have led one to expect. Practical work in music had been done for sOino years, bui there was nothing to show that the standard ox music had b,een raised. In fact, in tha opinion of the speaker, it was somewhat lower in regard to cultivation than ii. had been in his boyhood. Great artists visiting New Zealand wore ili patronised either by ths pupils of teachers or the general* public. A tonr<u-\ atorium would bo a training ground for teachers of mrsic, r, radiating influence in establishing some sound t;istc and standard in music among liio people- of the Dominion. It was idle to cay that an emiivenL teacher of the pianoforte or iho violin was a teacher of musical culture. A conservatorium in New Zealand could not, of course, compare with tho institutions in London nnd on the Continent. IVodijng in this country was practically limited to the piano, th^ violin, and singing. The gold medallists and trw brilliant prizewinners did. nothing like the fulfilment of the promise they 'gave as students in a practical art. He asked the senate to allow the Music Committee to keep the matter alive and to pass the report. Tho chancellor considered that a large revenue from examination would assist in the maintenance of the proposed conservatorium. He was strongly of opinion that an effort should be made to establish a consGrvatorium, and to conduct all examinations within the colony. The Rev. W. A. Evans promised his warm support to the proposal. The recommendation of the committee was approved.