MUSIC IN THE CITY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 48, 26 February 1913, Page 3

MUSIC IN THE CITY

REMARKS BY MR. MAUGHAN BARNETT At the annual meeting of tlie Royal Wellington Choral Society last evening, a resolution was passed expressing high appreciation of Mr. J. Maughan Barnett's services to the society as conductor. In acknowledging the resolution, Mr. J. Maughan Barnett said ho had one or two months longer to deal with the society, and he hardly yet fully realised that he was leaving it. Regarding what had been said about the success of the society, in his judgment its phenomenal success was .solely due to the fact that everybody who had any responsibility in connection with the society earned out his or her duties to the utmost. There were no > drones in the society. Had it not been for the loyalty and hard work on the part of everybody concerned, the society could not possibly have attained the position it now occupied— a position, quite apart, from his own work— which he thought the society thoroughly deserved. In addition to the personal friendships he had made amongst the members, he would feel to the end of his life that he had been connected with a society which had made history , in Wellington. He was cmito sure that when the history of music in Wellington was written, the Choral Society would hold a Very prominent position in that record ; and he would always look upon it as a, great honour to have been the society's first conductor. He might take that opportunity of bringing before them very strongly what ho felt regarding music in Wellington at the present time. As far as their chorus was concerned, there were very few works that he would be afraid to tackle ; but there was ono part of the music that required working up— he referred to the development of the orchestra. That really was the problem at the present time. The orchestral music had not progressed to the same extent as the choral music had dond He took that opportunity of impressing upon the society, and upon everybody who took an interest in music, the absolute necessity of doing more in the direction of developing their orchestral music. And the method that he thought was likely to prove a success — unless some citizens undertook the financing of an orchestra, and it was not an unknown thing for wealthy people to give handsome donations to music— was the development of the element of personal persuasion on the lines that now existed in the case of the society. The Choral Society, he believed — ajirt from its music-— had been made a success by its members all exercising what he might term personal persuasion. The members of the society had been successful in obtaining many subscribers. He did not see why a similar system should not be introduced in connection .with the orchestra, and had he remained in Wellington he would have tried to organise a system something on the lines he had indicated. The orchestra required development. There were very few professional players here; but it was really wonderful what business men (amateurs) could do for music. However,' a good start had been made.