MUSIC IN WELLINGTON

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 5, 6 July 1921, Page 9

MUSIC IN WELLINGTON

\\. '■':■: i ' —..♦'-::,,:::■..;;'\, " : ■ ■-■■••' '■..-.- 10 THE EDITOR.: '.-..... . Sir,—There has been'io'much unfiitcriticism, of. the organ recitals, especially by those; who .never attend themj. that,l hops you .will grant a littlespace"in your paper as a regular and very "grateful attendant at them. But I do 1 not speak from a tradesman's point of view, which eliminates art, and. looks upon recitals as a commercial enterprise of profit and monetary loss. The Cherniavskyß' Saturday night concert was, on the whole, a heavier programme than Mr. Page's last Tuesday recital;' four of the composers whose works they played from, Mr. Pag« often, playe. They had 'a. fair: audience for a concert given by touring mimir.iflps but i£ they lived hero, and gave ioonoert every weok they would come to the mma average audience as. ,tho recitals, because any' music weekly can- always -be heard ."later., on," except by the musio-lovers. One often; hears that people, will' iiot go to. the i recitals because: they ;.<k> not know thsj najnes- of -the,' composers.! .~Ha)fr do they"get to know the.na.mee.of the'aefcorg and actresses of the picture films?. By going to see them. Then how do they expect to get to know the. names and works' of composers., except by going' to hear'them? As for the musical peoplo of Wellington, one would have expected to hoar at I&a6t one or two defending" Mr. Page from the attacks-made oirhis work. The only councillor manjenbugh to defend tho absent organist, at the council meetingwas Councillor Luckie. . It should be the duty and privilege of* school teachers and every other musio teacher tp take their pupils regularly' to the recitals a3 part of their musical education.- They must know that the besfi way to train the ear of a pupil is by accustoming them to Jkten Jo good musio ;•. and the music played at these' recitalr cannot be heard out here in any other way. An elocutionary teacher- will ad vise a pupil to listen to good plays, why then, expect boys and .girls to play purely by their own efforts?.' "■ for many• 80-called teachers cannot play the composers' works «! eyw^ach- I saw ia the Paper one of tho Education Boards saying it wanted to bring music into the ■'schools: Why not bring- the. schools to music by each school; sending-regularly a, class In charge of a teacher to, every recital. given ? • I am sorry to have m»de this so long-, but it i» ?• P^y the citizons ido not realise-that in Mr. Pago and tho Town Hall organ they, i? VeiA part o£ their "'y life that they should bo very proud of, and should back up against all-comers. Wellington is admittedly ouo of tho soundest wealthy cities of New Zealand We are- at a- bad time,, but that with pluck and perseverance will Pas*. The organ, .with, the expert's caJe and _ play, such as Mr. .Page gives it, vdll outlive many mayors, and, ocruncillore, but only with that .intelligent use and care, for orjpna, like pianos, and even more so, go quickb' to rum without propar u<fc and care.—l am, etc., -'.' ■ !•* 4tli July. j^