FUTURE OF MUSIC

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 10

FUTURE OF MUSIC

IN HANDS OF AMATEUES

CHORAL CONDUCTOR'S VIEWS

The important part that amateurs in future will play in keeping alive the best in music was stressed by Mr. John Bishop, the conductor of the Eoyal Wellington Choral Union, when that body held its annual meeting.

The rise of the "talkies," he said, had meant a decline in the ifumbers of performers of instrumental music in theatres the world over. The position now was that only a handful of musicians was providing musical entertainment for the public. These were in one or two studios or theatres, and, instead of thousandsPearning their livelihood by performance of music only a few hundreds were doing so. Fewer people, too, were learning to play instruments. On the other hand there were several world-famous orchestras at the present time which had established a standard of orchestral music never before, approached. Although this was all to the good, it came about once more, as in the past, that the future of music rested with the amateurs. Singly or in groups, such as choral societies and orchestras, they had to fight for music's sake so that the future might be assured.. Music had to be kept strong and healthy, and if the' amateurs failed it was gone,for ever. • ... PRESERVING THE TRADITION. The choral tradition, said Mr. Bishop, was very sound in England, and in no other country was it held in the same way. New Zealand had to follow suit, and if the requisite support could be enlisted, the position might turn into a triumph and music take on a fresher and finer life. Mechanical music had its uses, but it had its evils, too. Used in the right way it was a power for good, but what was needed of the musical people of the present time was the making of music themselves. The Choral Union had done well during the past season. Vaughan Williams's difficult "Sea Symphony" had been tackled well, and he hoped that in future seasons other British wor*ks would be rendered. In "Hiawatha" the difficulties of memorisation had been conquered in a very signal manner, much of the success of the presentation of the work being due to the thoroughness of rehearsals for the "Sea Symphony." Members had sliown themselves capable of triumphing over difficulties and that they could be relied on. Last season's "Messiah" had been a more musicianly performance than previous ones. To sing Handel as he was sung in his own day was exceedingly difficult. In his day voices commanded the accompaniment of instruments: to-day it was the. other way round, and voices had to do as the instruments told them. But it should be the aim of every choral society to reach the point where the parts, hard as they might be, were sung as they were in Handel's day.