MR GALWAY MADE DOCTOR

Evening Star, Issue 18157, 23 December 1922, Page 8

MR GALWAY MADE DOCTOR

A RARE HONOR. Mr R. Bennell, of The Bristol Company, is advised by cable that Mr Victor E. Galway, organist of First Church, has passed his examination for the degree of Doctor of Music at the University of Melbourne, and is expected to return to Dunedin about tho middle of January. As soon as the news reached Mr Galwav’s musical friends here a number of congratulatory cablegrams were sent, aiuongst them one in which Mr \\ * -h. Lome intimated that tho Dunedin Choral Society is highly delighted at their conductor’s success. When Mr Galway cornes homo ho will find the community generally very much pleased that ho has won this distinction, for it is something that he has earned, and therefore of much greater value tiian a complimentary title, Tho examination is a very stiff one. Only two persons entered for it. The candidates were required to write a ponderous thesis. ‘Opera’ was tho subject. They also had lo submit an original composition. Mr Galway’s labor in that direction was the writing of a sonata_ which, when heard in private in Dunedin, just before he left, was highly praised by experts. Tho practical work of tho examination included a 2£ hours’ recital on the four-manual organ of the Melbourne Town Hall.

Mr Galway entered upon the examination under a great _ disadvantage. The examiners were to sit on the 19th inst., and, tho Ulimaroa being hung up owing to tho strike, lie could not get to -Melbourne in Dio ordinary way in time. How lie did get there is purely his own business. It was in Dio face of difficulties that would have disheartened any but a determined man. Ho must have had very little lime for practice on the Melbourne organ. Air Galway, who is comparatively a young man, comes of a musical South of 'England family, and studied at Home, in 1910 he went to Australia with testimonials from Sir Walter Parratt and Sir Frederick Bridges. In .1911 lie won the Ormond Exhibition at tho Melbourne versity, also tho Warden’s Scholarship of Trinity College in the same university. Then ho was appointed organist of Cairns Memorial Church, Melbourne, and assistant organist to tho Melbourne Philharmonic Society. Jn 1914 he graduated Mus. Bac., and was appointed choirmaster and organist at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Brisbane. Subsequently he adjudicated at Eistcdfodau, in Townsville, Ipswich, etc. In 1918 he was elected to conduct Die Peace Choir (1,000 voices) and massed hands at the Peace Celebrations. .In 1919 ho was appointed choirmaster and organist at tho First Church of Otago. In 1920 ho was made conductor of the Dunedin Male Choir, and in 1922 conductor of the Dunedin Choral Society. He adjudicated at the Dunedin Competitions in 1919, Christchurch Competitions 1920 and 1922, Gore Competitions 1920 and 1921. He also conducted for the Dunedin Operatic Society.