SOCIETY OF WOMEN MUSICIANS

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 24

SOCIETY OF WOMEN MUSICIANS

On Monday evening;, at the .Women’s Club, tho final meeting of the year, the Society of Women Musicians was fortunate in hearing an intensely interesting lecture by Mr Anderson Tyrer, who is at present in Dunedin conducting the Trinity College examinations. In introducing the speaker, the president, Miss Mary Martin, said that, owing to the isolation of New Zealand, musicians wore cut off from the study and enjoyment of new works, 'and visitors who could inform them of recent developments were very welcome. Mr Tyrer said that in view of this handicap he had chosen as the subject of his lecture ‘ Modern Music and Modern Musicians,’ and. would deal particularly with some of the very fine massive orchestral wprks of the present day, many of which are by British composers. Throughout his address, the speaker impressed _on his hearers the necessity for putting aside tradition and listening to modern works from an entirely new standpoint. They should not be hastily condemned because musical innovations, at first harsh in effect, frequently became pleasant when familiar to the ear. Much music of the past had had to wait for popular favour. Technically, the music of modern composers was at a far higher stage of development than that of their predecessors. In a series of short critiques of modern composers, Mr Tyrer revealed a deep insight into their works and a sympathetic understanding of their personalities. Among these wore Arnold Bax, John Ireland, Debussy, Delius, Elgar, Hindemith, Holst, and Strauss. Illustrative passages played on the piano with exquisite musicianship seemed all too short, but in response to a request by Miss Beatrice Barth, Mr Tyrer, to the delight of his hearers, played ‘ Reflets Dans I’Eau,’ by Debussy. Mrs H. C. Campbell expressed the members’ warm appreciation of the privilege they had enjoyed in being able to hear the lecture, which, she said, would greatly stimulate their interest in modern music. Mr and Mrs Tyrer were afterwards entertained at supper.' During the evening it was announced that the society’s prize for the composition of songs had been won by Mr Colin Oliver.