SUBSCRIPTION FOR ALLAN LOVEDAY.

Evening Star, Issue 22988, 20 June 1938, Page 7

SUBSCRIPTION FOR ALLAN LOVEDAY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Because your musical critic got caught up in the general enthusiasm concerning the genius of Alan Loveday, the boy violinist, of Palmerston North, and, somewhat exuberantly may be, emphasised the duty of support from Dunedin to the project of sending him abroad for further tuition, Mr G. W. Johnstone has read you a lecture. As criticism directed against “ loose and extravagant language,” his letter is a shining example of the mote and the beam. Firstly, he requires half a column to reply to a four-line comment. Then he displays his credentials as a critic of loose and extravagant language ” in the following models of restraint and moderation; “ Amazing statement,” “ with all the emphasis at my command,” “ such undigested thought,” “why, in the name of logic,” “ no need to become hysterical,” “ lose all sense of proportion,” “ clotted nonsense.” Next, after objecting so vehemently to your telling Dunedin what it should do, he takes to himself a threefold privilege of the same kind, lecturing Palmerston North, the Wellington province, and the National broadcasting stations upon their duty in the same connection. incidentally deriding indiscriminately imported broadcasting performers by referring to them contemptuously as “ artists! ” —the exclamation mark being his. Signed by the writer as president of the Music Teachers’ Association, Otago Branch, the letter commits all the members of the branch, although the prominence of the personal pronoun “ I ” pays them scant compliment. Anyhow, the musicians and the public of Dunedin will do their duty all right by this talented boy. So also, no doubt, will the people of Palmerston North and the Wellington province, and possibly even the National Broadcasting Board, and it is sincerely to be hoped that they will not imagine Mr Johnstone’s views on this matter are representative of Dunedin’s attitude.—l am, etc., Juno 18. B Major.