Avoidance Of Snobbery In Music Urged By Orchestra’s Conductor

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23289, 26 June 1950, Page 6

Avoidance Of Snobbery In Music Urged By Orchestra’s Conductor

(P.A,) AUCKLAND, June 24. It was most important that intellectual snobbery about music in New Zealand should be avoided, said Mr. Michael Bowles, conductor of the National Orchestra. He was commenting to an interviewer today on .a suggestion that some of the orchestra's programmes at the Auckland musical festival had been criticised because of the inclusion of lighter pieces among more strictly classical works. The festival ends tomorrow after a week of excellent patronage and keen appreciation. "Why there should be criticism of placing Tschaikowsky’s ‘Capriccio Italien' at the end of Monday’s classical programme I do not know," Mr. Bowles said. “Never yet have I been to a concert that consisted entirely of strictly classical music. Such a concert would not, I feel, be in the best interests of music in this country.” What was needed here was more of every kind of music. In other countries a wide variety of taste was catered for by orchestras in hotels and restaurants and theatre orchestras. These were 'lacking in New Zealand. He had found the National Orchestra much better than he had expected. Working with it was very enjoyable.