THE CALL OF RAGTIME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3572, 23 February 1914, Page 3

THE CALL OF RAGTIME.

HAS NOT ENSLAVED NEW

ZEALAND

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 22. The imperious call of syncopi bated ragtime lias not enslaved the New Zealand public, according to Mr E. C. Stretton, the conductor of the Royal Artillery Band, which yesterday morning returned front its tour of the Dominion. The Binary lias embraced most of the towns, small and large, between Auckland and Invercargill and the. musicians have returned enthusiastic over the reception accorded them throughout the country. To a “Star” representative Mr Stretton imparted some of his impressions of New Zealanders from the musical point of view. Everywhere, he said, the band found their audiences most enthusiastic, and what bad struck him most was the predilection shown for classical music. . Mr Stretton instanced the appreciation shown of Wagner’s seductive music in the “Overture to Tannhauser” and of the tender beauty and rare expression of Thomas’ ‘“Mignon.” “Such pieces as these were enthusiastically encored,” said Mr Stretton, ‘‘and it speaks well for a country that is not supposed to be musical.' They seem to know what is best in music and, far from having a lukewarm reception from an unappreciative public, the tour has been quite a triumphal procession for the band throughout the country.” Asked why New Zealand' should be supposed to be devoid of musical taste, Mr Stretton said the accusation was one they had made themselves. “The whole point of the matter is that New Zealanders run themselves down and, to a very large extent, that is absolutely unwarranted.” In reply to a question as to whether there was any evidence that the love of music was confined to the better educated classes in the Dominion, the well-known conductor expressed the opinion that good music well played was just as much appreciated ny the man in the street as by the more cultured classes. That bad been his experience throughout the tour. For instance, at New Riymouth the audience enthusiastically encored the overture to “Tannhauser.” Compared with the British public, New Zealanders were quite as appreciative of good music and while here, as elsewhere cornet and piccolo solos were highly popular, the classical works received the most cordial plaudits. “We played no ragtime and wo were asked'for none,” said Mr Stretton. “People here, like those at Home, favorably receive a good work when it is well played, and there is no need to descend to cheap music. Possibly the demand for that type oi music in some places is because bands undertake classical works without the instruments to play them as they, should be interpreted. Consequently the music is not presented in Hie proper spirit and the people receive it unfavorably.” Incidentally, Mr Stretton mentioned that the musical spirit was not con.fined to the large town, and some of the smaller communities were even more enthusiastic than a big town like Dunedin where, although the audiences were appreciative enough, the people failed to turn out in such numbers as the band expected. One interesting feature of the tour was that large numbers of Maoris were included in the audiences and they were evidently very much impressed by English band music, of the nature of which they declared they had previously had no idea. At Rotorua tho band had, a great Maori reception.