NATIONAL ORCHESTRA MAKES TWO DAYS’ VISIT TO GREYMOUTH

Grey River Argus, 11 October 1949, Page 2

NATIONAL ORCHESTRA MAKES TWO DAYS’ VISIT TO GREYMOUTH

“I heard there were a lot of Welsh people on the West Coast. I thought I would give them a little taste of home.”. So spoke Mr. Anderson Tyrer, conductor of the National Orchestra, when he was asked why he selected E. German’s “Welsh Rhapsody” for Greymouth audiences who heard its performance at the Regent Theatre last night.

Interviewed by the “Argus” yesterday, Mr. Tyrer said that he was convinced that the National Orchestra was now part of New Zealand’s cultural lifq. “You have your libraries and museums. You have your picture galleries—to show the culture of the Dominion,” added Mr.Tyrer. "There is now a definite place in the cultural life of New Zealand for an Orchestra.”

Rjayers Work Hard

The life oi an orchestra is no easy one. There are rehearsals daily, except when the company is travelling. Usually the players meet at 9.30 in the morning, and are hard at it until late in the afternoon.

During rehearsals at the Regent Theatre yesterday, Mr. Tyrer seemed oddly out of place. Not at anytime did he curse the horn players for playing an E flat when it should have been an E natural. There were no ten-minute tirades, no lunging gestures at a first violinist who had mistaken a pause. Quietly and coaxingly, Mr. Tyrer drilled his team 'into one perfect unit, each working in close harmony with the other, “Anybody want a cup of tea?” he asked, after players had droned and sweated over a particularly hard passage. It is hard, exacting work, and no-one knows this more than the conductor himself. World-wide) Players The orchestra is a little cosmopolitan of its own. There are players from notable American orchestras, three from the 8.8. C. Symphony Orchestra, and one or two who have played on the Continent. The leader, Vincent Aspey, came from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the harpist, Miss W. Carter played with the Detroit Symphony and many other leading orchestras in America. Greymouth itself, is well-represented in Misses Mascot Blake, and Miss E. Wallace, first violin, and Mr. J. Tib’bles, who plays the bass trombone. Th e principal cellist, Mr. C. Turner, is from Dunedin, and studied for five years at the Royal Academy in London, before joining the orchestra. Mr. Tyrer said that he was confident that the orchestra would be able to maintain its present high standard of programmes. “Many people in New Zealand like classical music”, he said. “I have had them come up after the concert and tell me that it is the first time they have listened to a symphony orchestra, and that it won’t be their last. They seemed surprised that they could get so much enjoyment out of it.” Music —Emotional Only Explaining the true pattern of classic music, Mr Tyler said: “Classical music is not intellectual, but emotional. People who have no ear or heart will not be able to appreciate it. It will not appeal to those who are tone deaf. They are unable to sense its finer feelings.” Mr. Tyrer said that th e orchestra intended to do everything possible in creating a school of musical competition in the country. “We want to encourage local artists who are fitted to play with orchestras in concertos.” Already the orchestra have arranged to play a composition by an Aucklander in Auckland, and in Wellington they will also play a composition by Dr. Finlay, of Wellington. '

The orchestra will continue to arrange performances with visiting artists, whose tour co-incides with their visits. Several famous singers and musicians, including Isabel Baillie and Alexander Helman, have already given recitals since the orchestra was founded in 1946. Career of Conductor

Mr. Tyrer, who has conducted it since its inception, has had a long career both as a virtuoso pianist and conductor. His musical activities began in England, where he made a name for himself by his performances at leading concerts in that country.

Since his arrival in New Zealand Mr. Tyrer has offered vital contributions to the furthering of the musical development of this country.