WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 July 1924, Page 14

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES AND COMMENTS. .Practices are- going along steaaiiy iu tie ooeratie ooeiecy, an<i good progress is reported with “Our. Miss Gibus,” tire work they have • chosen for the next performance. It is a most attractive composition, as all will agree who have seen it on the stage by one ofjjthe visiting companies. Lovers of music can Look forward confidently to a- most enjoyable evening. The New Plymouth Choral Society are hard at work rehearsing the chorus work of Haydn’s great oratorio “Creation.” This beautiful work is one of the most attractive of the great oratorios. It is well known for the delightfully simple but most effective harmonies in much of the choral work and the wonderfully expressive orchestral setting. As a picture of “sound imitating sense,” the senes of recitatives describing the entry of the various forms of life into the world are almost unique, and the impressive beauty of the recitative ending with the- great, tenor song “In Native Worth” and the climax reached in the “Heavens are Telling” and the “Achieved is the Glorious Work,” are features that make - : on'e- believe in the- feeling that the great master was inspired.

MUSIC IN SCHOOLS. (Herald’s Waitara Correspondent.) Tliere are great possibilities of raisin" tlio standard of music in New Zealand, provided that a little attention is paid to the subject in our schools. Children readily and gladly absorb hints on musical appreciation, and their young minds can be eariy trained to know the difference between good and poor music, and most of them will retain that knowledge for the rest of their days. At our State school music is. taking its proper place in the curriculum without in any way interfering with the ordinary and common tasks of school life. The committee has provided the school with an excellent gramophone and a selection of records that are highly entertaining as well as instructive. Here is an instance that was related to me the other day of how music may be. used in schools to ad- j vantage. There was a large class of J youngsters who were getting restless. The teacher, who has a good idea of the)

psychology of the- child mind in bulk, 1 walked to the piano, struck a soft chord, and asked the'' class what it meant. A Maori hoy promptly identified it as meaning silence; a loud chord with some arpeggios was taken to mean that they were allowed to move their feet about, and they were permitted to do this for a time sufficient to enable them to let off superfluous steam and energy. Then the ordinary lesson was resumed, the youngsters all the better for the brief change •and therefore keener at their work. Short interruptions of this kind interfere -with the ordinary school work only to improve it, and do away with a good deal of the drudgery that becomes irksome to the youngsters, and probably more so to the teacher. This is only a single instance of what is happening at - our -State school, and 1 am sure that those interested in education will agree that the odd minutes spent in the manner indicated will be "appreciated by parents, as the children’s education is made interesting and there is gradually being in- * til led into their minds a correct idea of-what real music means.

SCHOOL CHOIRS. MASSED PERFORMANCE. A. feature of the Winter Show one evening at Palmerston was the massed singing by the- choirs of the five State schools, of Palmerston North, under the baton of Mr. J. Holmes Runnicles. Fpwartls of 1500 children took part, and the performance was most pleasing. The audience completely filled the interior of one of the halls and was very lavish in its applause. The children had been practising at their respective, institutions for the past month, but not a single combined rehearsal had been held. The performance was deserving of the greatest of praise. The singing by the combined choirs was unique asj far as Palmerston North was concerned, and reflected great credit upon Mr. Runnicles for the interest he had displayed and the pains lie had gone to in training the children.

A lengthy programme of old-time songs was presented and several encores were given.

“THE EVE OF ST. JOHN.” FTRST NIGHT OF NEW OPERA. At Liverpool the British National Opera Company performed for the first time “The Eve of St. John,” written three years ago by Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the, retiring principal of the Royal Academy ol Music, * who is now in his seventy-sixth year. The Daily Telegraph special correspondent at Liverpool remarks : ‘The interesting and delightful impression is that Mac" kenzio, like Verdi, seems to or r ow younger the more are added to his life. This, it seems to me, is the work of a man who has the "ift of eternal youth. There is laugHer in it. and exuberance, and a vivacity of mind that belong onlv to those who never really grow old.”

MASTER OF THE KING’S MUSJCK. APPOINTMENT OF SIR, EDWARD ELGAR. (London Times.) The appointment of Sir Edward Elgar to the post of Master of the King’s Mustek. left vacant, by the death of Sir Valter Parratt. will be universally welcomed. There has been doubt whether the office, which is ouite distinct from the organistship of St George’s Chapel. Windsor, would not be allowed to lapse, since from the time of King Edward VTT.’s accession its duties have fallen largely into desuetude. Formerly the holder conducted the Roval Orchestra, which ol late years has been replaced by one or other of the regimental bands'when music has been required at Court functions. The office has an interesting history. It was founded in IfidO but fines much further in fact, if not in toini. since some one person must have been responsible for the direction of .Edward T\ . s 13 minstrels. MAORI SONGS IN ROME.

Miss Eileen Driscoll, of Wellington may claim the honour of beino" the hist to introduce Maori son ns to Rome Writing to a Wellington 11 lend. Mm Driscoll said:—“l must tell vou of a very interestimr roception l sang at—one given to the Minister of Education and other of Mus schm’s nght-fyandAlien. The limstrg

got me to sing ‘The Merc’ and ‘Waiata Poi.’ They went very well and a number of the guests' came up to me afterwards aiul" said ‘Moto hello,’ which means ‘very beautiful.’ lam enclosing an account of it. saying how interesting were the Maori songs, and it was the first time they were heard in Rome, and I had a strong beautiful voice. They were greatly taken with the word ‘Kiarita’ in ‘Waiata Poi,’ and said, that the ‘Hei, Hai, Ha!’ at the end reminded them of Brunhiida's ery in ,‘Der Valkyrie.’ One of the reporters got the Maori names from the maestro and copied them out, as he thought the Maori words were lovely. T would like to send the cutting to Alfred Hill, as I am sure he would be glad to hear that his soncr was sung in ‘The Eternal City.' ”