WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 August 1924, Page 15

WORLD of MUSIC

NOTES AND COMMENTS. The next Male Choir event will be the concert of the Wanganui Choir, which how numbers forty-live singers. They will 'give the whole programme, which will be a repetition of the Wanganui " performance. After the Operatic Society’s concert the Male Choir will co-operate with them in a grand performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” This is certain to be a great attraction. A feature in which great interest, was takeu at Eltliam last Saturday,, when Hawera played Tukapa at Rugby, I was the playing of the Eltham Pipe Band under the control of Drum-Major Campbell. They played a series of numbers in which the lovely Scotch melodies were well brought out. It I .was much appreciated. The Royal Wellington Choral Union will join forces with the Napier and Hastings Choral Societies in performances of “Elijah” at Hastings and Napier in that order in November next. Afterwards the two Hawke’s Bay Societies will go to Wellington to cooperate with the Choral Union in a festival early in December, when the three societies combined will Tender “Elijah” and “The Messiah;” The many friends of Mr. Algernon H. Linds, the well-known examiner for the Associated Board, will regret .Jio hear of a serious breakdown which he has suffered iii Sydney, says an exchange. Mr. Linds was holiefeying with a well-known Now Zealand musician at the latter’s seaside bungalow when a complete nervous collapse occurred. Later Mr. Linds was removed to a Sydney hospital, where he was obliged to remain for seven weeks. Latest reports indicate that Air. Linds is steadily improving. A paragraph in the Free Lance, concerning Howard Foster, of Wellingfs of special interest to many Hawera people, for he was a Hawera boy whose father and mother, Mr. and Airs.. Robert Foster, lived here for years. Air. Foster was the leader in those days, practically all the musical effort. The Free Lance says: Wellington loses its leading baritone singer in the departure of Air. Howard C. Foster for Invercargill. In Wellington! he made hosts of friends by his unfailing good nature, his spirit of camaraderie, and the zeal \yith which he carries out any task or duty that he undertakes. He has been a valued member of the Wellington Savage Club, and, as captain of the D.I.C. Cricket Club, he became prominent in the cricket circles of our commercial firms. But it is as a singer at our Choral Society and other concerts that he will be very greatly missed. He has a voice of ex* ceptionally fine quality and a rare artistic sense. So competent a judge as .Signor Ceasroni has said that if Air. Foster could only go to Italy for a course of study he would develop into one of the finest baritone singers in the world. His last publio appearance in Wellington was as baritone soloist in the Choral Society’s presentation of “Der Freischutz.” A new, departure is annuonced in music academic circles at Home. Scottish candidates for the L.R.A.AI. will no longer have to journey to London to sit for examination, but may be examined in Scotland. Examiners from the Royal Academy will act in conjunction, with- those of the Glasgow' Athenaeum in examining candidates. I V ■ wonder if this forecasts the possibility of the same opportunity being extended to Colonial students, whereby this most coveted academic distinction could be secured without voyaging Home. Of course the single-examiner system renders it impossible- at present but it might be possible to collect the New Zealand students, say, in Wellington, when the examiner could act in conjunction with a board of the Dominion’s highest authorities in matters musical. remember Dr. Shinn, when meeting a body of teachers some years ago answering a query as to the possibility of sitting for the L.R.A.AI. out here with the reply that the L.A.B. is the colonial equivalent of the L.R.A.AI. and that no change could be made! Still, many teachers, hanker after the appellation, and it is doubtful if it would be as valuable were it not implied that the holder had secured the diploma during a course of study at the world’s metropolis. Although Rome has about 365 churches, it is a curious thing (says a recent visitor) that choir music is" not made so much a feature of church services m general as it is, for instance, m New Zealand.

America’s star organist, Mr. Lynnwood Farnam, has great faith in'the doctrine of hard work; his practice schedule occuipes ten hours a day In order to give a recital at St. Peter’s, Brockley, he intended, it was said, to spend 15 hours in mastering the or- ;? technicalities. An English friend of Mr. Farnam, who has a great horror of “stunt” and “freak” playing, once heard that a storm piece was to be played at a certain recital. He took his umbrella and opened it in the hall as the piece began. He and his umbrella were ejected. Mr. Farnam is far above these trick performances, and umbrellas will not be required inside the puilding

“OUR MISS GIBBS.” Those who were able to be present at! a rehearsal this week of the local Operatic Society were very enthusiastic over the good work done 'and the prospects of the next concert. The chorus is going remarkably well and the soloists are “shaping” capitally, and it altogether promises excellently. A great success is assured. The producer is expected in Hawera in a few days, and then the whole work will rapidly take definite shape. Conductor and all concerned are entitled to congratulations on the good progress made. The conductor (Mr Ollerenshaw) says that it is the best chorus he has conducted in Hawera. A MUSICAL THEORIST. DR. WARRINER IN NEW ZEALAND. An interesting visitor to the Dominion by the Ruahine on Saturday was Dr. Warriner, one of England’s eminent instructors in music, professor of various subjects, and author of wellknown musical studies. Dr. Warriner, "'ho, is a much-travelled gentleman, is paying his first visit to the Dominion. To a Dominion representative Dr. Warriner said that, as far as music was concerned, he did not know what to expect from the Dominion, but possibly, like most young countries, where the music was only transitory, there might be a tendency towards the lighter side On being assured that New Zealand had still a long way to go, he mentioned cases in which eminent musicians had gone to young countries with ■the idea of educating the neople to a standard of music, but had

failed because they had refused to “play down” before commencing to improve the standard. Their ideals, no doubt, were good, but were seldom attended by good results. The musical aspirations of a nation had to evolve. Dr. Warriner is a very strong advocate of paying attention to the musical wants of the younger generation—the school children —where the minds are more receptive, the hands more supple, and the voice more easy to control. On the progress of music" generally, he inclined to the opinion that the gramophone militated against attendances at musical recitals, ivhilst not necessarily retarding the progress of music. Attendances might be small while progress was forging ahead. Having studied music in Germany and other countries, he pointed out that if there was a temperamental advantage in the matter of music, there was also the fact that in places like Germany the system of subsidising orchestras did much for musical education, and so in many respects the financial aspect was a big factor. In England there was a want of appreciation in certain branches of music, and the financial aspect was a big one for choral unions, orchestras, etc. The one thing that seemed to have been continuously successful was Italian opera when made a “society” function. In big places like Alanchester, for instance, owing to divers other attractions, people did not seem to be following the better class of music as they did a few years ago. Dr. Warriner was for many years responsible for the training of teachers. He is a professor of several subjects relatino; to music, and was the first, and probably the only, professor appointed to the London University as a teacher of pedagogy, as applied to music, and also is an instructor in harmony and counterpoint. He has written various books, including one on transposition and a well-known publication, “The Art of Teaching.” MUSIC FOR CHILDREN. In a speech free from paradoxes, very sane and simple, Mr. Bernard Shaw has made a plea for the encouragement of music in the-education of children. He is very anxious that both parents and teachers should assist children to the acquisition of musical knowledge and give them every opportunity to hear the best, . states a Home paper, “There are,” Mr. Shaw says, “many children of extraordinary musical faculty who have very bad musical taste,” a remark the truth of which applies to a large number of adults. The development of the faculty in a way that will ensure the acquiring of proper tase should be the chief aim in the jnusical education of children. Air Shaw makes the very important point that the value of making music easily eccessible to the child lies in this: that by doing so it will be given certain emotional pleasures it will quickly learn to prefer to low pleasures which do such a great deal of mischief. Afusic is a fine art to be used for the purpose of helping children through the dangerous period when their minds are impressionable and capable of being moulded for the best or for the worst. Inculcate a love of and a taste for good music in the child and you give it a desire for beauty, proof against all ugly and meaningless distractions. AUSTRALIAN AIUSIG. The Australasian Alusidrama Society, which has been formed for the purpose, of assisting and encouraging composers and performers in this part of the world, gave its first programme in Sydney recently. There was a variety of vocal and instrumental offerings. Some of the most interesting were Airs. Nellie Weatherill’s piano solos, “Left Hand Study” and “Wee Willy Wagtail”; a flute solo, “In the Forest,” played by its composer, the Rev. G. O. Percival; two songs, “Love Dreams” and “Jean,” by the Alisses Jessie Kennett and Kathleen Hopson (sung by Air. A. Edwards); and the ballet music from Airs. WeatherilPs comic opera, “Neryda.” Alis Aimee Don displayed a pleasant contralto in Airs. W. Alitchell Kidd’s “Autumn”; and Miss Edna Gibson recited the same lady’s “Dorothy.” Others who appeared were Mr. Alartin Baker, Mrs. E. J. Channon* Mr. Camden Rees, Mr. J. H. Antill, Airs. K. Alanning, and the Misses Alaisie Hicks, Rosie South, and Hickson. The programme had been arranged by Airs. Arthur Kenny, and Airs. Kennard occupied the chair.

PASSING NOTES. (Otago Daily Times.) Dr. Charles Wood, Mus. Doc., organist of Gonville and Caius College, has been elected as successor to the late Sir C. V. Stanford as professor of music at Cambridge University. Dr. Wood is a son of Charles Wood, of Armagh, and was educated at the Cathedral School, Armagh. He went up to Selwyn College, Cambridge, in 1887, and after being there five terms gained the Organist Scholarship at Caius College in 1889. He composed incidental music to the lon and Iphigenia of Euripides, and has also composed songs, instrumental music, and church music. “This music of Bach’s is a splendid antidote to the ephemeral, neurotic, sentimental stuff we hear much too often,- said Mr. Hopkin Evans, the adjudicator, speaking at the Eistedfodd held recently at Blaenau Festinog. “It is strong and ■ healthy. Bach is a standing protest against musical tuberculosis. To study Bach brings its reward. There are. no fireworks in him, but plenty of warmth, and nothing even sensational.” Now that the ballet class of the Royal College of Music has shown the possibilities of Bach’s fugues by dancing to the accompaniment of the- fugue E flat major (says a writer in the Daily Chronicle) we may see quite a popular demand for that severely classical musical form. The late Professor Ebenezer Prout, who reverenced the immortal “48” fugues of Bach as the “Musician’s Bible,” and played one every morning before breakfast, was not above extracting humour from them and provided words for most of the 48! This is a sample of the professor’s Bach libretti: As I rode in a penny bus, going to the Mansion House, ’ ° Off came a wheel, down went the bus, All of the passengers fell in a heap on the floor of the ricketty thing. It doesn’t suggest Bach,'but it goes with a swing to the subject of the E minor fugue (No. 10), to which Professor Prout used to sing it. MISS FISHER’S RECITAL. MORE MUSICAL CRITICISMS. . .(London Correspondent.) writing of Miss Esther Fisher’s vert delightful pianoforte recital, Dr. G. A.

Pfister, in The British Australian and New Zealander, is enthusiastic. He says: “New. Zealand may well be proud of this pianist. To those who hear many exponents of pianistic art_.it is painfully evident that to most of them Technique is the one and only point which they consider a ‘drawing’ power. They endeavour to amaze rather than to delight the public. Miss Fisher is evidently too fine a musician to stoop to such ‘stunting.’ With her technique is only a means to an end, and most unobtrusively used to express the composer’s thought or emotion, as she understands it. The result was delightful. Personally, I do not remember hearing the Busoni arrangement of Bach’s Chaconne more beautifully played. Tcherepine’s ‘Four Bagatelles’ were so clearly and well expressed_that one could read them like an open book. Aliss Fisher has the making of a great pianist, and can look forward to a brilliant future.”

The Daily Express musical writer says that Aliss Fisher “has a very nice touch, and presents the music clearly and in a most charming manner.”' The Times’ critic is very enthusiastic. He says that Miss Fisher played “in the sort of way that makes one listen.” And he proceeds: “She has, quite .naturally and modestly, a gift for the piano. She asks the right thing of it, what it can give, not what it cannot. With technical skill above the average she can give her whole attention to the music. We heard some Chopin, some Bagatelles of Tcherepine, and Brahms’ Variations on a theme of Handel. The Bagatelles are in contrasted style, and we liked best the grimmer style of the first and fourth; the other two did not really amount to more than 20th Century Heller. The statement of the theme of the Brahms prepared one for 20 minutes’ enjoyment. It was crisp and tense, the plainest matter of fact; there will he plenty to say about it later, but let us have the facts first—it seemed to say—and yet not quite, for it could not help once adding a little comment, just to protest that this was not a player-piano, please. Pianists vary a good deal as to the fempi of the variations; we can merely say that we agreed with, almost all of Miss Fisher’s. Nos. 6,8, 9 were splendid; also 14; No. 20 was perhaps a shade fast; feiv make anything much of 22. The fugue is not for men, but for the immortal gods; Aliss Fisher took rank among the heroes.” LIFE AND AIUSIC IN ITALY. AIISS TERESA AIcENROE’S VIEWS. Miss Teresa AtcEnroe, one of Wellington’s popular singers, and well known in Hawera, who returned this week from Italy and London, where she had been furthering her musical studies, had many interesting things to tell a representative of the Dominion about her experiences abroad. Aliss AlcEnvoe stutiled singing in Rome under Cavaliere Alartino, one of the most famous operatic teachers in the world. While in Home she made the most of her time, and heard 25 different operas, going as often as four times to ones with which she was most impressed. Among them was the great production of Neroni, which had taken 16 years to prepare, and at which critics from all over the world were present. Among the notable sihgers she heard in Italy was Margaret Sheridan, an operatic singer of whom a great future is predicted, and who is to sing at the Aletropoiitan next year. Aliss AlcEnroe also heard Freda Hemple and Alaria Ivoguen, the Swedish coloratura singer, and others who are in the front rank. “There is one thing that struck me very miuch in Italy,” she said, “and that is that it is the light, clear, sweet voice that is thought so much of there, particularly with regard to women’s voices. I remember going to one of the Wagnerian operas, where the principal woman singer had a very powerful voice, which I thought she used admirably. However, she did not please the Italians a little bit. It was too heavy a voice for them. Always- it was the lighter voice that was preferred. And very greatly they stress sweetness.

Another interesting thing that Miss McEnroe spoke about was the comparison and differences to he noted in the different periods of opera, such as were so obvious in regard to the old operas, the middle past and the modern and ultra modern. There was a wide gulf between all three. One of the latest operas that she saw in Rome was “Belfagor,” the work of Respighi, one of the leading moderns. It was a very fine production indeed. “On the Continent "and England it is a very open mind that is kept in regard Jo modern music, and everything is' given its chance. Some of it you want to hear three or four times, and then you begin to grasp what its message is. Sometimes if you heard it fifty times you would still be in darkness. In that case, of course, you hear no more about it. Still, the great thing is that people are prepared to give it its chance.” Amongst the modems, Miss McEnroe mentioned Cyril Scott, who is always listened to —though not alwavs understood. While in London there were three big opera houses going in the one season—Covent Garden, the Carl Rosa and the British National Opera. Miss McEnroe heard Melba at Covent Garden, and said that she was wonderful. Her voice still had its crystalline purity, but she is careful not to sing, any part that is likely to overtax Whenever she is billed to sing the opera house is booked weeks beforehand, and it is always a gala night.