WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 May 1925, Page 13

WORLD OF MUSIC

THE MUNICIPAL BAND 1 . Cbnsksitent progress continues to be made in the playing at the Hawem Band, and tihe iiiemDers are now engaged. in preparing some rather heavy Work,: l'or, they have tackled pants of Hiawatha ami are shaping very well. The writer had the privilege ol listening to itheir practice 'last week, and l was very much struck with their enthusiasm and their ever growing ability. Another feature is the very thorough, and painstaking methods of their conductor. The band and the town are .extremely lucky in inducing a man of the calibre of Lieut. Fox to take up the band. He is ,a man who ie willing to do any amount of work, and his industry in writing out, pants required such, as lor Chopin ‘.‘Funeral March” and the c-are he has taken in. looking after the library and bringing it updo-date are worthy of much praise

THE MALE CHOIR. The work .upon which the choir is now engaged is the. fine choral work, “Hiawatha,” and it expects to begin practices next week. it is a pretty big order and’ one that will give scope for much rehearsal and individual effort. The result- must he good collectively as well, as individually if the members tackle the work as thoroughly as they do most. ,of their programme numbers. It- is .a good forward move. ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY. It will be good news to all musical people to learn that a strong effort is being made to revive the Orchestral Society, which has done no work ior about' 12 months. • The society was always popular, and their poncerts were always looked forward to with great interest. The* convenors of the meeting fixed for Tuesday next are very anxious to see all who take an interest in orchestral music, old and prospective members, present at the meeting, which will lie held on Tuesday in the Methodist Schoolroom. The Orchestral Socfet.v fills a very useful place in the life oi the town. PERSONAL. A distinct acquisition to the musical world of Hawera, i.s MitksNora- Ctiafobe, L.T.0.L., who has come to Hawera. to be associated with Miss Daisy Reilly. Miss Crabbe has. had considerable experience, having been, connected with the music staff at Wanganui and Hamilton Convent Schools, and for a considerable time was accompanist to the well-known singer, Signor Cesaromi, in Wellington. She has also had considerable experience in concert work and 1 travelled with a concert party over a great portion of the North Island. j^ , SINGING IN SCHOOLS. Singing in the round of school work is coming into its own. The Director of Education told a Star representative that there would probably be many developments in the near future. It was proposed to appoint instructors to coach, teachers in singing. The value of some knowledge of correct production in singing will lie acknowledged by everyone, and it is good to hear of the forward mow proposed. samoax SINGING. When Mr. Ckuighley, Director of Education, was in Hawera he paid a tsurprise visit to Tlawhiti school, anti whale there told the children ot the fifth and sixth .something ot school life in Samoa-. One feature amongst many other favourable impressions that- remained very vividly on his mind; he told the children, wai* the singing of the pupils. He said they sang quite a big anthem, such, as few choirs of children would care to tackle, land their melody, rhythm, blend -and volume were -such as to delight listeners and would be possible only to children of a race in whom .music was inherent. Like the Maoris it iseems to come natural to them. A GREAT BACH WORK.

One of the most important concerts i'n the history 'of the Sydney Oonsermtorium mil he given when Bach’s Mass- in B minor will he performed; This, it is believed by the director, will be the first performance in any city south of the line, though many have been given in England—the first as fia.r back as April 26, 1876, in Sft> James’ Hall, under tlhe> baton of the late Otto- Goldschmidt. A special choir was. constituted for that occasion, and afterwards became permanent-, as the Bach Choir. Even before that date parts of the Mass had been heard, but this was the first complete English performance. A memorable reading of the work was given at the Leeds Musical Festival in 1886, conducted by the late Sir Arthur Sullivan. Last year there were three performances in England. However, its difficulties are so grdat that the Mass is.rarely included in the repertory of a choral society or a church choir. Bach wrote it upon a colossal scale. While he furnishes convincing proof_ of his geninis) in the living interest with which he has endowed the long succession of great choruses, and the music for the isolo voices, he has also designed a score of the moist formidable character. MEALS AMD MADRIGALS. There flourishes to-day in London the oldest musical society in the world; but few outsiders have ever heard its performances, and there are plenty of' musical. people who are unaware even of its existence. This is the Madrigal Society, whose meetings lor the cultivation oi the Elizabethan madrigal have an unbroken history .since 1741. The Madrigal Society sings not lor the public, but purely for :te own amusement- —in the spirit, no doubt, of those for whom the Elizabethan madrigals, Wilbye, Weelkes, Byrd, Gibbons, and Morley, composed. In the old days the dining and the singing were held in. a city tavern, but the members now meet rather more formally, in the handsome hall of the Carpenters’ Company, .T./ondon Wall. , They dine together, and then follows the madrigal .singing, the company sitting fi.t table in the traditional wa.y, with the part-books before them. They are city men of different ranks and stations, and they are conducted hv the organist of the Chapels. TJbyaJ, Mr E. Sta.nlev Roper. There are 40 members, with four professionals to lead them, and 16 boy

choristers come. in. from the neighbouring Church, of St. Stephen, YVallnook, to sing treble. Often an especially fine- piece or a, ,successful periVimila.nee will be encored by the singers—in. the aib.seiice of ait audience. Tudor madrigals, have in recent years come back into a great vogue and are to-day sung all over England —a revival which, promises to make; .a new chajptor in our m.usiciall history. The Madriigai Society in the darkest time of general neglect kept alive the cult of this most exquisite musical form. A. typical programme during the present (785th) sea,son included 12 madrigals, all by the old masters — Gibbons.-a Weelkes, Morlev. Willwe, name, Ellis Gibbons (brother of the and Rowland, with one unfa.mil.iia.r great * Orlando), and one Italian. Marenzio; among the Englishmen.— ‘Ridhrad Capell. in the Daily Mail.