WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 January 1927, Page 18

WORLD OF MUSIC

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Tno Presbyterian Synod has deflated that no express, definite command Je claimed lor the rise qi instrumental music in (.'in .Mian worship, nor is R Lit be regarded as an osreniiaL p:u-i ol worship, but .is merely pennaied as an aid in sustaining the voices in the service of praise.—Extract hom Ome* of 1876. . .. A Home paper gives particulars ol an organ recital given at one ol the leadiim churches near Sheffield, by a boy of 16 vearsi of age. Among the selections played were the Bach fantasia and Figure in 0 minor, a oho ml prelude (Rosymede) and the first movement/ from a Mendelssohn Sonata. Lr \va.s a noteworthy performance. Advices from London show that in ten years 11,833 candidates have sat for the L.11.A.M. examination, 'and m that, number 4439 have been successful. , . . ... Music, it was truly said, was the divine' art” and Heaven a beautiful garden of celestial flowers peopled by choirs of angels where songs of praise end ad oration would replace their piece nt-day earthly language. So they would recognise in selecting his hobbies that he had an eve to tire future. An apt remark by an old man who was made a presentation recently at AkaIt, a. recent -address m COiristohurch Bishop West-Wutson referred to the possible influence of the broadcasting of high-class music on the standards of musical taste in parish churches. '“'Wireless broadcasting of the best music,” said the bishop, “is likely to raise -the general standard of musical appreciation, and this will certainly lead to a demand for the best music in church services.” In England thousands of people, he .said, were' able to listen-in nightly to the best- of music from, the great concert halls, and ultimate lv the effect of this education of their taste will be to make church-goers more critical of what is offered in church. There was a.- strong movement in England among church musicians toward raising the standard of devotional music, and the bias .of that movement, was toward simplicity and intelligibility.

GREAT PIANIST COMING. Icmaz Friedman, the Polish pianist who has been invited to play the (• Minor Concerto at the Beethoven Centeno rv in Vienna., a.nd at the London Symphony Orchestra, centenary, is to leave for Australia in. April for a concert tour. A FORMER CHORAL SOCIETY. All whose recollections of music in Ha wera. go back to about 1900 will recall with interest the performances of the Choral Society, which did excellent work for a number of years under the baton of Mf Robert Foster, then a resident of the town. Among the oratorios performed were “'Creation,’’ “Athalie,” and “Messiah.” and when the society went out they were practising “May Queen” and “The Ancient Mariner. ” The departure of the conductor, Mr R. Foster, was the cause of the “shipwreck” of the society. Tt was a great pleasure to old friends to meet him again in Hawera during the past week and to talk over old times. Mr Foster was looking very well, and was very interested to meet old friends.

A. FAMOUS QUARTETTE,

EARLY DAYS REVALUED

In-te-resting reminiscences were outdo bv- Mine. Christ.inn. a lending teacher of singing in Sydney, find formerly a world known contralto. Inter alia, -slm says: “My longest tour was with Sir Charles Rantley’s party in the seventies. and my last important appearance was ma le in Sydney when he sane; in the “Elijah” three times with the Philharmonic, under Signor Ha/.on. I may add that for a considerable period of years in Melbourne the ideal oratorio c-asb always included the same three singers, Mrs. Palmer (Mme. Oarandinib myself and Arnes Been moot. with the best baritone or bass avaMab-V' to complete the quartette. At the great festival in question it was com pleted by England’s great baritone. “Having sung a great deal at aristocratic- houses during my London oaree I was similarly patronised by the Mrquis of Normanby in Melbourne, while’ Governor of Victoria, and ultinwvrolv. [ formed a large teaching connection. During the time that I taught at F Melbourne Presbyterian Ladies’ College I had Nellie Mitchell under my care for about two years, at which tire.her youthful voice boasted a sweeme-'-s in the- lower -register by which it ie sembled the violin tones of fvubel U

legato passages—a fact- revealed to ire years later while listening to a phonograph record. As Melba, she h ; t •*erul in r timbre .in question under the training necessary to 'acquire the t notes above the fanes eh a ract erotic .- the coloratura repertoire. “Since the Santley Festival, of 0tober, 18S9, I have devoted myself to the profession of a teacher, and I retain -all my original enthusiasm to“teaching the young idea how to shoot ’ —the centre of the note ! The majority of the students of high promise, who parsed through my hands, eitlie" had no ambition for a- public career, or, having it, retired earlv on theimarriage. The finest voices are vo - ” scarce. Tam confident, however. th-eH-Miss Mol lie De Gunst. a Queensland -rirl. of Dutch extraction, possesses the most remarkable full-toned-,soprano thathas been heard here for many years.”