WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 June 1927, Page 13

WORLD OF MUSIC

LOCAL INTERESTS.

Another has been added to the list of really, ’ excellent performances by a local society, on this occasion the Male Choir. The concert on Tuesday was a most interesting and enjoyable function.

When the Male Choir was originally instituted, one of the planks of its constitution was “the encouragement of music in the district of the introduction of good visiting artists. In this the Male Choir has more than upheld its traditions and the list recently published, of artists who have assisted is in every way a notable one. It shows that the choir has worthily held to that tenet in its constitution. Hawera people would, but for that, have been denied the pleasure of hearing many performers whose names stand high in their profession. The .concert of this week has amply upheld the reputation for excellence, made during the past fifteen seasons, of the Male Choir. Mr. Do Mauny, the Wellington violinist proved himself equal to all that has been reported of him. His playing was marked by a finish and a quality that charmed all listeners and made them demand encore after encore, requests which he generously granted.. His was altogether a noteworthy performance and one that stands high in the annals of the society’s contests.

OPERATIC SOCIETY.

Affairs are going well -with the Operatic Society in the work of preparation for “The Arcadians,” which promises to uphold well the good record made by the society in its list of operas produced. The attendance at practices has improved much and the men have increased in numbers. There ■is, however, still room for more members and all are urged to do their best, by a little private practice, to make themselves note and word-per-fect. This will be a tremendous help to the conductor and to the producer when he arrives. He will be here very shortly and strenuous preparation is necessary.

Wanganui is putting ’on the same opera in a month and it is hoped some of the Hawera members will be able to go down to see a performance. The interchange of visits does a great deal for societies and enables people of the towns to meet and exchange views and ’opinions. A eulogy of the work done by the Shannon Choral Society in the “Standard” says that the reason for the society’s growth in size and interest lies in the nigh standard of music adhered to. The committee has always realised that the only way to 'keep the society together is to attempt music just within its reach. Two things can kill a choral society, first, by giving inferior music and secondly, by attempting music absolutely beyond it.

It is recommended that the niid-dav organ recitals given weekly at the Sydney Town Hall bo broadcasted. This will bo another attractive feature to be picked up by New Zealanders. An interesting conference held in Sydney, celebrated “Girls’ Week,” at which a choral contest was held. ThR gained the warm approval of Dame Melba, who said that any movement that aimed at improving the musical standard of the girls had her hearty support, she added she was charmed with the singing of the school children and was sure the contest would serve to reveal new talent.

THE DEMOCRACY OF MUSIC.

INFLUENCE OF SOCIETIES,

What a wonderful leveller is participation in any combined form of musical effort! The gathering of singers or instrumentalists into one body, imbued with one ideal, and uniting in a common -purpose, is a remarkable force. They are all striving as a team to achieve a definite object and working each not for his or her own glory and honour, but for the honour of the society and being judged too on the combined final result. To sec them meeting at practice or performance, with the friendliest feelings and knowing no distinction so long as each docs his part and co-operates with the rest and then, the day after, returning each to his own job in life, in many cases widely separated, this serves to emphasise the democratic spirit of music and its broadening tendency, which can hardly fail to have good effects and to have a healthy influence on the community and on Itlio life of the people generally. It helps to justify it, if this were needed, the immense amount of effort put into, and the time expended in keeping, the various societies flourishing. They all have a part in the scheme of things, and when well conducted—as it must be admitted is the case in the large majority—offer a healthy, educative hobby to many of the young people and give them an added interest in life. From this point of view they more than justify their existence and prove that they are doing a work which can be done by no other than these societies. And the meeting on a common footing of young people from different grades, if one may so call them, of society, knowing no distinction, but measured only by the ability they possess and their desire to do their best, cannot but. have a part in breaking down barriers that in ordinary life do exist. Music thus organised must have an influence in solving some of the problems that confront “the body social.” \V!h knows exactly the extent of that part? But take away these societies with their common meeting grounds, and i' is safe to say the result would be abundantly to prove their value. Therefore do they deserve the hearty support of all. “The influence of music,” sa.vs the Rev. W. 11. Hawes, in his “music and morals, ” is every day becoming more widespread, but is it an influence which soothes,' relieves, recreates, and elevates the people? We believe it is in part, but before the musical circle accomplishes (his its high mission amongst us. it must become a real, not an artificial expression of the emotions. . . . one must exert the best influence by keeping alive and active

tliat love for the art which really does exist; secondly, by believing in ourselves; and lastly, by encouraging native talent wherever it may be found, not destroying its independence, but allowing it the freest development under the salutary conditions of just criticism and liberal recognition. When we have a national school of music—and this is a suggestion valuable at the present day —we shall have high popular standards and the music of the people will then be as real an instrument of civilisation in its way and as happily under the control of public opinion as the Press, the Parliament. or any other of our great national institutions. This is a great desideratum, an ideal at which to aim, and it must be admit-

ted that in the efforts towards bigger and better conditions the musical societies are playing a noteworthy part. IM DIOULOUS EPITHETS. Some of the city critics go to ridiculous extremes in their notices of artists. This is stressed by an exchange which says inter alia: Perhaps critics of music and pictures find themselves in greater need of now wards than other writers. A critic (not a Mew Zealander) of Efrem Zimbalist. the Russian violinist, remarked: “Ifis lone was of silken texture, edgeless body, limpid flow, luminous as the day. sensitive as shadow to sunlight.” A tribute, notable for various things except words directly expressive of sound. Paderewski lias drawn similar flights of fancy from several Mew Zealand critics. The playing of. the Each chromatic fantasia and fugue was thus described by one writer: “It was architectural and even touched with austerity, but had the magnificence of great natural scenery.” Which leaves this recorder wondering what a mixture of austere architecture and great natural scenery would really look like, and how such a medley could serve to describe any kind of sound except .jazz noise. Another critic, on the same night, had his mind stirred differently by that same fantasia and fugue. “It does not seem irreverent,” he wrote, “to liken the fantasia, as Paderewski played it, to vast masses of cumulus seen sit noon in mid-ocean.” “Well, I ask you,” as the current slang goes.