WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume L, 17 May 1930, Page 7

WORLD OF MUSIC

THE MALE CHOIR. Steadily the Hawera Male Choir, under their enthusiastic conductor, Mr. H. Webb, iiave been preparing for the first stage in 'their 1930 season and liave now fixed the date for Thursday, May 22, in the Presbyterian Hall. They will have an especially interesting programme of concerted numbers, including several new part songs, and these, as always, will be very popular. Their solo assisting artists will be two oculists who are well and favourably known on the wireless, Miss Nora Green (contralto) and Mr. William Relish aw (tenor), both accomplished -singers and popular wherever they have been heard. Miss Green has not been to Hawera previously but Mr. Penshaw lias been heard bv many here. His singing of oratorio at the St. Mary’s Church last year will be fresh in the minds of all who heard him and ho is just as good in ballads and other songs. i

BNCO UPAG ING YOUNG ARTISTS. The Hawera Orchestral Society have made vm excellent move in deciding to include in their programme solos by four young Hawera performers, to be selected from the pupils of the local teachers. This will serve to encourage an emulative: spirit amongst the young people of the town and district amTalso to increase interest gen erally amongst the people as a natural result. It is a distinctly good move. A SCHOOL HAND. It is good to see that the committee organising the general work of music Hawera Main School is keepiug the question of the aquisitiou of a complete set of band instruments before the people. The anonymous contributor gave the .scheme a solid start and if only the committee will make regular efforts the achievement can be made and the work of music in the the school made much more effective. It would be a .great thing to accomplish because thereby young people mayget opportunity for tuition that otherwise will never come their way. The results following the initiation- of school orchestras by Mr. Fox have been most interesting and by that means much talent lias been, brought to light which otherwise would probablv have been dormant.

NOTES AND NEWS. Writing of the first orchestral concert of the Invercargill Society, last Friday, the Times’ critic says inter alia: “Radical changes that have occurred in the popular taste in music and the remarkable increase in the vogue of mechanised music have given lovers of the serious works occasion for alarm, but i |l Invercargill there appears to be no falling off in appreciation for what many people choose to call ‘good’ music. Rather the gramophone and radio appear to have brought about a keener appreciation for works of a high standard and have bred a more critical public.’’ At a general meeting of Wellington’s new male choir it was ‘decided to limit the number to twenty-four, and already this number is almost readied, and in some sections there is a waiting list of able singers. The choir includes some of Wellington’s leading vocalists, and when the combination makes its debut something of a revelation in finished part-singing is expected (says the Post). After deciding upon the name and adopting the constitution of the new body a rehearsal was held under Mr. 11. Temple White’s • conductorship, with splendid results, exceeding even the most optimistic anticipations. At the Atizac Day service in Sydnev a feature of the music was the playing of the Funeral March of Chopin as a Carillon solo, and this created a tremendous impression on the Inigo gathering. The house in New York where Sir Arthur Sullivan. 50 yeans ago, completed the score ol “The Pirates oi Penzance,’’ has recently been marked with an inscribed tablet in commemoration of that event. Sir Arthur died •>9 years ago, and before his death lie said that he hoped to be remembered bv liis more serious and ambitious works. Sucli was not to be, however, and it is by the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas that his fame is likely to live (says a critic in that city). Owing to a. misunderstanding between adjudicators and the audience at a Queensland Eisteddfod in Brisbane. the audience rushed the stage and pandemonium reigned lor some time until after many heated arguments the committee were heard and it was explained that the points given were in the order in which the choirs had appeared and were not in ordei of merit. Feelings ran high for about half-nn-hour and then explanations-fol-lowed and the heated feelings subsided. . . The following did not happen m the North of England (says an exchange).. A lady applied at *a big store for a, gramophone record called “The London Milkman's Song.’’ An extensive (search in -catalogues and otherwise failed to locate a ditty of that name, and finally she was asked if possible to hum the tune. She did so. and the salesman handed her the record—• our well-known friend “ I he Londonderry Air.” ’ The ouest conductor scheme between musical”bodies of a similar type winch has been- practised on several occasions by Hawera and Wanganui and New Plymouth Male Choirs, is being reported In Choral Society circles between Wellington and New Plymouth. Some years ago there was a “waver oi this work which “rolled” from \\ elliu<rtoit to Napier and Wellington to New Plymouth, Mr. H. Temple | White bringing up a hundred choristers to collaborate with the local societies. . In a short time the Royal ( lmral Union of Wellington, under Mr. John Bishop, will come to New Plymouth to perform “Hiawatha.” . Writing of this, “Orpheus m the Auckland Star says “It raises once a "a in the question of musical reciprocity. The plea that economic conditions are too difficult at present to permit of such things as the. exchanging of conductors is one that carnono weight. The expense of bringing Mr. John Bishop to Auckland tor. say the Auckland Choral Society's “Me<“ ] skill” concert, and of sending Mr. Colin Muston to Wellington for the Wellington “Messiah. would not prove a burden to either society ; anil the interest aroused as a result ol such a procedure would react very favourably on the box takings. To -say that musical life ill New Zealand is at present in a state of coma would he an exaggeration. But it cannot b? denied that, there is a widespread lack oi enthusiasm for hearing good music. Ibis may he due in part to the firancia. depression from which we ar ® fering; but it is also attributable to a lorg€ extent, I tliink, to the lack oi enterprise displayed by the "various

societies. The guest-conductor system Inis proved enormously successful in Engliind and America, and there is no reason why it should not be introduced in New Zealand. It could not fail to stimulate interest in the concerts.” Actually the -scheme was strongly urged .in this column several years ago, with the addition of a suggestion to extend the -movement to every form of musical effort. * And it undoubtedly could be done and would be a -great stimulus to musical life in all its aspects. Another reference to a similar move is noted in the Auckland Star in which the musical critic says: “I mentioned last week that the Auckland Piano Students’ Association and the Academic Club were considering the question of (O-operating to some extent with each other. The president of the Piano Students’ Association now tells me that this will not be possible, on account of the heavy programme of work already outlined for her organisation for the current season. With its increased membership, and the enthusiasm which is being shown bv the members the association will have a busy and successful year if all goes well.” RECORDED MUSIC. Great Brahms Work. The famous, trio-, Cortot, Tiba-ud, and Casals, appear in a new permutation, the last two playing and the first conducting (with Casals’s Barcelona Orchestra) the famous Grahm’s “Double Concerto in Ai Minor.” The three Artists' have lavished all their virtuosity and care upon Brahms’s last orchestral work, upon which he, too, has been lavish in his pains. The result is a piece of technical perfection. But that is the least tiling about it. It is full from first to last of that strong, deep interior ibeautv which is Grahms at his best (H.M.V., Dl3ll-12-13-14).