WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 3 January 1931, Page 15

WORLD OF MUSIC

THE! COMING SEASON,

The. work done during the past year lias been fall of interest m every branch and great progress and development has been made in many directions. Enterprise has been evident m all the societies operating in Hawera and this lends a feeling of optimism for the future and especially for the 1931 season, which will commence its operations in the course' of a feu weeks. The past season has shown that tlawera still holds its own with musical centres and in some respects still is in the forefront. And in no respect is the outlook more encouraging tnan in music in the schools. The importation under the aegis of the special committee connected with the Hawera Main School, of a complete .set of band instruments has made it possible to form a complete military band of boys from the school. It is a distinct stop towards building for the musical future ,of the town and district. Another feature of the year just closed has been the proof that combined choral music might be made a greater factor than has been the ease in the past. It is a branch of musical art that should he developed in every centre.

The' success of the productions in opera by the two schools as the end of the term concerts was undoubted and reflects great- credit on the staffs and all who took part in the work. These, as well as the other performances given for children’s voices, have been very popular and have served to stress the beauty, the clearness and the purity of children’s voices. No lorin of singing is more delightful and it is hoped that the corning year will see much more of that class of work.

The Municipal Band has been very active and has proved again; and again what a valuable asset it is to every town. It lias had a busy and a useful work rehearsing for the coming Dominion hand contest to he held in Wellington. The test selections are of a high standard and will thoroughly try out the capabilities of the competing bands. The best wishes of the whole community will go- with the bandsmen in the great adventure of the year. Orchestral and male choir music, in addition to church choir work, have, done yeoman service in the cause of music and their useful career will be continued in 1931. To all who are connected with these useful community efforts is due. the thanks and appreciation of the people generally and probably on a greater measure than is often realised.

NEW QUINTET BY FRANK HUT I HENS.

The “Sydney Morning Herald”, of last week speaks very highly of a new instrumental quintet, for piano and orchestral accompaniment composed by Frank Hutchens, of the Sydney Oonservatorium and formerly a Hawera resident who had the foundation of bis work laid in this town.

The critic says: “Mr Frank Hutchens, already well known as a pianist, gives ample evidence of liis. gifts as a composer in his new Piano Quintet, a feature of his concert at the Conservatorium last night. This Quintet was first heard earlier in the year at a reception given by the Musical Association, ancl its skilfiul -writing variety, and .sustained interest still more impressed the audience last night, when the work was played by Mr Cyril Monk (first violin). Mr Robert Miller (second violin), Miss Florence Forshaw (viola), Mr Gladstone Bell (’cello), with the composer as the pianist. The vigorous principal theme, given out- by the quartet, is artistically treated, and there is a graceful second subject, announced by the .piano, with answering comment by the strings. The development of these themes is refreshing, spontaneous, and agreeably varied, aqd the melodious character of the c eore is consistently preserved. The artists secured an excellent balance, of tone, a result particularly noteworthy m the tiro episodes for muted strings, and the quintet was played with admirable spirit. The players were recalled, and insisted upon bringing Mr Hutchens forward for a special demonstration.’’

At the concert wteflxj (also played several Gaelic songs- composed by Alfred Hill, well-known as a- writer also of Ma ori melodies and operas.

BRITISH MUSIC

There is in the Old Country a distinct move towards reviving and increasing interest in British music as well as other forms of art practised tceuturiesi ago. An interesting ilhis-*-tration in “The Times’’ of June -5 shows an historical pageant at Merdon Castle. Hampshire, which represents in six episodes events in Hampshire between A.D. 965 and 1804. and includes many old forms of music and country dances. It is- also of interest to see alongside this a representation of an historical display of fencing, which in the middle ages was practised so much among the better classes. It was considered an art essential to any man of quality. The first of the “Please-be-British” programmes was broadcast from the Queen’s Hall recently, says the music critics of the “Daily Express." William Walton’s hold and breezy “Portsmouth Point’’ led the evening, and few normal listeners could have resisted this straightforward little masterpiece.

Walton, a young Oldham native, ■counts this work among his earlier efforts. it is well-known to music goers; but its six-year-old spirit- is still evident to all who have ever seen a drawing by Rowlandson, an artist whose love of the isea and the downs inspired this particular work. Arnold Biax’s “Symphony No. I’/ starts well and ends well. It is a work in which the composer’s knowledge of orchestration in the modern manner is only too evident; superficially, one would class it as a work of scholastic virtue. But Hr Bax falls into the common error of presuming that the classic model is a sure-fire vehicle, and the fart that he should: merely put his opus before the world as ’“E Flat Minor.” 'He adds that if lie had known exactly what the composer had intended the drearier (but very worthy) passages might liave been more appreciated.

NOTES AND NEWS

Nliss Dorothy Davies, the ex-Wan-ganui pianist, is shortly leaving the Dominion for a period of study in London. It will be remembered that Miss Davies .after leaving the musical staff of the Cl iris’ College, spent two or three years at the New South Wales Conservatorium, where she studied under Frank Hutchens, returning later to take up the position of music-librar-ian and trio-pianist at 3YA Christchurch. Pier many old "Wanganui friends- will wish Miss Davies a pleasant voyage and a. happy stay in the Homeland. Whatever may be the status of English singers and instrumentalists, there ia one sphere of music in which Bri-

tisli artists hold an unequalled posi-, tion —and that is in the art- of conducting. says an English paper. Albert Coates is in demand throughout the world. Ho recently visited Berlin to conduct grand opera ,returning to London to conduct some big works for the gramophone companies. Then he Was to. leave for Moscow and Petro•grad to- conduct opera and concerts, and later for America for orchestral work. Sir Hamilton Harty and Hr. Malcolm 1 Sargent are crossing the Atlantic at increasingly frequent intervals. Eugene Goossens has been largely “captured” by America, and another English conductor, who has ‘made good’ over here is Basil Cameron, who. lias succeeded Alfred Hertz ns conductor for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. A San Francisco correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph” writes that Mr Cameron made an extremely favourable impression with the men in the orchestra from the first, and a press critic declares that “the audience was won. People felt that here was a. man with a -personal interpretation of music at once provocative and illuminating. Cameron is equally authoritative; ids beat is definite without being mathematical, he makes music like one telling a good story.”