WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 4 November 1933, Page 2

WORLD OF MUSIC

VISITOR’S APPRECIATION

WORK OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE.

Before she left Hawera on Wednesday, Miss Evelyn Dowling, of New Plymouth, told a Hawera "Star” representative that she was delighted and muc-li impressed bv the work of the Orchestral Society generally, but specially with the wood wind section, which she considers outstanding. She was full of appreciation of the generous help they gave her for the performance of the Schubert symphony last week by her own orchestra, and acknowledged that she could not have given such a performance without that help. , Miss Dowling I s very keen on giving young players a knowledge and appreciation of the best in music, and she has worked hard for months tram ino- her orchestra. She hopes to put in” hand in the near future a Beethoven symphony. While in Hawera Miss Dowling sugested a- combined recital betu een the orchestras of the high and mam schools in Hawera and her own, some time in May next year. All would be young musd'dians and the (spirit ot emulation among them would be til to the good of orchestral music. It is to be hoped that the visit v.-ll eventuate, for it would be a fine thing for all concerned and would give a real fillip to the carfse of music m schools and among the young people generally.

THE SUCCESSFUL CONDUCTOR. QUALITIES REQUIRED. Dealing with the qualities essential in a conductor, Olin Downes, in the “New York Times,” says that undoubtedly it is leadership. Other things are presupposed. It is presupposed that he is a solid musician and that he has interpretive ideas worth hearing. It is presumed that he shall be solidly grounded in the traditions of music he interprets, and at the same time have the temperament and imagination which kindle fresh beauty when the music sounds through his inspiration. But all these things will fail of realisation if he cannot imperiously dominate and inspire. In fact, if a choice had to be made between a man with less knowledge and more leadership and a man of unquestioned leadership hut unsound or dubious knowledge, it would he wise! to choose the individual last mention- j ed. He could make the orchestra, play; the other man, had he the wisdom of J. S. Baeli, could not do it. ] By and large, this the task of the | conductor is the greatest interpretative] test that the art of mus|c can offer. NEWS AND NOTES. ' Joan Bolger, of Kapoixga, a student of only twelve years of age, has obtained her A.T.C.L. this year. She is said to be the youngest student to obtain her letters, but she cannot use them, until she is seventeen. Miss Bolger won the gold medal for pianoforte playing, in the class under IB years, at the recent Palmerston North competitions. The Cambridge Competitions Sooietv bad a loss of £2B on this year’s session, due, it is stated, to lack of adequate public support. The soloists for the Auckland Municipal Choir’s production of the first act of Wagner’s “Lohengrin,” on October 28, will be “Elsa,” Miss F.x-eda Evans; “Lohengrin,” Mr Roger Errington; “The King,,” Mr* J. T. Gibson.

The season for community singing in AVellington has now ended—saving, off- ;coUrse u the possjiMliity of .extra sings and ’ special sings—and the result of the season financially has been remarakbly good. Twenty-one midweek gatherings and one Sunday evening concert wore held, and the collections totalled £575 11s 7d, a substantial assistance to the Mayor’s fund for the relief of distress in the city. The Christchurch Musical Society is to give a concert version of “Carmen, ’ and Mendelssohn’© “The Loreley,” on November 15. It is interesting to note that the society is following in the steps of the musical societies of Auckland by engaging “local” snigers only and asking them to give their sex-vices free.

Dame Clara Butt is to give a series of concert throughout Australia and New Zealand commencing at Brisbane on November 4, the Sydney season starting on November 18, Melbourne on December 2, with Adelaide, Perth and' New Zealand to follow. In all probability four concerts will be given m each season. According to the “New York Times ’ of September 10, Bruna Castagna, the contralto, who was one of the stars of the Imperial Grand Opera. Company, which visited New Zealand 1 about twelve months ago, is appearing; with the Chicago Opera, Company at the New York Hippodrome in “Carmen,” “II Trovatoro’ ’ and “Cavalleriat Bu,stieana.” ‘ Particular interest is attached to the performance of Corelli’ts beautiful “Christmas Concerto” (No. 8), by the •Bohemian Orchestra next month in Auckland, for its composer, Araangelo Corelli (born 1653), stands before the world as the first mature composer of violin music, and the fountain head of modern violin playing. His works mark the turning; point wheife the straggles and experiments of the seventeenth century blossomed into the maturity of genuine instrumental music establishing the principle of grouping of contrasted movements, sometimes even venturing so far as to allow the contrast to extend to change the key. All :Co.nelli’is oortcertos contain passages of real vigour and healthy vitality, and adagios of very characteristic beauty and delicate texture, eminently tuneful. The Pastorale is one of the most attractive of his movements. At what age should a boy soprano desist from singing? A well-known New Zealand tenor expresses himself thus on the question: “Having toured vs « boy soprano with flic second company of the Tom Pollard Opera Companv in 1906, I am always interested in children’s voices. It grieves me, in consequence, when they are allowed

to sing while there is still a note left to them. So many careers, and wouldbe great voices, are ruined because they are not stopped in time. h i could have my way, no cathedral would be allowed to use a boy’s voice alter he has turned thirteen.” Advice has been received by tne Band Contest Committee that Messrs diaries Begg and Co. have donated the Besson Challenge Shield for competition among tne B grade brass bands of Southland and Otago, the tr-ophy to be held by the band gamin o- most points in the selection and in” the quickstep, military points to tie included. The shield is one of the most handsome trophies open for competition among bandsmen m New Zealand.

ENGLISH MUSIC, PARENTS’ NATIONAL UNION. At a meeting in Christchurch last week of the Parents’ National Educational Union, a very instructive talk was given by Miss Lettice Loughman, who spoke on “Purcell and the Early English Composers,” tratcing briefly the course of English music from the time of St. Augustine to the death ot Chairles ISI, and finishing with remarks on the life and work of Purcell. The strongest influence in the beginnings of music in England dated from the time of the Christian, nixss ion arks. St- Augustine founded a school of music in Kent, and taugnu the people to sing hymns. St. Dnnistan not only played the organ, bu* built organs, and Was famed as a musician. Secular songs were spread over the country by fgleemen, who .sang and performed feats of skill, while the ale-hom was passed round. “A whole series of lectures would bo needed to* deal with the Tudor periods,” Miss Loughnan said, “so 1 will mention only two outstanding names, William Byrde and Tallis, who together, brought English Church musio to its highest glory. The Church music of Byrde is so lovely that it has overshadowed his secular music, and there *is enough amongjst the latter to make a man famous.” The seventeenth century marked the change from polyphonic ecclesiastical composition to secularisation ox the art due to the popularity of the lute, and of masques and the influences ot dancing on keyboard music. _ The musically unproductive reign or Charles T formed a- pause between the two different periods. A strong influence was needed to complete _ change of attitude arid this was provided by Puritan disapproval of church music, which, driven from churches, became domestic. . _„_ o Henry Purcell was born m 165 b or 1659 He became a chorister at the Chapel Roval .and in 1670 wrote music for a Royal address from the children on the occasion of the King s birtnday. He took lessons from Dr Blow, organist at Westminster Abbey, and m 1679 succeeded his master as organist Later he was organist at Chapel Roval. He wrote music for the coronation of James II and for the funeral of Queen Mary in 1694. He himself died the following year, 1695.