WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 2 December 1933, Page 2

WORLD OF MUSIC

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CHOIRS A method of .producing choral works without launching any new musical organisation has been evolved in hawera and the results will be seen at the next concert of the male choir, to be given on 'December 14. Mrs Quin’s ladies’ choir has been invited to appear at. this concert and, in addition to presenting numbers of its own, the ladies’ choir will combine with the men’s in two items. 'This feature will give additional interest to a well arranged programme and is ejtpected to attract considerable interest among Hawera supporters of music. The solo performers at the male choir concert will be Miss M. Ilamerton, of Patea ' (contralto), Mr Gilbert, of New Plymouth (baritone), and Miss V. Quin, of IHawern (elocutionist). , •NEWS AND NQT'ES, It is no.t generally known that the famous song, “'Wnen Y-ou and I Were Young, Maggie ’ ’ was written by a young school teacher named George Johnson, a native of Ontario and a graduate of the University of Toronto. One of his pupils was Maggie Olark, aged 18, and later they were married and after three months of marriage Maggie died. Her husband brought her remains back to her old home in Ontario, and then go! the poem set to music. It became popular all over the English-speaking world. Some of the most wonderful music in history is centred round the bells of the cathedrals and churches of England, which have been. u§ed for many hundred years and have therefore done duty such as is hardly known in any other phase of musical effort. From these old bells has been developed the famous carillons, seen in so many continental cities and which demand very' expert playing. Wellington’s war memorial .s one of the best in the world'and was used at several centres in England before being brought to New Zealand for erection.

An interesting picture appears in the ‘ ‘ London Times” of October 19 showing the restoring of the peal of bells 'to East Kno.yle Church, Wilts. It is recorded that three of the bells were installed in 1720, and the others in 1748, 1794 and! 1839. Wellington had a band contest in connection with their carnival week. There were six entries all from the city and suburbs and the standard of play was reported to be very good, A difficulty always .experienced in oratorio performances, where it is desired to use a pipe organ, has been the difficulty with the pitch. In Dunedin, the ‘ ‘ Times” critic says, that “it has been a matter of regret hitherto that the low pitch of the organ made it impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to have both organ and orchestra in combination, but this year, thanks to the generosity and enterprise of a number of musicians, several brass and wood-wind- instruments with the same pitch as the organ have been procured. Several numbers, especially “Why Do the Nations?” the “Hallelujah Chorus,,” and “The Trumpets Shall Sound,” absolutely demand a full orchestra and organ, with., the brass instruments taking a prominent .part. The organ, under Dr. Galway’s skilful control, will be used to reinforce) the orchestra wheneiver a big climax is called for, and some- thrilling effects may be anticipated. . A new violin bow, curved in shape, has been evolved by Ralph Sohroeder, of Cassel. It is said to combine the advantages of the modern bow and; ot the old curved bow. Its mechanism appears to be very simple. A lever, worked bv the thumb, enables the player to* tighten or loosen the hair according to the needs of the moment. Should he desire to sound a chord ot four notes and hold it for the whole length of the bow, all he need do is to relax the pressure of the lever. The slack hair grips all the four strings and maintains the grip as long as the player desires. Albert Schwelter, who has won the gratitude of all lovers of Bach, is very enthusiastic, and after hearing Herr Sehroeder perform wrote (in the September number of the “Musical Times”): “We who were present realised that the _ occasion marked an epoch in the history or Bach interpretation. Henceforth players of polyphonic violin music will feel compelled to use tlio bow that permits of perfect reproduction.” He goes so far as to say that composers will now write again in polyphonic style for the violin alone, and “an qrt that lias been in abeyance for centuries will come to life again.” Mr Eric Mareo, a versatile musician who recently settled in Auckland, composed some years ago a series of “Studies for the Left Hand,” which he had written for a friend who had lost his right hand in the war. These have been published in a Braille version. They can he read by the right hand and played simultaneously with the left. Mr * Mareo has now formed a full symphony orchestra in the northern capital.