THE WORLD OF MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 4 May 1935, Page 2

THE WORLD OF MUSIC

NOTES FROM HERE AND THERE FAULTS MANY SINGERS MAKE KING’S JUBILEE SERVICE A Musician’s Notebook. From “The Notebooks of Nicholas Fumble” in the “Christian Science Monitor”: “The noblest prospects which a man ever sees is from the highway of music.” “David writes me that Schubert’s music is to be utilised in a Broadway play. The man who can vulgarise great music would teach Raphael’s cherubs to cliew gum.” “Poets do fairly well with love and passably with sunsets, but how ineffectual they are about music!” “What musician was ever accounted a hero? Yet does he not risk tiring of music?”

“Mrs Scratcher apologised for giving me the Schubert Unfinished Symphony. She said she had not noticed it was unfinished and would so liked to have picked out a perfect work. I could, of course, exchange it.” Value of Enunciation. How many singers fail to realise the value of enunciation is becoming more and more evident, and many critics- are seeking the reason. One prominent musician who returned to England alter some years spent on the Continent was instantly struck with this fact, and made some very caustic comments in the London Press on the subject.. If the audience cannot understand what the vocalist is singing about, he or she might just as well not perform at all. The listener, having to strain to hear the words, loses much of the pleasure attached to a good concert and goes home determined to keep his money in his pocket or spend it on records of Caruso singing in Italian. People who speak distinctly, very often do not sing distinctly for the simple reason that they put on an “affected” air, and immediately kill their performance. The remedy is a simple one—singe naturally as you speak and even if your voice is not as good as someone else’s, you will give more pleasure. What Publishers Pay.

The following extract from the music column of the “Birmingham Weekly Post” answers a question frequently asked by amateur composers here (and elsewhere): “From a correspondent I have a query as to whether an money can be made out of songs or dance tunes, and if so do the publishers pay it?” The answers are respectively, ‘Yes,’ and ‘No.’ A popular ‘hit’ might easily bring its composer a few hundred pounds, but the revenue is not derived from the house publishing it. It is made up with performing rights and gramophone and film royalties. The popular notion that a money-making song or dance can be written on a scrap of paper under a street lamp or on top of an omnibus is all moonshine. ‘Winners’ in the accepted sense are not invented this way. It takes an able musician to compose a tune calculated to make money, and even then influence of a kind is required to get well-known singers or bands to exploit it. It is more or less esesntial, also, to secure publication first, and this is a fairly expensive condition.” King’s Jubilee Music.

The muse chosen to bo sung at the sei-vice of prayer and thanksgiving for the King’s [Silver JJubilee in St. Paul’s Cathedral on May 6 is marked throughout by gx-eat simplicity. It is probable that identical music will he widely sung on that day. After the first verse of the National Anthem will come the “Old Hundi’edth” (Hymns A and M., 166). The two Psalms which follow, 95 and 121, will be sung to chants Nos. 157 and 226 respectively in “New Cathedral Psalter Chants.” The former will be transposed into the key of G. The hymn by Cecil SpringRice, “I vow to thee, my country,” will be sun to Gustav Holst’s tune, which is published separately, and can be found in the Ist edition of ‘Song of Praise” (No. 188). The second hymn, “O God of Jacob, by Whose Hand” (Hymns A. and M., 512), will he sung to the tune “Martyrdom. The music for the Te Deum has been specially composed for the occasion by Dr Stanley Marchant. organist of St. Paul’s", and is designed oit -simple broad lines, with an alternative ending for use where the shortened form of the Te Deum is used. Broadcasting Effects.

The March number of “Music in New Zealand” contains an excellent editorial which mentions many of the ill effects broadcasting has caused in the musical life of the country. “In many cases it has even failed to place a trained musician in charge of its musical programmes; in still more cases it has completely failed to take any steps- to ensure that a fair representation of the performers transmitted shall reach the listener. We ourselves know of eases in which the microphone has been placoid! right up against a heavy iced pipe of an organ or directly at the hack of the heavy bi-ass in the orchestra. Too frequently there is not only no effort whatsoever to secure the best position i’oi- the microphone, but that the musician who remonstrates is treated with scant courtesy.” This is a somewhat serious indictment and it is to he hoped that tli*‘ new hoard will take steps to rectify matters as soon as possible. In tin' same number Basil Maine contributes “A Talk to Choral Societies on Delius’ ‘Sea Drift.’ ” Mary Martin has an interesting article on “Musical Education.” This being the “slack season,” there is little or no reference to musical activities in the Dominion. Praiss for Boys’ Choir. High praise was given by English critics recently to the singing of the Vienna Boys’ Choir, which will appeal in New Zealand ths yeai-, on the cccason of a return season in London. “The best part of the programme was undoubtedly the group of 16th century motets which came at the beginning,” said one writer. “They were sung with a fine regard for detail and a

rare appreciation of the meaning and beauty of pure counterpoint. The tone was sharper, more vibrant than that produced by English boj’s, with the result that the contrapuntal lines were more distinct. The purity of the intonation was exemplary. In every way these performances were as absolutely right as anything could he. Mozart's ‘Bastien and Bastienne,’ performed 1 in costume, was a further indication of the imagination and skill which have gone to the training of these clever youngsters. There was little attempt at action, but the music, an astonishing production for a mere 12-year-old, was sung in a way which would surely have delighted the composer’s heart. The unnamed Bastien particularly distinguished himself. The audience were captivated by the airs and graces of the small boys in their Dresden-cliina costumes, which suited them perfectly and the performance was obviously as enjoyable to the youngsters taking part as it was pretty to the behold-: ers.”