PAEROA W.E.A.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 47, Issue 2668, 10 September 1937, Page 5

PAEROA W.E.A.

FURTHER STUDY IN MUSIC This week’s session of the Paeroa W.E.A. considered another lecture upon new tendencies in music. Due, perhaps, to that little understood faculty of the Englishman to belittle his own people and country, little recognition has yet been given to the prominent place occupied by living English composers, as a group, in comparison with those of other countries. In the realm of. living art, it can very safely be asserted that to-day England occupies a very high, if not the paramount, place amid the countries of the world. Particularly, it seems, is this true of music. There are at least, it seems, some 60 British composers of music living to-lay who are producing excellent compositions. Among the musical pioneers Vaughan Williams is very notable, but from the large list of his works the only record supplied with the lecture was a song “Bright is the Ring of Words,” •a somewhat disappointing recording. The record of his “London Symphony” had gone astray. Gustav Holst was represented by “The Jupiter” movement from his Planets’ Symphony. The local circle found this music, although imaginative and brilliant as music, rather joyless. Josef Holbrooke was represented by a song “Come Not When I Am Dead,” very pleasing and including obvious new forms and methods of expression. Frank Bridge and Coleridge-Taylor were also heard, the latter with his beautiful setting of the “Willow Song” from Othello. Granville Bantock is a most prolific composer, but he was heard in a serenade from Six Jester Songs, and two songs from the Chinese only, all of which were particularly pleasing. Cyril Scott and John Ireland were mentioned most regretably without any examples of their work. Delius was heard in some piano pieces •and a song “To Daffodils.”

Of the remaining notable British composers Arnold Bax, Philip Heseltine, Roger Quilter, Walford, Davies and Ethel Smyth could only be mentioned without examples of their work. The evening closed with a bright song, by Mallinson, “Eldorado.” It has a very pleasing cadenza that finishes on the dominant at,the end of each verse.