The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1875.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 4434, 30 April 1875, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1875.

We constantly hear it asserted, both by residents and by visitors from the other provinces, that Christchurch has the reputation of being a musical city. What every one says must be true, hut there still remains the question, what constitutes a musical city ? We presume that in the present application it means a community having an omnivorous appetite for musical entertainments, or, perhaps, one which at present supports two, and formerly four, musical societies, with such ambitious names as Musical, Mendelssohn, Orchestral, and Philharmonic. It is, we suppose, quite beside the question that Christy Minstrels or the Brothers Girard receive an equal measure of support with Madame Arabella Goddard or the Simonsens, and that the four musical societies did not contain between them all the elements of one efficient association. All this is nothing. We have our three or four societies, and we cram the Oddfellows’ Hall to hear Professor Haselmeyer perform upon his straw fiddle, and if these characteristics do not suffice to constitute us a musical community, we should like to know what will. Have musical taste and musical knowledge advanced within the last decade in Christchurch ? In spite of our societies, of our professors of music, and our resident artistes, can we look back on the pleasant concerts of Mrs Fitzgerald’s time and say that they were inferior in the class of music presented to the public, or in the manner of the execution of that music to the musical entertainments of to-day-; and will any one he hold enough to say that if we have stood still—we will,not say retrograded—it is because perfection has been attained ? The history of our musical societies would afford an interesting and instructive lesson in the mutability of human affairs. Their rise, their schisms, decline, revolution and restoration ; how a section seceded from the old Musical Society and dedicated itself to the sex-vice of Mendelssohn; how these two fought and fluctuated, and, finally collapsing, were fain to recombine thenstrength, or rather their weakness—of these histories why should we speak ? Are they not all written in the chronicles of the Lyttelton Times ?

How is it that Christchurch with unlimited ambition, as evidenced by the foui' societies, and apparently a geniune love of music of one kind or another, cannot keep afloat a tolerable musical society ? Apparently either the talent and knowledge are wanting, or those who are or might be able to take an active part, will not put themselves to the trouble. Our societies make a great show in the way of performers, but we fear that a large proportion of them are —may we say-—padding ? Something more is necessary for the formation of a musical society than the enlisting a number of young ladies who shall dress becomingly and look graceful on the platform, and who may be depended upon to open their mouths and shut them at proper intervals. Might we suggest that members of a musical association which gives public perfor- ■ mances, should at least be able to read easy passages, and to sing a part without a leaning post; but we suppose that to apply any musical test is not advisable lest the ranks should be too seriously thinned. We must make an exception to the above remarks in favour of one society—the Orchestral—which has now stood its ground for several years. This society owes it* success to the fact that it has held unswervingly to its original programmes ; it gives few concerts in the course of the year, and puts before its subscribers on each occasion at least two fresh pieces of highclass music, which the public can have no other opportunity of hearing. The orchestral pieces and the part songs for male voices contributed by a private glee society, which constitute the solid ground work of the concerts, have so far been highly satisfactory, and afford a pleasant relief from the prevailing style of musical entertainments, which consist chiefly' of vocal solos of the Claribel' order, varied by pianoforte extravaganzas in the Sydney Smith style. The Orchestral Society’s, concerts are few in number s©, that ample time is given for rehearsing: the selected programme, and of necessity, every member of the society, must have some practical knowledge of music. Notwithstanding the acknowledged excellence of these concerts, perhaps we. should say in consequence of this ex-' cellence, this society is more poorly sup- i ported than any other concert givers in! the town; and this fact adds force to the conclusion that the society is actuated by genuine love for music, and not by the mere desire of exhibiting to the public. 1 The same misdirected ambition ‘to which we have drawn attention above is painfully evinced in the nature of our church music. Sensationalism seems to be the prevailing mode. Impracticable i anthems and difficult canticles are entrusted to the tender mercies of colonial boys and musically uninstructed choirs, 1 Which are quite out of the reach of congregations, and can only be given satisfactorily by trained singers. Such performances are eminently undevotional, W« presume that the aims of church music are twofold—to dispose by its influence on the feelings to a devotional frame of mind, and to assist in giving utterance to those heartfelt emotions, for whose expression speech is inadequate. Can the music invogue in our churches be said to fulfil .either office? It is not well enough done for the first, and being uncongregational, is useless for the second; with so much grand and simply solemn music by the great old masters at their com-1 maud, why will our organists and choir--masters persist in-parading the mere-’ tricious compositions ,of the fashionable: writers of modern organ music, more, suited .for the pianoforte than the, .organ ? _ • . v r - i In private society, with but few. exceptions, the same want of taste and

cultivation are evident, both in vocal, and instrumeiatal inueic. We hear: plenty of musical fireworks by Brinley Richards arid Osborne,, occasionally an easp- cantabile, after—very far • after, Mendelssohn; and some young iladiesattain to such perfection ‘as to-struggle haltingly through. Thalberg’s “ Home,, sweet Home”—the acme of boardingschool ambition; but set before them a simple sonata of Mozart’s, and we are treated to an uneven and expressionless performance, calculated to disgust anyone possessing a particle of musical taste, and to cause the unmusical to wonder what people can see in classical music. The exquisite songs of Schubert, Schumann, and Ourschmann are never heard; the demand is for something new—these composers being considei’ed, we suppose, old - fogies. As long as musical education is almost entirely entrusted to cheap governesses —and even those who. employ a professional for the instruction of their children are always changing in favour of the last arrival—so long will our ears be tortured, and progress be next to impossible.