NELSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXI, Issue 16, 22 January 1895, Page 3

NELSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

(Evening Mail.)

As will be seen from our advertising columns, the Nelson School of Music will open for the work of its third term on the 4th February. It is well to call the attention of our readers to the great advantages which this institution offers to those who wish to obtain for themselves a real knowledge of music, both practical and scientific, as distinguished from the power to play a few "tunes," well or ill, upon the pianoforte, which has been m the past so often the end and, we fear, the object of so much money spent and time wasted. Mr Balling, the Principal, is a man of high reputation, his power upon his own instrument (the viola) is quite unique, and he may fairly be placed m the front rank as pianist and violinist, and he has a competent knowledge of all other orchestral instruments. As a composer he is not unknown, and of course his knowledge of the science of music is I complete ; but, beyond these attainments of the artist, the practicability of the man, the fire of zeal, earnest effort, the truth with which he realises — and helps those about him to realise — the power and value of his "noble art," these are among the qualities which make his presence amongst us so valuable, and his work with his pupils so great a gain to them.

Mrs Houlker is known so well as the most finished singer and teacher of singing who has perhaps ever lived here, and the success of her work with her pupils has been so marked as to need no praise from us, whilst Miss Dugdale, Mr Parker's clever pupil, is making a reputation for herself both as a performer and as a teacher of the pianoforte. The School has lately imported a complete set of first-class orchestral instruments, which are being daily exercised by youthful pupils, who we learn are making rapid progress, and many of whom will be ere long sufficiently advanced to be allowed to help m the Orchestral Society, which has been so important an aid to the Nelson Harmonic Society, m whose Hall, which has lately been greatly enlarged, and two class-rooms attached, the work of the School is carried on.

If the volume of work done were any indication of the success of the institution, which perhaps it is not, it might be worth noting that during last term there were 107 lessons given per week at the school, besides lessons to 71 pupils under its auspices given by the Rev Mr Cachemaille m the tonic-sol-fa system of notation and singing, of which he is so skilful an exponent) and whose lessons last winter, were" so numerously attended. These lessons, we understand, will shortly be resumed, and will, no doubt, be again well appreciated. It may perhaps also be well to note here that the Governors of the Boys' and Girls' Colleges have recently placed the musical teaching at both these institutions under the sole charge of the School, which is very clear evidence of the capacity of the Principal to carry it on efficiently. The terms of the school are very low : a fee of two guineas per term (coinciding with the College course) entitles each pupil to tuition m any two subjects, vocal, instrumental, or theoretical.

SHOCKING MINING ACCIDENT.

A shocking fatal accident happened at Bendigo at the mine of the New Red, White, and Blue Consolidated Company. A winze wes being sunk from the 820 ft levd, and a rise to meet it was being put up from the 920 ft level. It was known that they were coming close together, and m order to avoid accident it was arranged between the men that the holes m the rise should be fired first, and that the signal should be given by knocking with a drill on the rook, which could be readily heard. Wm. Beaton, an elderly man, and Thomas John Franklin were working m the winze, and E. George and Robert Jones m the rise. The latter Big* nailed that they were ready to fire. Franklin and Beaton responded, left the winze, and went to a safe place. They waited what appeared to be an unusually long period without hearing the expected explosion m the rise, and after some time spent m (Continued on Fourth Page.)

[Continued from third page.]

deliberation and discussion as to whether the signal arrangements had been misunderstood, Franklin went to the bottom of the winze and repeated the signal. He called out to his mate that he got no answer, and juet at that moment one of the holes m the rise exploded. This shoe broke through the three feet of ground between the rise and the winze, and Franklin leceived the full force of the explosion. The t"p of bis head was blown off, and he was killed instantly. The deceaatd was tweutyeight years of ago, married, and had two children. The men on the following shift, who were present when the body was brought up, were so shocked that they would not go to work, and with the concurrence of the manager left the mine.

The following appeared m our seoond edition yesterday ; —