MUSICAL TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 79, 2 March 1929, Page 7

MUSICAL TOPICS.

PASSING NOTES.

(By “Semibreve.”)

That, the public of Palmerston North supports its musical, societies very well is revealed by, the balance-sheets of the Choral and Orchestral Societies read at their respective annual meetings this week. For the Coral Society's three concerts the total receipts were £254 16s Id and for the Orchestral Society’s three concerts the total receipts were £221 2s 9d. The support given is very encouraging, but if the societies are to continue without financial anxiety still greater support must be forthcoming from the many lovers of music in the district. The refusal of Mr C. L. Mowlem to accept nomination for office as conductor came as a blow to his friends; 1-sfc up hope that his decision is not irrevocable. Mr Mowlem has done much good work since he took over from Mr Cohen.

Next August the Choral Society will • be celebrating its tenth birthday. Formed from the Peace Celebration Choir, it began its existence as the • Palmerston North Philharmonic So- ' ciety, but later a change of name was ■ considered advisable. This society . is looking for a larger number of sub--1 scribers to enable it to continue in existence. . Wanganui is at present the Mecca ! of. all band enthusiasts. . The best ! of the bands of the Dominion are gath- ; ered there to be examined as it were in-proficiency. There must have been ; some excellent performances if the high marks given by the judge can be taken as an indication. Bandmaster ( Franklin must be feeling very encour- ■ aged by the high marks obtained by 1 many of his performers in ensemble and solo work. Third place in the Quartette is very good indeed and the judge’s remarks were gratifying. Fourth place in the A grade test — splendid I Congratulations to Wanganui Garrison Band on winning the hymn test : with 91 points. That contest must have been well worth hearing for there . is nothing that tests the tonal qualities of the band more than the playing of a hymn tune. Congratulations also to G. Bergersen on winning the B flat cornet champion i solo with 95 poits. Ex-Bandmaster Berryman will be very proud of his • old pupil. G. Bergersen has had ■ other successes, notably 97 points in . the solo championship, own choice. S. Lester with 87 points and W. O’Hara, with 86 points must have played exceptionally well. D. Wynks in the bass trombone section with 80 points, C. Hansen, tenor horn, 82 points, and J. P. Cowlishaw, euphonium, 7o points, showed that they were no mean players. The South Island has captured the B grade contest, Ashburton proving the winners with 171 points in’ the aggregate. Hawera ran them very closely, though, with 167 points. Sixteen bands competed in the hymn tests. , Palmerston North put up a great performance, obtaining 86 points against the winners’ 91'. It. A. L. Taylor,-of Dannevirke, did some remarkably good work in the B flat corner solo championship, gaining 92 points and second place. On January 5, in London, hundreds of children were on their way to an orchestral concert in the Central Hall. There were groups in the_ uniform < of their school, and single units escorting their grown-ups to listen to Dr. Malcolm Sargent give a homely talk on the various compositions set down on the programme. The “London” _ symphony by Haydn was the principal number. The movements of the symphony were likened by Dr. Sargent to the chapters of a story, while the treatment of the themes were explained in simple language. Music teachers for tire first time in the history of New Zealand are to be called upon to exercise their franchise in the election of a registration board. The board is to be constituted under the Musical Teachers’ Registration Act. Only those teachers who on February 28 were members of any society of professional musicians are allowed to rote. The method of the election is much the same as , that adopted by clubs and associations. A voting paper will be posted from the returning officer who is the secretary of the Education Department. The voter must cancel all names of candidates for whom ho does not wish to vote, leaving two names; and return the paper to the returning officer to be received by him not later than four o’clock on the first of April, 1929. Should American orchestras be allowed to be imported into England ? Such is the turning question agitating the minds of the English Musicians’ Union. The union comprises 18,000 players of orchestral instruments in London and the provinces. A strong protest has been forwarded to the Ministry of Labour. Th© Minister was reminded that English musicians who go to America are strongly objected to. It was also pointed out to him that many players are cut of work through the importation of mechanical instruments and records made abroad. Professor Alexander Wood, lecturing on “The ear and what it does,” made these statements: —When a sound gets too loud it ceases to be heard and comes into the region of feeling, a strange tickling sensation being felt in the ear. The tickling sensation could also be felt in the tips of the fingers if held near the origin of the sound.” “The normal ear can hear about 300,000 tones varying in loudness and pitch,” “People get less sensitive to shrill high sounds as they get older.” A strange commentary on the fact that singers have been known to smash glass globes when singing a certain note, is that there is one country which has a law that states that if a rooster by crowing breaks the neighbour’s glass vessels, the owner of the rooster is liable for damages.