LECTURE-CONCERTS.

Northern Advocate, 9 February 1925, Page 3

LECTURE-CONCERTS.

EDUCATING THE CHILDREN. ACTIVITIES IN ENGLAND. Miss Lute Drummond, writing from London on December 11, is filled with enthusiasm for the efforts that are being generally made in England for the spread of musical knowledge amongst the children (writes G. de Cairos-Ecgo in the "Sydney Daily Telegraph"). It appears that, from the north to the south, lecture-concerts for school children are nowadays an integral part of musical life. The appreciation of orchestral music is, in particular, significant. For example, at a children's concert in Edinburgh, the juveniles were attracted by Duka's "L'Apprenti Sorcier," and the lecturer and conductor was compelled, willy nilly, to repeat a large portion of — "L'Apprenti Sorcier," if you, please. Hamish McCunn's overture, "Land of the Mountain and Flood," and the "Mastersingers" overture were also included in the musical pabulum. Piano recitals to school children are a feature, given with explanatory remarks suitable for a youthful audience. Some programmes certainly include pieces not specially calculated to appeal to the youthful seeker after

musical knowledge; but, nevertheless, there seems to bo no question of the appreciation shown for such works as , a set of Choral Preludes of Bach and | his contemporaries, the Partita in B flat, and Beethoven's "Passionata." There are, of course, modern sugar plums, as there ought to be in every j repast designed for youthful appetites. 1

The main object of the English movement Miss Drummond draws at- j tention to is simple enough. It aims, according to the London "Daily Tele graph," at giving children the opportunity to understand as much of the art of music as any person of average { intelligence is expected to know about' painting and literature, or architecture. It is pointed out that it is the inevitable outcome of that movement which began when educators realised that the surest way to success in education was to appeal, as far as posj sible, to the natural instinct of the | child, appreciating his point of view, j his difficulties, the limitation of his strength and abilities.

In fostering this instinct the English. movement does not "poptonise" the music for children. The programmes do not consist of music some sentimentalist thought fit to dedicate to the young, which the young with their sure instinct know to be music of no a,ge. It is the music, as already indicated, that the grown-ups delight in and discuss. By treating the child in a "man-to-man" fashion we at once gain his confidence. He is armed with the most important elementary facts, learns with pleasure something of the technique of music ■—which is a small matter — but also develops, at the same time, and almost unconsciously, his sense of appreciation and his power of enjoyment — and this is a very important matter. Something, it is gratifying to note, is being done in the form of lectureconcerts, in a few of the larger educational establishments of Sydney where music masters are engaged. It is a work that has only developed in the last • few years, but has met- with marked appreciation from the scholars. The principals of schools, as a body, are not entirely won over, but it is not so much that they disregard the value of music, as that the parents and guardians generally have to be educated to its importance) in the school curriculum. But parents are not altogether to blame in the matter. They judge "by results.

Possibly the point of view is wrong. Certainly all tie other school subjects are taught on a more suitable basis. There is no direct endeavour to make mathematicians, authors, or poets, of the pupils. The endeavour is rather to give them "knowledge of these subjects to enable them to discriminate between good and bad, true and untrue, and to gain a lively appreciation of the good, and dislike of the bad. This view does obtain in the present method of musical instruction in schools, because the pi.pils do not become acquainted wi'ti tL.r grea f , masterpieces, nor do they hear fine performances. An improved method , would include this instruction in ' classes; its form, the conceTt-lecture. ! The pupils would acquire the appre- | riation of music, from the simplest folk-music, through song, piano, and . violin literature, to the string quartet. This form of study is within the grasp of the average intelligence, and would , result in pupils leaving school with a Inve of what is high and beautiful in

. musical art. ; As already indicated something in , this direction is being accomplished. ' What is wanted is a general acceptance of the principle, and the recognitor! that in regard to this particular ■ work professors must be artists and I men of education. Of such men there j nro. nowadays, a number, and they ; would rejoice to have such a basis Tor their work rather than the wear- ' -'ut and sometimes impossible task of trviu.T to make pupils perform who : I'fivc not the gift, or b\it slight capa- : hilitino ns an executant. ' Aivl this is a reminder that the failure of the present system is also flvo to «n many pupils who ha'*c not opon'ril rrjfts required to put know-VHr-p into practice. They have their .".••siTn" lessens oncp or twW a week, r;V f.Vov study every day for one or

more hours. At the end of school life the average music pupil has practically no knowledge of the great masters' works, little knowledge of music at all, and very slight capabilities as an executant. The latter is inevitable. To expect any one to become proficient in an art of which they are fundamentally ignorant is plainly a case of the cart before the horse. What should we think of a student of English literature who had never read a play of Shakespeare?