Turntable Club Musical Evening

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1948, Page 6

Turntable Club Musical Evening

It was fitting that the Whangarei Turntable Club should open its social evening last night with a recording of Tschaikovslcy’s “Capriccio Italian”. This composition, played by a full symphony orchestra, gave the right note to precede the president’s remarks and welcome to the guests.

The president (Mr R. Wood) described the aims and objects of the club which are to get together to enjoy and discuss “good” music—not too high-brow and not too low-brow —• to know something about the composers and musicians, and to be able to speak intelligently about music. A rather unique recording was next on the varied programme. The disc had been brought from Japan where it had been recorded, a Japanese vocalist singing what was probably a western world song in her own language and accompanied by an eastern orchestra.

Following this the house-lights were extinguished and two films were shown —the first showing Maori village life at Whakarewarewa, with guide Rangi explaining the movements of the native action songs and dances and the second film a tourist travelogue of Nelson and the glacier regions. VARIED ENTERTAINMENT A talented local instrumental trio playing Haydn’s “3rd Trio in C Major” was next on the bill. This item was well appreciated by the audience. The players were Miss A. McCulley (piano), Mr A. Owen (violin), Mr S. McCulley (cello). Ballet was also in the bag of mixed entertainment. Members of the Northland Ballet Troupe presented a number danced to the music of “Sonata”. The graceful movements of the dancers, together with the lovely strains of the music, brought out more forcibly the pleasure to be gained from music and its allied arts. MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE TESTED

Many found from a three-round quizz session that their musical education had been neglected. The second round produced few entrants. The third, when the number of questions was reduced from 10 to five, saw Mr F. Milner win the men’s prize and a tie between Mrs L. 'Dear and Miss C. H. Stratford for the ladies. Questions ranged from ‘’What is a cadenza?”. “How many symphonies did Tschaikovsky compose?’-’ to being asked to describe a “hurdy-gurdy” or give the technical name for the high-est-pitched string on a violin. The evening concluded with supper and a general discussion on matters mainly musical.

The president of the Wellington Roman Catholic Maritime Club (Mr C. Mallia) will be invested with the Papa Cross this evening by Archbishop O’Shea. Mr Mallia is founder of the work of the Apostleship of the Sea in New Zealand and in the King’s Birthday Honours this year was awarded the MBE in recognition of his services. The Papal Cross has been awarded to him as a further recognition of his work.