NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20405, 6 November 1929, Page 18

NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR.

CIVIC THEATRE ORCHESTRA. ARRIVAL OF MR. E. HENKEL* " Mr. Thomas O'Brien is giving Auckland a magnificent theatre; my only wish is that, in that theatre, I shall be able to provide Auckland with music worthy of it." This remark was made yesterday by Mr. Edward Henkel, a musical conductor with a great reputation, who has been brought to Auckland to direct the musical side of the programmes at the new Civic Theatre. He arrived at Auckland from Sydney, via Wellington, yesterday, accompanied by Mrs. Ilenkcl, and expects to make an immediate start at organising his orchestra.

Mr. Henkel is a man of few words, but of arresting personality. Tall and of athletic build, he is a keen golfer as well as an accomplished musician. He is a great believer in the cinema theatre as a home for good music and holds the opinion that no matter what 'improvements are made in synchronised musical scores for motion pictures, there will always be the demand for the personal touch supplied by an orchestra. Mr. Henkel has been engaged in the musical side of motion pictures for about 20 years, graduating from the position of an instrumentalist of great versatility—he can play practically every instrument used in a symphony orchestra—to the conductorship of bands in several o[ the leading theatres in the United States. Before coming to Australia, about two years ago, ho was musical director at the Forum Theatre, Los Angeles, one of the three largo theatres which specialise in the premiere screenings of long-run attractions. He was engaged by the management of the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, and there for 82 weeks he established a great record. His musical programmes were never once duplicated and he repeated numbers only by special request. " I hope to engage 30 first-class players for the Civic orchestra," Mr. Henkel said. " However, the players must be more than good musicians. The principles of modern business have extended to the music world and, although you may have wonderful goods, you nave first to sell | thorn. The modern picture theatre orchestra requires more than anything else players of versatility and personality. "In Auckland I intend to adopt the same lines that I followed in Sydney. The 1 orchestra will play selected overtures from the orchestra well and will also appear as a stage band with a ballet in novel presentations. In no sense will it he a jazz band. Tho only occasions on which I played jazz music in Sydney were when it was needed for special dances by the ballet. People do not seem to realise that even popular music is capable of symphonic arrangements which greatly enhance its interest."