MUSIC.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5288, 28 May 1904, Page 11

MUSIC.

(BY "G” STRING,) A notable event in local musical history—liic virit of 311 - W aikin 3Jiih>, rue celebrated English basso—is to tako place at the end of August. liis first Ae'v '/.«ilaiid concerts arc to bo given in Wellington, and the public oi this city will have tne opportunity or nearing him in two c interior—" The Messiah" and “Elijah’ 5 (in which the Musical Union w ill assist)—anti in some oi Jus finest ballads and operatic arias. The Wellington concerts are to bo given on tho 20tii, 2GtU and 27til August. The So utlic rn dates are— Christchurch, August 31sfc, September Ist and 2nd; Dunedin, September nth. Ctli and 7th. Mr Arthur Towsey, the well-known Auckland musician, intends to settle in Wanganui. mainly because of his daughter’s health. Air Towse3 r has been nearly forty 3 r ears in tho colony. Ho was first of all in Dunedin as organist of tho Anglican Cathedral there. Ho spent altogether twenty-two years in Dunedin, and live years in Christchurch, After haring been fifteen years at Dunedin, Air Towsey left there for Christchurch, and returned as musical director of the New. Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. Erom llunedin Air Towsey went to Auckland twel\ v e or thiiteen years ago. and there he directed tho orchestral music at the exhibition. He was the founder of the Auckland Liodcrtafel. which- is claimed by Aucklanders to be one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere, Master Victor Harris, tho youthful violinist who left Wellington to continue his studies in Europe. lias played before Sir Alexander Mackenzie. A private letter received in town says that Sir Alexander was so pleased with the boy’s work tliat ho wished to x^ 3oo him atones in tho Royal Academy of Alumc. He considered that ho was ‘‘wonderfully talented 55 —“ and you know 7 ho remarked, “I hoar hundreds of musical students. 55 Master Harris is receiving private tuition from tne principal violin teacher at tho Royal Academy of Music.

Gounod's “Faust” is to bo given in concert form on Juno 21st, and “Elijah” on Juno 23rd, by the Christchurch Musical Union. It is not usual for the union to give two concerts in one week, but as l\ir Hamilton Hodgek is to sing the music of Mcpliistopiielcs, :t was decided that tho opportunity of hearing him in oratorio also was too good fto be lost. Miss Amy Murnhy.* of Dunedin, is to sing the soprano solos in both works and the tenor soles are to be taken by Sir Walter Whyte, late of the Williamson Opera Company, and now settled in Auckland. Tho remaining soloists are to be:—Elijah—Mrs E. E. Barber and Miss Morrow. Faust —Sicbol, Mrs Kerr; Valentine, Mr P. Hockley; Wagner, Mr Haraili. Miss Pender (formerly of Wellington),. Miss Woodhouse, and Messrs C. Bead and C. H. Mason are to assist with the concerted music.

The newly-appointed organist of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Christchurch, Mr G. Gibbs Jordan, came to. New Zealand from Melbourne, where lie held a like position in St. George’s Presbyterian Church for some years. He was trained as an organist in Gloucester Cathedral, and for four years played the organ in the'Gloucester County Church. Another examining body, the Melbourne University, proposes to establish examinations in music in New Zealand. ,ur G. Gibbs Jordan, now of Christchurch, has been asked by Professor Petersen, who holds the Ormond Chair of Music at Melbourne TJnivorsitv, ’ to investigate the matter, and should he be able to report that if but sis students can be obtained in this colony, an. examiner will b© sent across. Mr Jordan says that the certificates of the Melbourne University in musical examinations cany the same weight as those issued in England. Examinations arc held by this University not only in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaideaud Ho bart, but also in everyl township in Australasia. Four are held every year, and the certificates granted are:—l, pupil certificate; .2, senior pupil; 3. student; 4. senior student. Wo have received particulars of-*be Grand National Eisteddfod of Australasia (South street competition), which is to be held at Ballarat in October. This being the jubilee of the society, the sum of -£I4OO is given in prize money, viz-:—Band contest. £450- grand champion choral contest £300; orchestral competition. £150: vocal music. £150; olccption. £l7o* calisthenics and other displays. £42. The secretary’s address i« C'tv Hall. Ballarat.

The Vienne •‘TV'-tlen Hiatt" write 3 thuo concerni"p* Mdil° Antonia Dolores, whose porralarity in Melbourne hag deservedly stood very high:—‘'A new singinf' star has .risen. . . Without nosing in any way as astronomer, it is easy to nredict that this char win ornol-lv rise to the very zenith of popular favour. Paramount artistic qualities such as are rare indeed in our days enable this great artiste to gain by storm tho favour of our art loving public. Her voice, although not one of specially brilliant splendour, is of flute-like timbre, and commands in faultless equality two octaves, being specially remarkable for its richness in the middle register. Her head notes are magnificently produced and most intelligently used. The flexi. bility and technical training of tho genuine soprano permit the most refined and exact treatment of the bravura work; but the greatest achievement of the singer is her art of bcl canto, that seems to be inborn in her as the daughter of tho once so ranch admired Trebelli. The technique of her breath and her artistic phrasing indeed compel from us unstinted admiration. ... So great wan tho success of Mdlle. Dolores that two additional concerts were hurriedly arranged for her, and at her farewell appearance she received a tremendous ovation from tho public—a rare occurrence in tho presence of the Imperial court/* News like this will be welcome indeed to the many Ausralian friends of this gifted artist.