DISTRIBUTION OF MUSICAL CERTIFICATES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13889, 29 April 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

DISTRIBUTION OF MUSICAL CERTIFICATES.

At the Victoria Hall on Saturday night tho modal and certificates gained by-local candidates in flic examinations conducted last year by the Associated Board of tho ltoyal Academy of Music and tho Royal College of Music were distributed by Dr i'. Ogston, tho hon. local representative of tho _ board. . The hall was packcd. Tho chair was occupied by Mr W. J. Morrell, M.A., rector , of tho Boys' High School. The-, programme was capitally arranged, and served-to show the proficiency attained by candidates. - That the audienco appreciated, it was evident , from the commencenient.' It seemed that encores would bo accorded to every perlormer. But the programme was a lengthy one, and , well .diversified, and for that reason Dr-Ogston requested thd audience to refrain from encoring -a request with which the audience somewhat unwillingly complied. The items were as.follow:—

Pianoforte duet, "Les Muscadins " (Wachs), Mies Kathleen Oiapparton (distinction lower school division) and Miss Elsie MacDougall (pass higher, school division), pupils of liisa lorstoii;. piaiioforte solo, Allegretto in 1) llinor (-Beethoven),. Miss J. U.' Longford (L.A.'Jti., performers), \pupil of Mjs Blanch Levi, A.K.A.il.'and L.it.A.M.; pianoforte so :o, Allegro Ivtoderato from Sonata in- F (Joseih Hycin), Miss'. Kathleen Hose Levi (distinction lower .school-division), pupil of Mrs Etanohe Levi, A.M.A.M.. and L.Ji A.M.; song,." Tho •Willow Hong(Sullivan), Miss Florence lieistsl (pass intermediate local centre), pupil of ( -jir/'Aln-itlftud • Gard'ier; pianoforte' eolo, ballade .Op. 3S (Chopin), Miss Gertrude Pitts LlA.'B,, pupil of ilis3'Yorston; .pianoforte sqio, A'octurne, F ■ Minor (Chopin), Miss Dorothy L'owie (honours intermediate local centre), pupil, of Mrs Blandford, L.R.A.M.; pianoforte solo, Itbapsadie Hongroise No. i (i'V Liszt-),; Miss Millio lies (winner,of gold medal inUrm-ediale local centre), pupil of late A. J; Barth and Mr Max Scherek; pianoforte solo, " Hondo" (Meld), Miss Annio Glasse (distinction higher school division), pupil of Miss lorston; violin sqlo, Mazurka (J. Harold Henry),. Master Bertie Westheaid (distinction lower school' division), pupil of Miss- Sarah Parker; pianoforte toio, Concert Study in C (Hubenstein), Miss Ina Gow, L.A.8., pupil of ilr \V,,K. Taylor, 1'.K.C.0.; pianoforte bolo, Nocturne in.. E flat (Chopin),- Miss Mary .Ritchie (distinction higher, school division), 1 pupil Of Mrs Blandford,'i/.K,A.M., St. Hilda's); pianoforte duet • (two pianos), "Rondo" (Chopin), Mibs Dorqthy L. Pownall (honours advanced local, oentre) and .'Miss Gladys ,Williams (pass advanced local centre), pupils 'of Mrs Blandford, L.K.A.M., St. Hilda's.

liarly in tho evening pr Ogston, in introducing Mr Morrell to tile meeting, said that in the' North Island, from where he had recently come,' Mr • Morrell occupied a.'liigh place as a musician. •Mr - Morrell) who was welcomed with loud applause,. said he regarded it as a great honour to be. asked to take the chair on such an'occasion, though he could not help thinking that the honour might havo been better - bestowed upon someone of longer standing in tho city, or someone who was a more practised speaker than himself. But he yielded to no one in the degree of interest lie felt in the objccts of tho meeting/ lie was glad to bo present also as a schoolmaster'-to testify his sympathy for music as 1 a branch of education.— (Applause.) Tho increasing calls of examination and the clamour lor subject alter subject' had rather tended to crowd music out of a child's education, but some of the subjects were,'to his mind, by no:mean's so deserving as- that of' music.—(Applause.) Thore"was another quarter from which music had boon assailed. It had been regarded—and 110 doubt there'was a shadow of .justice for the accusation—as' a mere accomplishment. He thought that was a nai'row view to take. In' the schools they' had to train the . pupils riot merely for business - hours and not merely for tho management of a home. They had to train them for their wliolo life, and in tho whole life of a man or a woman ho hoped that rightful music would alway6 play . a, very great part.—(Applause.) The abstract business man* did not lind music of much avail, but alter all there was no such thing as aii abstract business man. Tho business man found time for plenty of things which would not strictly be. included in the denomination of business. He found time for a friendly chat' at the . club, for bowls, for cricket, and, in his. more youthful days, for fool-ball. .Indeed, the claims of physical education weto, always acknowledged.' But even after providing for business hours and for recreation there was some time left over. A man had also to provide himself with means of occupying himself at his fireside in his hours 01 recreation, and ho (Mr Morrell) doubted whether there was any . better way of occupying those hours than, by the study of, or by listening to, really good music.—(Applause.) Poetry, literature, and music .made their claims upon these hours, but of all of them lie thought that music made the most universal appeal. It worked most powerfully on the feelings, and it gavo, lie might perhaps say, the maximum of pleasure to tho maximum number of people. An art which could claim to do that ought not to be neglected, and tho efforts of tho Royal Academy and tho Royal Oollbge and the efforts of the nuisio teachers of Dunediii deserved encouragement for their Work in providing tho community with that means o! passing hours of relaxation. Tho Greeks, our lirst, and in somo matters still our best, masters, looked on music as one of the most important parts of education, to be placed on a level with intellectual and physical education. They regarded tho art of music as an education in the .feelings. 110 would like to say a word oil tho list of certificates to be presented. There were, ho saw, four very high distinctions. There was the performer's certificate granted- by tho Associated Board—a very high distinction indeed,—which had bceii won by -Miss J. C. Longford.'—(Applause.) It was, lie was informed, tho first of tho kind that had been won in Dunedin, and one of the earliest, in the oolony. It reflected the greatest credit upon that lady, also upon her teacher. (Mrs Lovi), a local musician of the very highest standing, who had pursued: her studies further in the Old Country and had come back here to give her pupils the benefit of them. There were also two teachers' certificates which had been bestowe<l by I ho Associated Hoard upon Miss Ina tiow and Miss Gertrude Pitts—(Applause.) He congratulated those ladies, in' tho name of the audience, upon their achievement. It must, ho thought, give tho greatest confidence to parents that they could find teachers whoso qualifications were so well accredited.— I (Applause.) Thou there was the gold medal,, a very high distinction indeed, implying that -,the Jady who received itMiss Millie lies—had been placed highest in the colony in that division (intermediate gold medallist). Miss lies also deserved their warmest congratulations—(Applause.) l'hero; were many other names on the list, and in each case the presentation of tho certificate of course implied that a very creditable standard of proficiency had been reached.. There was one thing he noticed with regret. He saw that there were only seven or eight of what was usually, though perhaps erroneously, called the sterner sex who were to come forward and rcceivo certificates. He hoped that did not imply that tho boys and the young men of Dunodin wd're neglecting the art of. music. Another thing which was perhaps more to be deplored was the dearth of candidates who had taken any other instrument than the piano. A few were to receive certificates for singing and ono for the violin, but none for any other instrument. That was a thing to he deplored. Tho yonng man or woman who would take up tho viola or the clarionet or tho oboe or tho 'cello or any orchestral instrument was in a miiior way a great public benefactor. It was a difficult matter to find a performer on the viola to take part in a quartet. Ho hoped that in future years they would find some-of these rarer instruments included in the programme. Arrangements had been, made,' h? believed,, to exaouije

any who took them;,up. It would do much 1 to promote the study of orchestral, music if some would liavo the public spirit to come forward ami take un thoso instruments.—(Applause.)

At the conclusion of the musical pro-,/ gramme the certificates ami the medalwere , presented to the successful pupils by Dr Ogston. Votes of thanks were tendered- to tho ' chairman and the 'performers.