MUSIC AND COMMERCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14700, 7 December 1909, Page 4

MUSIC AND COMMERCE

A MAN WITH A MISSION. Dr IJARRISS INTERVIEWED. "Can anyone lend mo a suit of pyjamas?" Such was the halt-serious, half-whimsical request d Or Charles Harries, of the University of Ottawa, after he hail been welcomed on arrival at. the Dtmedin Railway Station last evening. Subsequent whispers of lost luggage alia strayed portmanteaux explained the situation autl the lequest, and fho distinguished visitor went gladdened to his hotel. Dr Ilarriss was received on the platform by Signor Squarisa (president of tlio Society of Musicians of Otago, also representing the Duncdin Philharmonic Society), Me.'ois \Y. E. Taylor (vice-president), Matland Gard'nsr (secretary), J. Timson (treasurer), 3loafs W. Wills, Livingston, and Coombs, representing the Choral Society, | and Mr Gorlitz. Signor Squariee briefly but heartily welcomed Dr Ilarriss in tho name of thesa present and of the societies they represented. Mr Frederick. Cliff, musical examiner of the Associated Boards of London, and Mrs Cliff also welcomed tho doctor. . Dr Harries is a man wilh a mission and a motto, llis mission is to bring a choir of 200 picked voices from the Sheffield Festival Association to Che leading centres of the Dominion. IIi s motto is: "Let music by British composers predominate in Greater Britain." lie has tho face and figure of an artist, an engaging manner, and a cultured, musical voice. "I can't tell you," said Dr Harries, when interviewed, "how glad I am to 101110 here to this New Zealand of yours, because in all parts' cf tile British 'world'—and I have trodden all parts of it—there has been no part I have been prouder to arrive in than your beautiful islands." The doctor went on to say that he was in London when tho news came of the offer by New Zealand of a_ Dreadnought for the navy. Whether New Zealand did give a battleship or not, there was a ring about the offer that had gladdened the hearts of Britons on the other side of the world. It showed what kind of a spirit was behind tho munificent offer. He was very, very proud to set foot in New Zealand. The work in which he had tho honour to bo a leading spirit wag first and last an altogether musical reciprocity within the Empire. When one realised how indigenous to mankind was music, how it permeated tho homes of the people, it was surprising to him that it should fall to his humble lot to devise an idea whereby hundreds of thousands of people in the British Empire might bo brought into touch with one another. What was it? Well, musical reciprocity spelt "get together." Ho had commenced this work in 1901 by making a cycle of tho festivals throughout C,Hilda. With the aid of his colleagues, in two years he had practically organised throughout, the whole length of the ' other' Dominion meeting and discovering singers in all the principal towns. This movement of his had brought in 21,000 extra voices. Ho might therefore claim by this means to have interested 20,000 families in these festivals and the work. It also in a great measure paved the way for popularising and bringing home to the people the works of a number of British composers. Tlio subsequent festival in England was conducted by his dear friend Sir Alexander Mackenzie. The doctor's idea was that likely conductors should be selected for the various centres. These festivals lasted five weeks, and were attended by 100,000 people. These naturally spoke of tho idea to tho rest of the people in Canada, who in their turn busied themselves in making it known elsewhere. This was the commencement, and it was on sure, firm ground. It had the true British ring about it, and, while lie had every respect for the music of other nations, and lie was not going so far as io say that the British composed all the music in the world, lie would ?ay that British music would appeal to British people as no other music could appeal to them. After Hie effort mentioned ho h-ad looked for other worlds to conquer," and two years afterwards lie brought into being a BritishCanadian festival in London. And this consulted m many instances of compositions performed by their respective composers. Among these were Sir Mvard Elgar, Sir Hubert Pawy, Sir Charles Villiers StanDr 1 1 . Cowie. Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and many other notabilities in tho musical world, who also conducted under their own batons. Here lie had the privilege of performing a work cf his own. Ilis Majesty the King was pleased to take cognisance of this movement and to be present on this memorable occasion. From this had sprung the Empire concerts in London which he now gave for Empire Dav. Tho doctor went on to say that there had been U,wl> people attending this event. The rising talent of the oversea Dominions was associated with these Empire concerts. The Australasian talent included such names as Miss Ada Crowley, Miss Amy Castles, Percy Grainger, Messrs I.anpriero and Fringe (the Australian bass), and talented violin and contralto soloists from New Zealand. These Empire concerts were followed by aii invitation, which ho accepted, to bring 200 members of the Sheffield choir from "England. Dr Henry Coward accompanied him to Canada last November. The occasion was. considered such a unique one in Great Britain that eight members of the British pr«s came out to take cognisance of the • proceedings (hiring their stay in Canjula. l'hey were entertained by civic autlioritics, Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce, and Earl (irey; all did honour to tho visitors from Great Britain, and why? Not only because they found the greatest choir ; in the world, according to Hans Itiehier ■ Weingartner, N'iksli, SafanofF, Blgar, and i Arthur Sullivan In his life time, but because they were essentially a representative body. The choir contests were taken part in by captains of industry, gentlemen who » employed 500 to 1(XX) hands, educationalists, ; scientists, representatives of the learned proi fossion6, seme who had governed education t in the public sjhools of Yorkshire, univer- . sity wranglers, Oxford anil Cambridge men. A body of men who, when they went to . Germany, were received right royallv be- ; cause of their business acumen. Tiicee men and women had followed Jiim across the , North Atlantic for their first glimpse of j the new world. As for him, musical rceii procity had brought him, and nothing else. The newspaper representatives cf "Great Britain had cabicd Home every day accounts of tho banquets, receptions, and warmhearted hospitality on the part of the Canadians, and of the manner in which the choir delighted thorn in regard to "the things that matter." caused through the power of sound. When the Sheffield choir returned to England the members delivered over 60 public lectures on Canada in differcmt parts of Great Britain, about Canada, her people, and her lands that thev had seen. Needless to say this had proved one of the be?<fc -mediums of advertisement that ths land of the mapio leaf 11 had ever received from any body which had visited that great country for the last quarter of a century.

1 I am essentially a practical musician," oxchumeo the doctor wanmly. and I h&ve a \ast belief in these now worlds, thosc groat oversea Dominion?, bulwarks of Britannia." ilie doctor went on to argue concerning the vaiue <£ his idea to the business man, who, ho said, must got mow than his monoy's worth from hie work; for tho time he had piven to it, tho money he had spent on it hfld enabled it to be brought to the point at which it had arrived, and which snattad Kim to engage ships and fill them full of people to be brought to theso new

lands. His reward was this: That tlio people .ho brought over became preachers of the gojpol cf tlio oversea Dominions in tho ears of the Empire and Oro.it Britain. When theso ■ jjecplo £aw what ho had teen in coming- lo Australia, and New Zealand—great prosporous, wr.mW'ful countries, becoming groat towers of strength—on their return tlicy would make well and widely known the wonders of New Zealand. They would probably. l:e here in 1911. They would certainly tinno to show the peoplo of Otago how the Shelliold choir could sing ccrtant works, but- they wero not coming to attempt, or to pretend to teach the people how to sin?, but l-hoy wore coin to sitii? wiUi them—in etfvct, to clasv lnusiosl

"hands across the sea," (o meet their musical kith and kin, and to exemplify the usefulness of his musical reciprccal propaganda. Take tho business man, who would say: "I know nothing about music, but, you know, I sometimes pay 5s or even 10a to hear it. I sit in a building for two hours, and the music goes in at ono ear and out at tlio other. My 10s is gone, and I have nothing to show for it." ft was to hard " dollar-aml-ccnt men" that Dr Harriss wanted to show the force of music as a medium for an expansion of business relationships between tho people of New Zealand and Great Britain. If music, as it did now, enabled him to bring to New Zealand a shipload of 203 business peoplo it must benefit, the country. The country would become mow widely known in Great Britain and all over the world. The nowspapor men who would accompany thorn would also take cognisance of what they saw. On their return to England lectures would bs given on New Zealand in the saino way as tlicy had boen given on Canada. Passing to tho financial aspect of the case, Dr Harriss .said that he alono was responsible for the expenses entailed in taking these 200 members from England to Canada, thence to Australia, on to Now Zealand, and Kick to England via South Africa. He had to face an expenditure of £50,000, a.nd lie did not- get any of the oversea Dominions to guarantee him a solitary shilling.

Musical reciprocity mode for tho soliclarity of Empire. He nierelv asked New Zealand to support him in his attempt to do good v.c.-k for Now Zealand, through the medium of musical reciprocity. Ilia 25 years of life in Canada, and tlio prosperity ho had enjoyed, enabled him to do this work. lie hoped to be able before leaving this beautiful city to make suto that tlio Sheffield Choir would be privileged to sing in unity and brotherly kinship in one of the festival programmes (out of the two or three which would be given in Duncdin) with the musical olcniejtt of Dunodin. Tho tone of his reception that evening had led him to hope that ho would meet with tho same hearty co-operation from his musical comrades hero that haxl been tho case m Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and other large centra. l)r Harriss has been labouring with success at this gcspal of " music as a binding link between outlying cities of tho Empire and tho seat of Km pi re Government in London" for a decade past. Originally, ltr Harries shared tho Gore-Ousely scholarship at St. Michael s College (England) with Dr Sinclair, now organist, at Hereford Oatlicdral, and after his appointment, in 188-1, as organist at Montreal Cathedral, his efforts during a period of years ensured tho endowment, of a chair of music at tho M'G ill UiMvofcity. His seLf-sacrificing services in this matter, and in Empire directions, wero rccognisad by tho Royal Academy of Music (London) thace years ago, when he was elected a Fellow"; he had conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Music by the Ariehbishop of Canterbury, under tho 6©als of Henry VIII and Edward VII, on the recommendation of Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Sir Waltei Porrott, and Sir Hubert Parry; and was subsequently made a liveryman of tbo Worshipful Company of Musicians; and- a life member of tho lloyal Society of Musicians, the Union of Graduates in Music of Great Britain, and the Society of British Composers. Ha was appointed adviser throughout Canada to tho Royal College of Organists, con-, ductor of the State concerts to his Excel-' loncy tho Governor-genoraJ at the capital, honorary director of examinations for tho Associated Board throughout tie Dominion. H'rf campaign of musical reciprocity was initiated in ISO 3 in Canada by a cycle of •musical festivals in which 4COO Canadian eingers tcok part under tho baton, of Sir A. C. Mackenzie, who camo out from England for that purpose; and in 1906 ho organised a Canadian-British musical festival HI. London, at which the Kintg was present. In November of last year ho toured Canada with tho Sheffield choir. On May 24, for three years past, Dr Harriss lias conducted Empire Day concerts in London at tho lloyaJ Albert Hall, at which favourite Empire soloists have appeared. Aitstralis has been reprcsontod" in 1907 by Est! D'Areo, Amy Castles, and Percy Grainger* in 1908, by Mme. Ada Crisslcy, and in 190? by Miss Atfebrook, a young contralto.