LECTURE RECITAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16243, 28 November 1914, Page 11

LECTURE RECITAL

BY MR HENRY ST. GEORGE. A MUSICAL TREAT. _M.r Henry St. George, examiner for iho Trinity College of Music, who i* ut present ia th\s ci(,v in connection with the examination ol candidates for musical honours, gave an extremely interesting address and a most enjoyable lecture-recital last evening in the Dresden concert hall, which was quite lilled by an audience composed mainly of teachers and advanced candidates. Mr W. J. Morrell, who officiated as chairman, recalled the extreme pleasure to him and others of a similar lecture-recital given by Mr St. (ieorge last year. Mr St. George hud shown an unrivalled dexterity in the manipulation of instruments that "they had rarely the opportunity to hear. His per- ! formaneo on the viola d?'amour had been a revelation of the beauties of this longforgotten instrument. Mr St.. George, who was received with warm applause, delivered a brief address containing much good advice, not only for the student of music, but for the teacher. Ho had, ho said, not. quite finished his examination labours on this, his fifth visit, to Dunedin, but he hoped to bo through on the following day. He would just say that he had) been very pleased with what he had heard so far. The standard of work was better than ho usually experienced in Dunedin. In the study of the question of examinations certain things had struck him. One thing had been brought to his attention in Dunedin. He found tho i<fca prevalent in some quarters that examination was education. Ho wished to impress upon them, however, the fact that examination was only the test of education. It was a great mistake to put candidates through examination work only. lie knew, of course, that many of the younger teachers were entirely in the hands of the parents of their pupils—(laughter),—but ho urged that it was part of their duty to educate the parents as well as the pupils.—(Renewed laughter.) Where the candidates were conlined to examination work entirely, it was inevitable that a largo portion of their education was neglected. Another evil arose out of the desire of the teacher to exploit the talented pupil. He knew of teachers — not in New Zealand —(laughter)-—who prided themselves because their pupils never got anything under 85 or 90 marks. For himself, he was as proud of the duffers he had succeeded in getting to do something as he was of his clever pupils. Ho very often had a vast amount of respect for some candidates' work, although he gave it low marks. Ho was not always examining what was done at tho moment, but rather all that had l gone before. Ho expressed the opinion that it was just as foolish to enter candidates for examinations that were below as above their standard. The former course was often pursued by tho tcachcr to the detriment of the pupil, merely for the purpose of securing medals. Tho examinations conducted by the Trinity College merely had this end in view—that, when tho candidate had arrived at a certain standard, he or she could be submitted for exmipation to see whether a certain standartj had been reached, whether the candidate Tfcas a little above it, or not quite up to it.

Mr St. George then proceeded to . give his illustrated lecturott.o on the vio'n. da samba, the viola d'amour. and the violin. Vcrv soon he demonstrated the fact that ho was an executant as well as an exponent of these instruments of no ordinary ability. The viola da gnmba, the first instalment explained by the lecturer, was akin to the violoncello, and played in the same mr.nner n.s that instrument. It was at one time, said Mr St. George, a favourite solo instrument in England. It lent itself to improvisations, and Christopher

Simpson, tho last greui English player of the instrument, ha dwritten a book explaining how to maltn them effectively. Mr St. (ieorgo then proceeded (o perform several compositions on tho instrument, the first being an air composed in 1592 by John Jenkins, the fir.st, English musician who wrote music for the violin. Examples of the compositions' for the instrument written in tlie 17th, 13th, and 19th centuries were also submitted, and .showed that the instrumont was adapted for_ play ins? many different styles of composition. The viola d'amour, next described V>y tho lecturer, was an instrument containing two sets of seven strinjjs each, played after the manner of a violin. The playing of tho t°P set of seven set up a sympathetic vibration in the bottom sot, producing a most pleasing effect, the viola d'ainour was invented by an Englishman named David Farranfc, said Mr St. George. The inventor called it merely an improvement of the viol, and it wan well spoken of by English musicians. Tho instrument soon became forgotten in England, but becamo verypopular in France and Italy. It was reintroduced into England in 1712, under its new title. The lecturer then _ proceeded to describe the violin, after 'which he delighted his audience )yy playing with exquisite tasto a number of ancient and modern compositions. Mr Max Scherek ably accompanied Mr St. George on the piano. A further musical treat was provided the audienco by the playing on two pianos of four oapriccios (composed by Mr St .George), played with splendid effect by the composer and Mr Scherek. On the motion of Mr Jesse Timson a vote of thanks was passed tc Mr (St. George by enthusiastic acclamation.