MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20786, 3 August 1929, Page 13

MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.

PREPARATION OF TEACHERS. WORK AT DUNEDIN TRAINING COLLEGE. Mr J. C.‘ CLITHEROE I.NTER- ,. VIEWED'. That-the system of music in schools had undergone great ■ changes and promised fair-to be of incalculable benefit to the life; of a community, was-the opinion expressed by Mr J; Cjossley Clitheroe, musical director of- the Dunedin Teachers’ Training -College, in an interview with a. Daily Times reporter yesterday morn:ng. Mr Clitheroe arrived in Dunedin fom England in September. 1928, ■to take charge of the musical trailing of the teachers in-the Dunedin TrainingCollege, and since he - commenced his duties, the stimulus given to music in this city has already made itself felt in many of the primary schools. In order that music might be taught satisfactorily. 14 was a- necessary • provision, remarked Alt Clitheroe, ’ that the , teachers themselves should be better trained. Music at toe present time was a much mare comprehensive term than it used to be apd the object was not only to teach the children singing, but- also to teach them something wliich would serve to widen tneir outlook on music generally. Acquaintance with the various forms of composition, the art of listening to music and of appreciating- different types, * genres,” and styles, a knowledge of the great composers, their works and methods, as well as. the ability to sing at ' sight music of reasonable difficulty—these were some' of the objects aimed at In the modern scheme of musical instruction. If'these aims Were realised with any degree of success, the effect, lie considered. would be to equip the children more completely to take a'keen, interest in the , musical activities of ' their city, and to provide a constant supply of musical talent from which local organisations could recruit their numbers. ’ Ihe purpose of musical" education nowI ad ays, Mr Clitheroe- continued, was to encourage the people to make: music for , themselves,- so as to counteract the effect of mechanical music, which had a welldefined, place of'.its-'own,; and to inculcate .into toe children a love and appreciation tor the better class of music. If this were done;, the result would he to ensure the continuance of the activities of the amateur. People, for too long, had been I content to receive their music secondhand and- -to pay great artists large sums of money for this pleasureihe ideal would be for the people to make their -own music and to taste with their own lips the riches left by ™ e . great composers, instead of being content to rely upon the interpretations presented by professional musicians. While there was a recognised place in music for the professional, and for the great artist, music, generally speaking, should be within the reach of everyone, ihe story of the growth of music was the story of all human development, and although it might be retarded by indifference,, it could not .be arrested. If one considered that the Elizabethans, could sing the most difficult madrigals at sight, a survey ; of modern achievement' would Mow how far. musical ability had dechned.; It was the ambition of Mr Clitheroe a department to cause a fresh burst of enthusiasm for music by commencing with the - schools. It was a truism that education, failed miserably U it only equipped, the child to earn its own living. In addition it was necessary to see that the child was taught the best way to employ its leisure hours. ' Every student at the college iwLlo conies under the influence of the musical .work which is being done, receives careful training calculated- to prepare , him for the work of passing on musical knowledge. The excellence of the work which has been done In. the music department during the past nine months, has already made' itself felt in the schools of the citythrough- the enthusiasm; of the students who have participated in the instruction. From what has been done it is. abundantly clear that as the, years pass, an increasing number of students, all having the, full two years*, training; and some a third year’s specialist bourse, will .carry into the schools, some ,of the enthusiasm, some of the cultural effect, and much of the ■ technical . ability in. music which marked the best stages of educational practice in Greece and during; the Eliza- : bethan period. ■

j The work done at the Training College includes ear-training, . sight-singing, eurythmics, singing, and a study of the history of music. It is essential that the young .teachers should be properly trained so as to make the best use of the material and facilities available in the schools, and the extent to which this need has been fulfilled can be appreciated to the best advantage only by, a personal ob-servation-of the results obtained.

With the object of raising funds to help in the continuance of the work of musical education, N the students of. the Training College,- directed by Mr Clitheroe, will give a presentation at His Majesty’s Theatre on Tuesday evening, illustrating the scope of their activities. Already the college choir- has earned itself a name for excellent artistic work. The. chief item to be presented will be Lee Williams’s cantata, “Bethany,” a work for choir and orchestral The programme will also contain a varied range of part songs, showing the development of part-song singing from the madrigals of the Elizabethan era to the modern works of Gustav. Holst.