DUNEDIN ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22064, 21 September 1933, Page 15

DUNEDIN ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

The third concert of the Dunedin Orchestral Society’s forty-sixth season will be conducted by Mr T. Vernon Griffiths, the newly-appointed conductor of the society. Mr Vernon Griffiths studied under Sir Charles Stanford, the late Professor Charles Wood, Dr C. B. Rootham, Dr Markham Lee, and the late Dr Edward Bunnett. After holding the appointment of organist and master of the choristers at Pembroke College, Cambridge, he went to Downside School as senior music master. His next appointment was as senior music master, organist, and choirmaster at St, Edmund’s Sclmol, Canterbury, England, which he ultimately left to accept the appointment as lecturer in music at the Christchurch Training College for Teachers (New Zealand). While in Christchurch, Mr Vernon Griffiths was conductor (for varying periods) of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society and the University Orchestra. He also originated the Training College music classes for children, the Children’s Festival Orchestra and Choir, and the Parents; Musical Association’. His compositions include much church music, many original compositions and arrangements for children’s orchestras, some songs and smaller instrumental pieces, and two operettas for secondary schools. His published works include “ Twenty Talks to Children on Musical Subjects,” and (in conjunction with Miss D. Stewart) a book of French folk songs for schools. Mr Vernon Griffiths has been editor of Music in New Zealand since its inception about two and a-half years ago. The programme for Saturdays concert contains several works which should prove attractive to the average listener. Sir A. C. Mackenzie’s “Britannia” overture (with its clever treatment of Dr Arne’s song, “Rule Britannia”) is definitely of this type. Everyone knows the melody of “Three Blind Mice,” and it will be a new experience for many listeners to follow it through the brilliant symphonic variations which Joseph Holbrooke, the British composer, has built up around it. Writing to Mr Vernon Griffiths some years ago, Mr Holbrooke expressed the hope that something might be done in New Zealand to give the larger works of modern British composers a hearing. The New Zealand branch of the British Music Society is now doing much with this end in view, and the Dunedin Orchestral Society is anxious to help in giving a lead in the same direction. Elgar is represented in the programme by his colourful and stately “Imperial March,” and another important work is Mendelssohn’s G minor Concerto for pianoforte and orchestra, in which Mrs H. C. Campbell will take the solo part. Some delightful music of an easily-understood type will be played by Mr W. Lang (violin), Mr H. 0. M‘Farlane (’cello), and Mr Vernon Griffiths (piano). These trios will be three of the “Miniatures,” by Frank Bridge, “To a Wild Rose” (Macdowell), “Vesperale” (Cyril Seolt), and the first movement of a new trio by Dr C. B. Rootham. Mrs H. C. Campbell and Mr Vernon Griffiths will play two movements from Debussy’s “Petite Suite” in their original form (pianoforte ’duet), and there will be two vocalists —Miss Margaret Beattie, who will sing works by Alec Robertson, Martin Shaw, and Graham Peel, and Mr Alan Highet, who has selected songs by Quilter and Clay. It is felt that a programme of this nature will have a wide appeal, and that the works chosen, while interesting from the purely musical point of view, will also prove popular.