MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 4

MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA

HIGH PRAISE FOR STANDARD SIR GRANVILLE BANTOCK'S TOUR DISTINGUISHED COMPOSER (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, Jan. 9. One of the most distinguished of modern British composers, Sir Granville Bantock, passed through Auckland to-day by the Monterey after a tour of all Australian . capitals in his capacity of chairman of the Corporation of Trinity College; of Music,. London. In an interview Sir Granville mentioned that his only previous visit to New Zealand had been in 1895 as conductor of the Gaiety Theatre Company which made a tour of the United States and Australia. It was only a brief call, he said, and he was sorry that the present one was the same. Sir Granville recalled that on the voyage to Sydney 43 years ago a fellow passenger was the mother of Robert Louis Stevenson. She had just left Samoa after seeing a monument erected over the igrave of her son, who had died a few months earlier. “ I remember that I lost a day when we crossed the date line.” he added. “ and now, after nearly half, a century, 1 shall get it back again on this trip.” Service to British Music Sir Granville Bantock, who is probably best known in New Zealand for his “ Hebridean Symphony, was among the earliest pioneers of contemporary British music. His choral symphonies,. Atalanta in, Calydon ” and “Vanity of Vanities for unaccompanied voices, introduced a wholly new technique and did much to secure recognition for British composers on the Continent. As an orchestral colorist he has a place all his own. He was Professor of Music in the University of Birmingham from 1908 to 1934 and for many years has do he much to foster the competition festival movement, the growth of which first provided the large choirs needed for the performance of his major choral works. During his Australian tour bir Granville conducted concerts in all the capitals except Hobart, where a full orchestra was not available. He appeared with, the choir and orchestra of the Sydney Conservatorium and with the wireless chorus of the Australian Broadcasting Commission. In Melbourne he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Society, in Bach’s.“ Mass in B Minor, but the other concerts were devoted to his own works.

High Praise Sir Granville had the highest praise ior the Australian singers and musicians with whom he had been in contact, “They have-finer choruses than Britain, good soloists, and the best orchestras outside Europe and the United \ States, he, said. “In tone, rhythm and diction, : singing in Australia is superior to . what we. have to-day in England. The keenness- and enthusiasm are extraordinary, and altogether the prospects of good jnuiuc there are* better than in afiy other country know.”'; ' „• . • In th^.cburs'e': v of-? ; a,- two/ iaonths.• tour, Sir Granville discussed the policy and work of : Trinity College with teachers and others in various Australian centres. He said that its operations as an. examining body had been ■ extended recently to the United States, and he was on his way there to see hhw.lt was pror ’ A --'4 v ' ■ : v -' ;: mi i> y.