MUSIC CRITICISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26748, 17 April 1948, Page 9

MUSIC CRITICISM

Sir, —There has been some correspondence of late regarding an M.M. criticism of the male choirs' concert. My sympathies are entirely with the two choirs chiefly concerned —the Dunedin R.S.A. Choir and the Invercargill Choir. That their intonation was at times faulty is not in dispute. The unfair part is that M.M. quite overlooked the fact that in one of the Dunedin Male Choir’s numbers it was necessary to stop the piano accompaniment completely very close to the beginning of the item, for the simple reason that the voices were well off pitch. M.M. may have thought this clever on the part of the conductor, and I would agree that it was. But care should be taken to criticise impartially. Of course, it is possible that M.M. may not have noticed the lapse. So far as concerns the words of some of the choruses and the scathing manner in which M.M. referred to them, I would just like to point out that the audience was composed m the main of folk who were prepared to enjoy seeing as well as hearing these humble musicians making an equally humble offering to the music of the centennial celebrations. “ Bless this House” and other numbers may not have suited the superior tastes of your, critic—we recently read words from this same critic complaining because one of our guest artists so far forgot herself as to sing some opera excerpts in our mother tongue I think the matter may be summed up this way. On one side we have the professional musician and critic who seems to think it necessary to find fault in order to merit being called a critic. On the other hand, we have the voluntary members of our choirs—and say what you care, but these are the People who together ' with church choirs and other such bodies, are rendering a magnificent service to the community who receive no reward save the pleasuie derived from such voluntary service. After experiencing some 30 years of it, I feel qualified to suggest to M.M. that a little practical assistance to some of the societies right throughout this country from some of the people who feel that they are specially qualified to criticise, would do more for music generally than (and I really do not like to use the term, but «» seems to be the only one) high brow criticisms of the efforts of the various societies who are doing such a great mb of work. May they long continue to do it conductors and choristers alike, and, above all, may they always strive in their offerings to their [Slightly abridged.—Ed., 0.D.T.l