CLEAR DUTIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26749, 19 April 1948, Page 4

CLEAR DUTIES

SOCIETY OF MUSICIANS LEADERS OF PUBLIC OPINION “The members of this society have a dual responsibility—one towards individual students whom they train and the other towards the community in which they live,’’ said Miss Mary Martin, president of the Society of Musicians, at the society’s annual meeting on Saturday ’ night. “ Music is unique among the arts. Its treasures are not stored up on the artificial atmosphere of museums and galleries. Every time a musical work is performed it is endowed with new life; and the value of each performance depends on the degree of skill and understanding of the performer or performers involved. So the fate of the composer is in the hands of the interpreter. “As individuals, we are concerned in the training of those who act as intermediaries between the composer and the listener,’’ Miss Martin added. “ If our standards are high enough, our students will develop a sense of responsibility and will present only what is good and what they have the ability to perform adequately. “ Collectively, we are interested in the problems that affect the professional status of ' musicians and the status of music in the community,’’ she said. “In this respect we fail. We should be leaders of opinion, commending ’ what is good, intolerant of mediocrity and exposing what is false This will involve clashes with popular ideas and taste but we should not be deterred easily.’’ It was decided to invite Mr Petei's, of Christchurch, to bring the Harmonic Choir to Dunedin to give a performance of Bach’s B minor Mass later in the year. Election of officers resulted:—Patron, Professor V. E. Galway; president, Miss Mary Martin; vice-presidents. Messrs Max Scherek and C. Roy Spackman: secretary and treasurer. Mr Harold J. M. Riddle; auditor. Mr H. H. Sykes: solicitor, Mr J. R. M. Leman: council—Mrs Olive Campbell, Misses Meda Paine, J. Jones. I. G. White. Messrs E. Drake, G. Wilkinson, and G. Collins.