INVERCARGILL MUSICAL UNION

Southland Times, Issue 17699, 10 July 1914, Page 6

INVERCARGILL MUSICAL UNION

DKCIDKS TO HIS LI AXIL A meeting of tite committee of the Invercargill Union was held last ovoning, tin- president (Or Hogg) occupying the chair. There were a dozen members present, and apologies for unavoidaido absence wore received from several o titers. Mr (.'has. Gray. conductor of the Union, wrote as follows to the president; “While it must be gratifying to yourself and to the members of the committee who have laboured for so many years in the interests of good music, to sec by the papers the revival of enthusiasm for choral work, I have been made painfully aware by suggestion and innuendo that, by some mysterious means utterly incomprehensible to me. after twenty-five years' service. I arn now regarded in the light of a stumbling block to the progress of the art in Invercargill. It is because 1 am as whole hearted now as ever. 1 hasten to relieve you of any responsibility you mat* feel with regard to my position as conductor of the Union. You have worked assiduously ti> afford opportunities for the study and practice of the best music, and during al! these years our relations, I am thankful to say. have been most harmonious. You. if any one. know the difficulties of sustaining the interest of a body such as ours for a long period, ami you alone know how I have laboured to present the best music in as creditable a way as our resources would permit. T-'or the loyalty displayed to the Union by so many of its members. 1 am deeply grateful, particularly to those wlio have stood by the executive, through all its ups and downs from the inception of the Society. For myself. 1 mav be permitted to say that, as holding one of the longest periods of office as conductor in tie* dominion, I have given of my very besi. For many shortcomings, I beg yon will pardon me. and aecept with my resignation the assurance of my continued goodwill and sympathy in any steps you may still take to further the cause of music in our town." The chairman, in moving lha.t the resignation of ilr Gray tic accepted, said that it was a matter of regret, but he felt very strongly that lie was .justified in the action lie had taken, although it meant the leathblow to the Society, lie moved that on appreciation of Mr Gray's service be recorded on the minutes, and mentioning that during the 2-"> years that lie had held the post of conductor, members had iiad nothing but appreciation for his work. Mr W. Quinn seconded the motion, and said that some people appeared to think that the Union had outlived its usefulness, but after lb” years they could haul down their dag with honour. He was the only original member of the Union who was left, and so he could speak with authority. The work that had boon done by Mr Gray had been simply marvellous ami be felt sure that the public of Invercargill had not properly appreciated the man who had been al the head of the Union all that time. He was sorry that the present stage had been reached, but lie hoped that Mr Gray would hoist his pennant again, and if he did so there was no one the speaker would Uke more to serve tinder. The motion was carried.

The chairman then moved that the affairs of the Invercargill Musical Fninn lie wrmml up. and that Us assets he vested in trustees. In doing so he said. I do so with regret; lint ciretimst.'i net's are too strong for us. ami I believe that it is in the best interests of music in tliis town that we should disband, and after all that is the only interest we are bound to consider, ami it is the interest that the musical public have pur us in our present position of trust to preserve. You will remember that at our last annual meeting we derided to stop operations for a roar. We have been accused that by so doing- we were keeping a body in a condition of suspended animation that had outlived its usefulness and that was standing in the light of other musical movements. But we believed that in this action we would keep the machinery of a Society that has always headed musical movements in Invercargill alive, ami that we would lie aide to meet and foster any musical revival. My committee hits made many strenuous efforts to get musical matters going again; we have failed, but I am sure the public will believe me that all those efforts were quite public-spirited in their intention, and not made with the idea of keeping musical affairs in the hands of any one body or clique. We .arc now told that w c arc an i n cu m bra nee. and ns I am sure none of you wish that even the name of the Invercargill Musical Union should be considered - hindrance to musical progress in Invercargill. w<hasten to remove its name from the list of our local societies, nnd leave tire held clear for those who may feel they can do bettor than ourselves. The members of the executive have done a great deal of hard work to keep the Union going, but times are changing and opposition to the Union and its conductor from certain quarters have initiated against their efforts in these latter days. We have been plainly told that we are a stumbling block ir the path of musical progress. If tliis indeed be so. our methods have been misunderstood, and we hasten to remove even the corpse of the Union from ti'.e path, to make a clear way for those who have been crying so loudly for our removal. We hope that time will show that those who have been most active against us will continue this activity in another way. and that the prompt formation of a new Society will be the result. By so doing can they alone show that their words arc not mere words. In abandoning the field I think the numbers of the Union can Justly claim to hare done so with all the honours of war. The Union has a long and creditable musical record behind it. We have had much praise and always cordial support from the Invercargill public, and I think it must be allowed that had it not been for the Invercargill Musical Union and tho energy and ability of its conductor, the 23 years of the Union’s activity would probably have been very barren years musically. There would have been little first-class music in the place, and Invercargill people would not have been able to claim with pride the position of being, musically speaking, at least as advanced as any town In the dominion. Mr K. E. Pilcher seconded the motion, and said that he did so with regret. Their action would leave die way clear for others. Several other members endorsed what had been said by the previous speakers. Mr Ohas. Gray remarked that it had been said that the Union had tried and failed, but he would like to place before them a record of that failure from .lime ■J, IS9I. to June 1013. During that period Sti choral and orchestral concerts had been given, also 21 oratorios and .rnnlßti ia - wit - h ocr.hrxtra.l.arrxun&aai.iiifcitL,

accounting for fiO performances; including the "Messiah'' fifteen times; !U choruses, part songs, glees and madrigals, accounting for ISf performances; S selections from symphonies, with 'J performances; ;;i overtures, with i!G performances; 91 concertos, suites. fantasias, transcriptions. and other concert pieces, accounting for "00 performances. Altogether they had given "HI choral and orchestral pieces, accounting for 517 performances. That showed that, if they had failed, the failure had not been a discreditable one. and he thought Hint it was not necessary for him to say anything more about it. The motion was carried, and the meeting went into committee to discuss dealing with the assets of the t’niou.