MUSIC IN N.Z.

Southland Times, Issue 20016, 2 November 1926, Page 8

MUSIC IN N.Z.

VIEWS OF DR. BORLAND EDUCATING SCHOOL CHILDREN PRAISE FOR ST. JOHN’S CHOIR Trinity College examiners do not, unfortunately for themselves, come within the scope of an eight-hour day; indeed, their work goes on long after the door has closed on the last of the day’s candidates. Doctor J. E. Borland, D. Mus., F.R.C.0., who is at present in Invercargill conducting examinations on behalf of his college, is no exception to the rule, but he was good enough to lay aside his work last evening and give some of his impressions of the Dominion, more particularly in reference to the purpose for which he is in New Zealand. Dr Borland stated at the outset that this was his first visit to the country and what he had seen he liked very much indeed. Although he had been allocated the South Island, he said, his co-examiner in the North Island had more work before him than he could deal with, and it would probably be necessary to relieve him of some of his territory.

When asked if he had any leisure time to devote to sight-seeing or recreation of any kind, Dr Borland replied in the negative. Since July, he said, he had examined approximately 2,800 candidates, and this number would probably be increased to 3,800, his time being fully occupied until the day of his departure for Sydney, November 19.

It was suggested to the doctor that to avoid undue travelling and rush examinations, an examiner should be stationed in a certain country, but this he said was not practicable, as there was always the danger of the examiner becoming more or less local. In any case it was necessary for these adjudicators to spend at least three or four months at the college each year in order to keep in touch with the latest work carried out at this institution. While on the subject of examinations, the doctor said that when students were sitting for their college diplomas at Home, it was not unusual for them to sit before two examiners and sometimes three. The examiners would then take it in turns to do the questioning. This left the others fresher for their work and in this way much time was saved. Doctor Borland said- there was very little danger of the examiners disagreeing in the process of adjudicating, as the standards set were practically the same.

Doctor Borland spoke in terms of the highest praise of Mr Frederick Moore, who is connected with the Associated Board. It was more than likely, said the doctor, that Mr Moore would be coming to New Zealand next year as the college examiner. Doctor Borland said he had not met Doctor Tayler, Supervisor of Music in Schools in New Zealand, but he had heard of his work and felt sure it would have

beneficial results. Such was the magnitude of the work confronting Doctor Tayler, he

said, that it would be a few years before the results would be felt. Teaching music in schools at Home, said Dr Borland, was carried out on a large scale. There were approximately 1,000,000 children receiving instruction, over 3,000 teachers giving tuition. The work of instruction was macle easier, said Doctor Borland, by the fact that it w.as possible to form classes of teachers for instruction, the knowledge gained being passed on to the children.

Dr Tayler, when in Invercargill, said that he favoured teaching the children by the staff notation method, but Doctor Borland said he was emphatically in favour of the sol-fa system. The staff notation was all very well, but the sol-fa method provided the only reliable foundation. Another matter that was not receiving sufficient attention was the training of the ear. Some adults coming before him simply couldn’t place a note, whereas a child well trained along these lines could do so without difficulty.

Dr Borland expressed himself in agreement with Dr Tayler’s theory that the voice should be trained on a descending note and not on an ascending one, which rendered the voice harsh and strained. The essence of good singing was softness and purity of tone. Quality and not strength was the motto to work on, he said. A child’s voice should be as flute-like as possible, and the nearer this flute-like quality the better.

Turning to the subject of choir singing Dr Borland said that in England lhe boys received a small allowance which had its advantages in the fact that the material below the requirements of the choirmaster could be dispensed with, whereas in the colonies where the choristers receive no remuneration this elimination process becomes somewhat embarrassing and is usually side-stepped l?y the choir leader. In conclusion, Doctor Borland said he had attended several church services during the course of his visit and he was particularly pleased with the choir work at St. John’s. The singing was of beautiful tone, well balanced, and showed that the choir had received its tuition at the hands of an instructor who had a thorough knowledge of choral work and voice production.