CHARLES WILLEBY

Southland Times, Issue 22107, 30 August 1933, Page 7

CHARLES WILLEBY

NATIONALITY IN DOUBT. SELECTED AS NEW ZEALAND COMPOSER. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, August 29. One of the leading classes at the Wellington Competition Festival is the ladies’ vocal solo by a New Zealand composer. There are 27 competitors in the event, * and three or four who chose songs by Charles Willeby were astonished when they were informed by the judge, Dr Cyril Jenkins, that Willeby was not a New Zealand composer, but an American. Willeby had been accepted by the society as a New Zealand composer and two of his compositions were sung, “Summer Rain” and “Stolen Wings. One competitor said her teacher had informed her that Charles Willeby had been born in Dunedin, and had lived in New Zealand until about 20 years of age when he went to London. A further statement was to the effect that Charles Willeby was bom in Dunedin and had worked in a shop in Wellington for some time. It was contended that his works should be accepted by the judge. Dr Jenkins said it was rather new to him to find an American name figuring on the list of New Zealand composers, and it was the first time that he had heard that Charles Willeby was a New Zealander. It had been a pleasure to hear some of the charming compositions of one New Zealand composer, Mr Alfred Hill. BORN IN FRANCE WELL-KNOWN IN WELLINGTON. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, August 29. Mr S. P. Hawthorne, of Wellington, who is a half-brother to Charles Willeby, the composer, says that Willeby was born in France and came to New Zealand when about five years old. About five years later he went to England and returned to New Zealand in 1885 with his mother, Mrs Stuart Hawthorne, and his two half-brothers. He was well-known in Wellington as a music teacher. He married Miss Mary Hume of Dunedin and about 1889 went to Italy and had never been back to New Zealand. EDUCATED IN DUNEDIN MARRIED NOVELIST'S SISTER. (Per United Press Association.) Dunedin, August 29. Regarding the Wellington Competitions judge declining to accept Charles Willeby as a New Zealand composer the facts ascertained here are that Mrs Willeby brought Charles to Dunedin when he was four years old, and here she married Mr Hawthorne, the rector of the Boys’ High School. Charles was educated here and he married Miss Hume, a sister of Fergus Hume, the novelist. He has always been accepted as a New Zealand composer.