NELSON ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15259, 22 December 1919, Page 4 (Supplement)

NELSON ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

(From "The Colonist," Dec. 3rd.)

Jji connection with the Nelson Acacreriiy of Music, the fourth annual general inspection iv«is held recently' by Dr. J. W. G. Hathaway, examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and tile Royal College of Music, London. In his report, he says: "The students who played and sang various pieces at the general inspection were of a generally good class. Their training showed throughout a careful attention to the necessary grounding, without -which nothing can be successful." Of a young pianoforte piipil he says: "She was very conscientious in her reading of a Barcarole of Fargeon's, and gave indication of coming tone variety in a burst of expression towards the end. Her pedalling was very careful." Of another he says: "She played cleanly and ea.sily Three Pastorales' by Frank Bridge. The phrasing was careful and showed some judgment. She also showed evidence of rhythm and feeling. The last of The three was the best; it was more alive and spontaneous than the others." Of a more advanced student who played Bach's "Two-part Invention in F x " and Mendelssohn's "Spring Song," he says: t:She displayed some feeling for part playing in the Bach 'Invention' and the staccato and legato were carefully denned. The second half of the 'Spring Song' was treated a little more sym<pathetieally than the first; she also showed a little more confidence —evidently very conscientious and a worker." Of a vocal student who sang Thus Saith the Lord" and "But Who May Abide" from Handel's "Messiah," he says: 'He sang with a good deal of feeling, and the runs were steady and clean. Words were*good, with some contrasted vowel tone, and there was a good deal of vigour and rhythm. He saug with ease and confidence and mainly correctly. Ho shows distinct 1 promise."

TERM CONCERT.

I December 12th. f The Methodist Hall was crowded last I night with an appreciative audience of parents and friends on the occasion of tljp first of two term concerts in connection with the Nelson Academy of Music. During an interval in the programme a most interesting demonstration of a method of" sight-reading was given by a class of junior pupils. The following was the progi'amme :—Piano solo, "Birthday March" (Zilcher), Mas* tor Alan Simpson; piano solo, "Song of Twilight" (Roeckel), Miss Marjorie Naylor; piano solos, "Boys' Merry-go-round" '(G a de) and "Fairy Dance" (Raimi), Miss Iris Patchett; piano solo, "Daddy Tyl" (Albanesi), Miss Muriel Wood; piano solo, "Boating, on the Lake" (Kullak), Miss Freda Aiton; piano solo, "Peasant's Evening Song" (Ducelle), Master Jack Harris; piano solos, ''The Poor Orphan" and "The Merry Peasant" (Schumann), Master Dencker Glover; piano solo, "Spring Song" (Krug), Miss Ivey Bray; piano solo, "Festival March" (Gurlet), Master Tom Capper; piano solo, "Dance of the Dryads (Zilcher), Master Ronald Wood; piano solo, "Polish Dance" (Heller), Miss Jean Mcllvride; piano solo, "Spring Song" (Merkel), Miss Netta Ohing; piano solo, '■'Liebslied" (Henselt), Miss Maida Doidge; pianol solo, "Paquita" (Seymour Smith), Miss Ma■bel McLean; Irish ballad, "0 Mary, thy laugh was sweet" (arranged by Tours), Miss Sybil Sovvman; English ballad, "The Outlaw" (Loder), Mr A. 13. Jones; recitative and air, "Thus saith the Lord" and "But who may abide" (Handel), Mr A. B. Thompson; piano and organ duet,. Pastorale in A (Guilmant), Miss Moine Dayman and Mr Tait; piano solo, "Sweet Remembrance" (Mendelssohn), Miss Nora Taylor; vocal solo, "Voi he sapete" (Mozart), Miss JNeliie Radford; piano solos, "Humoresque" (Izor Peschqr) and "A la, Bien Aimee" (Schutt), Miss Dayman; songs, 'if thou wort "blind"' (Noel Johnson) and "Wild Flowers" (Montagu Phillips), Miss Stapp; song, "The Three Beggars" Mr A. B. Thompson; and piano and organ duet, "Marche Triumphal" (Guilmant), Miss Dayman and Mr Tait. December 15th. The second of two term < concerts in connection with the .Nelson Academy of Music was held in the Methodist Hall on Saturday afternoon, when the hall was well filled by a large and appreciative audience. The programme was selected entirely from the works of British composers and was as follows : —Piano duet, "The Quiet Walk" from "A Day in the Woods" (Edith Alford), Miss Kathleen Graham and teacher; piano solo, "Pastorale" (J. A. Johnstone), Miss Phyllis Wood; piano solo, "Roses" from "A'Garland of Posies" (Edmund Bee) ; piano solo, "Galopacle" (Claude Ridley), Miss Jean Neale; piano solo, "Sunshine and Shade," from "Rustic Sketches" (John Tait), Master Fred Rraddock; piano solo, "Afar in the Woods," from "Rustic Sketches" (John Tait), Miss Freda Aiton; piano solo, "'ln the time of Watteau" (Becket Williams) Miss Myra Kir by; piano solo, "The Silver Shilling" (Edith Alford), Miss Doris Franklin; piano solo, "Approaching Dusk" (Fred .Mullen), Miss Netta C'hirg; piano .solo, "Valse Caprice" I (Twinning), Miss Marion Graham; piano softs, "Three Pastorales" (Frank Brid^ Miss Mabel McLean; piano solo, "The' Pleasant Month of May" (Lind), Master Kenneth Gibbons; piano solo, "Idyll in G" (Jermson), Miss Jean Harris fpiano solos, "Romance" (Ashdown), "Two Bonrees" (Pu*ceJO, Miss Rutb i i-leslop : son."-, "Thou'rt Passing Hence" iftsulliviin). Mr. A. B. Thompson; English bnllad, "The Bailiff's Daughter,' Miss Wilson; song, "Sunshine" and Butterflies" (Braining), Miss Llorna Baigent • -;oiig\ "Shepherd's Cradle Song" fSomervell), Miss Gladys Baigent; song, "The Pipes of Pan" (Elgar), Mr. A, B. Thompson. During an interval in the proTiimrne tho annual report of the director (Mr. John Tnit, A.R.C.0.) and the inspector (Dr. Hathaway) were read iind prizes were- presented -by Mrs. Tait to fie following pupils, who gained tho highest marks'in,-tyhe "Local School Examinations conducted by the Associated .Board:—"Grammar of Music," Division 1., Myra Kivb'y;. Division 11., Marion Graham ; Division 111., KennethGibbons; primary piano, Alan Simpson?; elementary piano, Fred Braddock; lowejf: piano, Netta Ching; higher singing,. Arthur B. Thompson. f '