MUSIC IN SIAM

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1929, Page 11

MUSIC IN SIAM

MARVELLOUS NATIVE ORCHESTRA.

ENGLAND'S PRESTIGE IN CHINA.

A marvellous symphony orchestra at Bangkok, in Siam, will always be remembered by Mr. William Heughan, the Scottish actor-singer, now in Hamilton. “It was one of the most lovely things I have ever heard,” he said to a Waikato Times representative. “There were sixty players, all Siamese, and they played classical music perfectly. “One of the most extraordinary features of the orchestra is that they have never heard one themselves, except on the gramophone. The conductor was a half-caste German whose father went to Siam and married a Siamese woman. He started the orchestra, and the son has carried on.”

Mr. Heughan says that the excellence of. the orchestra is even more wonderful when one considers the native music of Siam, which has very little melody, according to our ears. The whole idea of music must have been changed when the players adapted themselves to the classical compositions of European, composers. On his last tour of the East, which embraced Shanghai, Hongkong, and other cities in China, Japan, Siam and many of the islands of the East Indies, he sang to the most cosmopolitan audiences. ENGLISH SPOKEN EVERYWHERE. He found that English was spoken everywhere, which showed what a universal language it was. There >vere 18 different nationalities in his audience at Bangkok, in Siam, a city which English. also publishes three newspapers in Everywhere in the East, Mr. Heughan found a great appreciation of England. This, he said, was particularly noticeable in China at the present time. China wag thirsting for information on education and business, and as far as lie could see there had been a distinct swing of the pendulum of public opinion in favour of England. “The British soldiers did it,” said Mr. Heughan. “The Chinese were so surprised at the behaviour and appearance of. the British soldiers who were sent there during the recent trouble that they have changed their views. When the troops arrived there, the Chinese said: ‘lf these are your soldiers what a wonderful race you must be.’ ”