LECTURES FOR MUSICIANS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1929, Page 16

LECTURES FOR MUSICIANS

. SPECIAL HOLIDAY COURSES. DR. V MARKHAM LEE’S PROGRAMAIE. The thoughts of many enterprising and enthusiastic musicians, teachers and students alike, turn just now with eager expectation to the courses for lectures being given in the four centres of New Zealand, by Dr/ Markham Lee, M.A., F.R.C.0., of London. Summer schools of music, or vacation lectures, although scarcely known in this country, are well established and popular at Home. During the last August holidays many annual courses of lectures for musicians were held in different parts of the country, and that they were not an innovation was proved by the fact that the Tonic Solfa College, apparently the originator of the scheme, held its fiftythird annual vacation course of lectures. The majority of the summer schools, however, are of much younger growth, but their increasing popularity is shown by the establishment of several newcourses this vear.

The most important and fay-reaching In its results was the first Anglo-Ameri-can Annual Summer Holiday Conference, which was held at Lausanne, Switzerland. The British Folk-song, and Dance Society, which is doing so much to revive interest in British music, held its firsfc summer school at Norwich. The Scottish, riiusicians, the Royal College and many other societies held courses of lectures ranging from a week to a month in duration. The promoters of vacation lectures in England have the advantage of a wide selection of lectures, and a great variety of subjectsare treated by experts in different branches of music. -

Dr. Markham Lee, a noted composer, pianist, lecturer and author, is probably the most distinguished musician to visit this country as examiner. He has been in New Zealand since July, conducting examinations for the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Music. His lectures commenced in Dunedin on December lf> and continued for six days. The dates for the other centres are:r-January 6, Christchurch; January 13, Wellington; January 23, Auckland.

, An interesting syllabus has been arranged, consisting of at least nine lectures, including the following subjects: Music as a subject of education, modern music, the child and music, class teaching, aural training, unconsidered details, and three lectures on the music and lives of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. The first lecture mentioned will be of considerable interest to educationalists in view of the encouragement given by the New Zealand Government to music in schools.

Dr. Markham Lee will give a certain number of advisary lessons, which will be of great advantage to those wishing to benefit by this opportunity, as lessons from musicians of such standing are rarely obtainable in this country.