THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR'S VISIT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10103, 15 March 1911, Page 4

THE SHEFFIELD CHOIR'S VISIT

• I?r Bradshaw prefaced his statement fey saying that at a meeting held last Friday at the Chamber of Commerce, at which the visit of the Sheffield Choir Was discussed, he expressed certain views. Next morning there appeared • 'in the "Lyttelton Times" a report whioh he thought, and which otiiers agreed with him, was calculated to cause mischief. The report was headed by three lines in pretty big type, the first being "Discord or' Harmony," tho second '.'Quality of Local Choirs Questioned," and the third was "Strictures ,by .Dr Bradshaw." That sounded very ■fierce. In his opinion his remarks had been reported in a way which made Ahem appear very objectionable. The 1>«n,,3i;.i.„„ ,"i. „ j.; !_.. , t

Jiea4luaes, in particular, suggested, he thought, that he was criticising or reflecting upon local choirs in a way he absolutely never dreamed of. He had asked the editor of the " Lyttelton Times" to send a reporter to tho rehearsal that evening, in order that his explanation might have the same publicity as the report mentioned. He Wanted to make his views quite plain jib.out this matter of the combination or amalgamation of the Sheffield chorus with "a local chorus, consisting, if possible, of-two or three hundred voices. iWhen he left England, some nine years «go, the Leeds Musical Union; or Choral • n -£? n V Tl ' as considered the finest choir in England, and the finest in the world. Since that time the Sheffield orsanisa-

Ition had com© to the front, and was at present, considered even better than >"He would ask them to suppose, by way of illustration of his attitude liuthis matter, that these two choirs, the finest in the world of their kind; had been trained by separate ' ojiorua masters in "Elijah/' and that it Was proposed to have a combined performance, with only one rehearsal to- '« x ' . ' yid his hearers think that the effect of that combination, under only one of the conductors, of course, would be equal to either of those choirs heard •lone? There certainly would be a greater volume of sound in massive choruses such as "Thanks be to God " and a rather more impressive effect 'in places but at the same time a great deal of the refinement and nice points insisted upon by two men having different readings would be quite lost. They tought not agree with him, but that was bis opinion. (Applause.) If his hearers his opinion on this matter, they would agreo with him also in his action in exi>ress-

ing regret to Dr Harris* that a combination with a local choir should form part of the Sheffield Choir's proDr Harriss informed the Speaker in Christchurch.' some months • *go, that he wanted these two com- ■ buied performances, and the speaker *%£ ™£ Harriss then that it was a p%. Dr Harriss said that Dr Coward would expect the speaker to conduct the performance of "Elijah," and he replied that he wanted to do nothing of the sort, as he would be sitting in the audience with his score, and he panted the members of his chorus to do- the same. Dr Harriss, however, iwas keen on the reciprocity part of" thfe scheme, and stated that he wanted to train the local chorus, Secem ug an assurance that the shaker ifrould do his best to make the thing a

success. He had not expressed his Tiejre on the mafctdr. ho believed, to *r single person until last week, although he felt that the whole thing s mistako musically. Apart from suggestion tliat he would ' .he <expected to train the chorus, his Ibune had never been mentioned, 1 e •believed, either by the committee S&£''V.*°y ono connected with the fMtiralj as the man to be ■responsible for the chorus. There was

nothing to indicate to him that the : .WW .committee expected him to do anything of the-kind. Ho did not care •bout-pushing himself forward, and he knew from past experience that it was easy to nave a false impression con.▼ejred. When he was appointed city organist gome of his anonymous friends said he. Bad pushed himself into the

' P In re g &l 'd to this matter, he had kept, quits properly, i n the - background. He had been under the impression that the training of the local chorus would commence in the begwung of February. The wmks ■ fwe clipping, away, and last week he felt -that it was getting s0 ridiculous, nothing haying been done, that he .went to one of the vice-presidents and k ; a .friendly way said, «I S nothing Kpu*g..to be done in, regard to the training of the chorus? Is it goin* to be attempted, or is it going to be or what?" A meeting was railed for Jast Friday, and at that meeting he expressed hie view that sfe-*Bg»-"* M a n impossibility music S. Jr" reaS ?? !° r * rin &ng bis views forward was that the time was so I -■ pdiculoualy short that it was impossibl P tOf; them to do themselves justice.'

«•,. '• *— 1 *)R iBRADSHAW EXPLAINS HIS POSITION. '; NO SLIGHT ON LOCAL CHOIRS ~ '.. INTENDED. , , During a rehearsal of tho Christchurch Musical Union last evening, Dr *>f. Ct Bradshaw, who was conducting c-the rehearsal, made a statement as to "■his" position in regard to the projected ■ *isit to Christchurch of the Sheffield -Choir, and the proposal that local choirs 'should combine with tho Sheffield Choir in tho production of "Elijah," and iu , the' Empire concert.

f* not a question of preparing Ehjah' only, but they had to take

Part in the Empire Concert, the music oF which, with the exception of "The thnm " l £ mid > was entirely new to thorn. He was sure many of his X"™ 7 uld a S ree with him that to »™ft P ri f re P ar 9 "Elijah" as they people who wero coming here, and to

Prepare-for a concert consisting of music they were absolutely unacquamted with, save for one pLt, was it,? l Kh ™ ] °™- applause.) A resolution had been carried at last Fribfi y m Q ? ee^ lng that an should wL iV° £ rc P a "> the chorus - I* Sin 0 . % em *° discuss that that evening. If lt we re decided that both concerts were to be done, he would and and would do ]us best tQ mpke th<j t nug a success, whatever his views

f IJ? i * ?, e wanted t0 make it perlectly clear that such a- thought never occurred to his mind as to be such an miot as to run down his own work. He knew that it had been said that his remarks were an insult to every member of the chorus, and that he practically said they could not do "Elijah. He said they could not do it

j j e " ew , mu sio in three months and do themselves justice. Not many peopleL realised what such a chorus as tne bheffield chorus meant. Choral work here was restricted in many ways, and the work of the Sheffield chorus would be an object-lesson such as they might never have again. The Sheffield bhoir would sing a work like Elgar's Dream of Gerontius" in a manner winch would amaze his hearers. Effects were achieved in such iiiimW- no +.v,„

Demons Chorus" which would make them almost shudder. However the educational value of listening to suoh a work would not be so great to his hearers as listening to "Elijah," and it was a pity they could not hear it sung by the Sheffield Choir alone. In conclusion Dr Bradshaw suggested

£ni +l, v •' to pre P aro for th * Estiva! the Musical Unam rehearsal should be from 8 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, and the festival rehearsal from » to 10 p.m. if that was done they could prepare the Empire music quite satisfactorily m three months. Doing •Uijali as well, however, would mean a separate night's rehearsal each week and they would have to attend regularly and put their best into it. Me hoped he had made it quite clear' that he had not been trying to depreciate their efforts