MUSIC AT HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16940, 15 January 1923, Page 4

MUSIC AT HOME.

DR. BRADSHAW’S IMPRESSIONS. Dr J. C. Bradshaw has brought back to Christchurch interesting information ind impressions of music in the Old Country, where he has spent twelve months, after an absence in New Zealand of about twenty years. MODERN EXPERIMENTS. {t T did not find as much change in the Old Country as T had expected.’’ he said in an interview on Saturday. The past twenty years has seen .1 development of ultra-modern music. Although a great deal cf that type of music is heard, the classics still hold their own in England It is very gen erally recognised by musicians tbat much of the music written to-day is largely experimental, and that some of it may live—some ol it will live, undoubtedly—hut much of it will die very soon. About ten years ago, Scriabin’s ; Poem of Ecstacy,’ an orchestral poem, was not taken seriously at all. It now io accepted very generally us a line work. When 1 heard it, 1 was impressed by it greatly. Sir E. Elgar- Is still generally regarded as the leading English composer, but he now almost belongs to the old school. Members of the younger school, such as Hoist Vaughan, Williams. Bliss, Bax and Ireland are producing some interesting music. Seme of it is unacceptable to the majority of ears, but we feel that it is necessary to keep an open mind cm the question. There is no doubt that some very great composer may arise ns a result of the present efforts ” ORGANS IN PICTURE THEATRES Dr Bradshaw said that organ? were being introduced into many picture theatres in place of orchestras. There were nil sorts of arrangements to obtain various effects. The player touched push-buttons with his foot, and got a gong, or sleigh-hells, or drums. An organ builder in Manchester specialised in organs for picture theatres. It seemed a somewhat .sad development something in the nature of desecration, but the effects produced certainly were remarkable. The picture theatre organs were really good instruments; the. were not like church organs, but were built to imitate an orchestra and produce fantastic effects. PROFESSIONALS AND AMATEURS “ The large fees and salaries paid to some organists at the picture theatres are really surprising," he continued. “ This has had the effect of inducing some organists to leave the churched for the picture theatres. The position of many church organists at Home, in fact, is sad in itself. It is very noticeable that positions in many churches which should be hold by professional organists are how held by amateurs, who accept small salaries—another influence that drives good organists to the picture theatres. WONDERFUL ORGANS. “ Some remarkable organs have been built in cathedrals in England. Electrical organs are in great favour in America, but the use of electricity in that direction has not become the vogue in England. The leading English builder now is Harrison, of Rur ham. lu Manchester Cathedral tbe r c is a splendid five manual Harrison. The organs I saw during my visit

make one hope that a lover of music in Christchurch will do something to help us to obtain an organ equal to the importance of our Cathedral iu place of the present one, which is out of date. “ The prices of large organs in the Old Country now almost are prohibitive they are iabout 120 per centmore than before the wav. A leading builder charges from £IOO to £l2O a stop. The result is that smaller organs are being built. The day of the very large organ, probably, has gone, except in very special cases. Rome small churches are using reed organs. I have bought back for my own private use a two-manual red organ. The past twenty years have seen remarkable developments in the voicing of reeds, which now can he made to produce flutev tones, quite au advance on anything I heard before. CONCERT OUTLOOK IN LONDON DARK. “ Orchestral music in London is in a rather precarious position. What the result will be it is hard to say. but the outlook at present is somewhat black. The increase in expenses is heavy—cost of the players, of the halls, of printing, of everything, in fact: and the public are not inclined to pay more for admission. TKis results in few concerts being given in London except at a los3. The London Symphony Orchestra, one- of the finest in the world, gives concerts periodical-

ly, obtaining leading musicians as conductors, yet the financial results are so poor owing to heavy costs that each player receives very little, and it does not really pay him. It shows a regrettable state of affairs. People living many miles from tlie centre is ■' drawback as lar as attendance at. London concerts is concerned, and support often is lacking. The most glaring instance of this was a performance of Sir E. Elgar’s “ Apostle ’’ in the Queen’s Hall. It was on an afternoon. in July, I think, a. bad month —holiday time and a hot day. The performance nevertheless should have been a great attraction, because Elgar was conducting, and the choir was the Sheffield Chorus. The hall, however, was only about one-third full. Bernard Shaw wrote to a newspaper stating that be felt ashamed of the musical people of London. ,The same musicians went from London to Canterbury the following day, and performed in Canterbury Cathedral, with Elgar conducting again, and the building was not large enough to hold the people; I was told that it will hold about 4000. .Vs far as choral music is concerned the North of England has a higher standard of performance than is found in London.

“ The best orchestra performances heard by me were given by the London Symphony Orchestra in the Queen’s Hall, and were conducted by Kouseevitzky, a Russian, who, perhaps, is unknown "here. They were the most wonderful performances of the kind I have heard. I was pleased to note by the criticisms and by the remarks of other musicians, particularly some of the players, that my opinion was endorsed. The players said that, although many leading men had conducted the orchestra, they never had had a conductor who got out of them the remarkable results shown by Koussevifzky. I nuderstand that he will re'turn to England this year. NEW ZEALANDERS IN LONDON. “ I had the pleasure of hearing in London two young New Zealanders. Miss Stella Murray, who has sang in Christchurch, is doing well. Her voice has improved remarkably, and I think she will do very well in England. The other New Zealander is Miss Vera Moore, of Dunedin, a very gifted pianist. They gave a joint recital in the Wigmorc Hall.” IN LONDON AND THE COUNTIES. Dr Bradshaw spent several months in London, and there he did some work studying the latest methods and developments in teaching at the Royal Academy of Music. He also acted for five months as assistant organist at Southwark Cathedral, playing two week days and also* the Sunday evensong each week. He toured England in the middle of the summer, visiting twentysix Cathedrals, playing at a good many of them. Two weeks in France gave him an opportunity to hear a great deal of music in Paris and to see some of the battlefields. He spent an enjoyable week at the Gloucester Festival, where he, for the first time, met Sir E. Elgar, who conducted id some of his own works. Dr Bradshaw was assistant organist in Manchester Cathedral before he came to Christchurch. As he regards Manchester as his musical home, that part of his visit was a very interesting one. He found some English Cathedrals in a bad way, owing, apparently, to neglect during the war. Lincoln Cathedral has cracks in its towers that a person could put both hands in, arid appeals are being made for funds for Westminster and St Paul’s. He went across Canada on his voyage to England, and returned by the Panama Canal. In Toronto he visited the Conservatory of Music, which is attended by some 4000 students. In the United States, he met Noble, Fricker, Ham, Healy and other leading musicians, and he was present at some very fine orchestral concerts in New York. He concluded: “The conditions in England were not very good. I was unfortunate in experiencing an exceptionally bad summer, but I did not allow it to spoil my pleasure. As a matter of fact, I had a very enjoyable time. England, after twenty years, still retains many attractions for me, particularly of an historical character. I had the honour of meeting nearly all the leading musicians, including Elgar, Mackenzie, Allen, and Walford Davies, ancl received nothing but kindness from everyone: in fact, they gave me a jolly good time. Sir E. Elgar was very interested to hear of his works being performed in Christchurch and his autograph photo is now one of inv valued treasures.” Dr Bradshaw was. invited to give an organ recital at his old University of Manchester, where there is a very fine four-manual Willis organ. Most of the leading musicians in Manchester were present and Dr Bradshaw was recalled time after time at the close of the recital. “ Rather exceptional enthusiasm for an organ recital,” he said, “ and it certainly sent me away feeling very happy.”