MUSICAL JUDGE

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20609, 9 May 1935, Page 12

MUSICAL JUDGE

Mr Will Hutchens Arrives in Christchurch. EXPERIENCES IN AUSTRALIA. An interesting description of musical competitions in Australia was given this morning by Mr Will Hutchens, Mus. Bac., Wanganui. Mr Hutchens, who last visited Christchurch in 1932, has arrived to adjudicate in the vocal and instrumental classes at the competions. “Undoubtedly my greatest judging experience was at the second City of Sydney Eisteddfod, which is acknowledged as the largest musical festival south of the Line,” said Mr Hutchens. “ The entries reached the huge total of 9620, and no fewer than eight halls were required by the ten adjudicators in order to complete judging in time. My two associates were Dr Bain ton, the new director of the Sydney Conservatorium, and Professor Brewster Jones, director of the Adelaide Conservatorium. Messrs James Brash and C. M. Baeyertz were other judges whom New Zealanders will recall. In the large choral events the three principal judges collaborated, and at the final of the inter-State choral championship we announced our decision to over 5000 persons.”

Mr Hutchens said that the outstanding feature of the festival from his point of view, apart from the choral work, was the violin classes, which, both artistically and numerically, far outshone anything he had ever heard. Mr Hutchens judged all the violin championships, the light soprano championships, duets and quartettes. Competitors’ Self-possession. “ The average Australian competitor j is completely self-possessed and, as far as appearances go, displays scarcely any nervousness,” said Mr Hutchens. On the other hand, I was struck by the large proportion of instrumentalists who played from the score. Very few played from memory, a fact which is reversed in New Zealand. I believe that the ideal performance is the memorised one, and in arriving at final decisions, this consideration carries great weight. However, I would prefer a good performance with the music to an indifferent one without. “ Some players, in their endeavour to play from memory, lose all sense of freedom and spontaneity. There are degrees of dependence on the copy, and I have seen players using the music withovit referring to it.” Standard in New Zealand. In reply to a question concerning the standard of music in New Zealand, Mr Hutchens said that, in a general w»y, there was not a wide distinction between New Zealand and the Commonwealth. There was, he said, very little to choose between the best of New Zealand teachers and the best in Australia. Students in Sydney, Melbourne and the other larger cities had the advantage of a greater range of music to choose from, and the musical associations in the conservatoriums of the main States could be made valuable use of. S}'dney’s musical life centred in its Conservatorium, and further progress was expected under the guidance of the new director. Dr Bainton, who is also the conductor of the choir and orchestra. “ My happiest recollection of my last visit here as adjudicator is a marvellous contralto class,” Mr Hutchens concluded. “If the sections this year reach that standard, Christchurch may well be proud of its musical standards.”