A Gifted Young-Musician.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 8, 4 October 1907, Page 3

A Gifted Young-Musician.

LOCAL'GIRL'S BRILLIANT RECORD. ENGLISH EXPERT'S APPRECIA- , . : TIO.V. ' Whether the New Zealander in the aggregate has aiiy special aptitude for l-iusic is a controversial bono that may wisely be left to the experts to wrangle over.- But it is a romarkablo and indisputable fact that this country — like Australia —has produced a surprising number of musicians of outstanding merit. , Another instance of this fertility is afforded by" the case of Hiss Amy Millicent Remington, a young girl ot fifteen, who has just' passed through the Trinity College music examinations with brilliant and unprecedented success. In 'these examinations—the results of, ; which aro published in this issue—she scoured 98 marks out of a possible i 100, which; is a feat unprecedented south of the Lino, and rarely, if ever/ equalled in any part of the world. Sho gained, the full complement— 50 marks —for the selection sho played on;the pianoforte, and also the full, marks for' sight reading, accompaniment, transposition, and viva voce. This is a. remarkable achieve; ment for a girl so young. The examiner for. the College, Mr. Charles Edwards, L. Mus., T.C.Li., was brimming oyer with enthusiastic admiration for the girl's remarkable talent when seen by a Dominion reporter. , : ' "She is a girl of quite exceptional ability, and has developed a maturity of experience'and a mastery of technique .that is wonderful in one so young,'' 1, declared Mr. Edwards, warmly. "In the case of one so gifted it is "a moral duty that sho . should :be" sent Home to study' under . the best'.'masters, so that- her genius is givon ay full opportunity to develop to the highest possibility. With tho cxcellont; .instruction she is now re-V ceiving,'she may. safely bo loft foi auother. six months, until other arrangements cin be made. I am nil-, able' to"' saywhat the Board of Trinity. College will do-at Home, but ■ I hope they will help to bring about a recognition of her claims, as her friends '■ here.' should .do also. • With proper istucly.'she would develop into one of the; finest musicians in the world—of that''l am absolutely ccr- ' tain. ' Of all the,, thousands and thousands of candidates of . all ages that 1 have examined during many years . past, she has.'passed with higher honours than ..any other, with'one solitary exception. Not only is she gifted with .the 'divine firp'., but sho has a-re-markable. knowledge of technique, ■ which reflects tlio' highest- credit on ■ those who gave her her'earlv training. Her case affords a striking example of tho value and advantage of examination. She has gone through the ontiro routine, from tho preparatory : grade to the highest musical diplomas for pianoforte playing that tho world has to offer,Sahd I would say that slip stands higher" than any candidate i have met- in any of the English or Continental Centres.- In all my experience ' I have nover met a girl of the same age who passed , so brilliantly. '"With, further training under •.the.best,masters at Home, she will, I am sure, take her place in the front .rank of the world's musicians as an exponent of. the highest firms of classical'music." v A BRILLIANT BEGINNING.. Miss Remington—who is a relative lof Mr. Remington, M.H.R.—is already,'well known in musical circles. , She has sat at various' previous examinations,' and has como through with brilliant -success. Sho holds all the . "local" certificates —that is, the preparatory, junior, intermediate, and senior,' in'both practical and theoretical examination. In 1903, at the age of eleven, after having taken the local exhibition prize of nine guineas at-Marton —her teacher being Mrs. Esam'.—.sho was successful in the higher professional examination for • diplomas,,and, she gained the position of certificated pianist. This year, under the training of Mr. A. J.i Wicks, of; Wellington, she passed tho senior, theoretical with honours, and also sat in July for the examination in the art of teaching. The, results of the last-named examination are not yet to haiid, but, if'sho proves to have passed, sHo will then become an Associate,of Music, and the pass which mado her an associate pianist will entitle ' her to tho ■ diploma of Licentiate in Music of Trinity College. -There is said to bo no Case on record—certainly not in Australasia —of such an eminent distinction having been gained by one so young. Thero'is a-general feeling in musical circles that something should be done to; enable tho gifted young "musician .- to;" prosecute' her studies abroad. .. the. 'loc.il committee of ; Welington,, of which Mr. .J. G. W. Ait-ken is chairman, has agreed to assist ill tho movement in co-opera-tion with- tho teachers—who as--1 stmbled on ■ Tuesday. and discussed the to do what is possible in furtherance of Miss Reming- ' ton's musical education. It is suggested 'that;'oh receipt of information from Trinity; College as to what the Bc-ard will:/do, a concert be organised—subjeet to the consent of the girl's parisrits—for the' purpose of sending her' Home. The a'ssistanco will' also :be invoked of the Wellington Society 'of Professional Musicians, whose - rules, provide for, cases of this-.kind. ' ."I'here is no doubt Welington will nfever "bo sorry for having taken such. a matter in hand," ''declared one well-known musical authority. '