GATHERING OF MUSICIANS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 26, 25 October 1907, Page 9

GATHERING OF MUSICIANS.

■ EVENING. , The ' Society of Professional' Musicians met at Godbers Rooms on ; ,' Wednesday evening, and wliiled away 1 ' a' pleasant hour or so. There was a good attendances of members.'. The President. I 'Mr'.' J: -Maughan Barnott, in a :briefV address,''-observed that this wasthe! first gathering of tho kind .which had been held under' the auspices; of tho newly-, formed Sooioty, and-lie hoped-that it would.be ; a pleasant prelude to a number of'others. Tho' Society had , been practically forced; into existence by the., fiction of their -Southernbrethren. A Society had been formed 111 Jilio. South,' and,, as:-,a result; of certain agitation; by that .body, legislation had been proposed, with respect to the musical.: profession. There were'- cortain ■'•features., of , :tho, Hill which had beon . introduced' which did_ not meet with' the 1 approval of musicians in Wellington, and organised l action had been found necessary; bonce the Wellington Society of; professional musicians,' which had been dulyregistered. "It was' intended to hold a con-, feronce : early in the : Now Year, .', at. winch soveral matters relating to interests of tho profession; and tho ' advancement _ of tho cause of music generally,'would be discussed. A momber of -the Senate of''the New Zealand, l'Jniversity would also bo invited to attend; ,the,conference. ■ At this and future meetings' of the Society 'papers ' woiild ' be' ' read by lhombers, and freo discussion thoreon would be,initiated. He suggested'.that'members should give some' attention 1 .-ill selecting musical items for. these gatherings, to tho, more modern composers.'- There was a conservative tendency to cling too'much to tho old masters • and' a : consequent neglect of the more recent musicians; ' ;' : , <

' Mr. Robert Parker" their- read: a"short paper on "Our Aims/aud Ideals.". 1 He pre-, faced his remarks with a graceful'tributo to tlio' President (Mr. Barnott), .to',whoso" en-; 'orgy and ieal the organisation of tlio new' Society was due., He then outlined",tho future, policy of ;- 1 heir..organisation. Music,- in the past, had been' represented' by individuals. There ! was'no no : unanimity of purpose,, and far too much potty jealousy.' The status of the profession was not what'it ought to! be. ' .-In the'.past,;. any; individual might becomo' a teacher of/music; It wasil common idea that nil that was required .was a, business. 1 announcement oj', a:.name-', plate, a low scale of fees, and ii little "tout- ; ing." Thb ,rest,;was ;easy/- This > was hot in; the best interests of profession. . In thomedical or.legal profession 'thoi-practico of' "touting"' was i severely condemned. '.'p He 'urged' musicians to r 'give serious"regard J to theix''general' education, and I, escape'^t hat in-, tellectual atrophy' which characterised. iriany.' members 1 of the , General 'was essontial if th6'status 1 of musicians.was, to'be raised.' The gono.past" when, certain'' eccentricities, of, dt'ess and deport-: ■liient, were considered .essential. to a cian's equipment.' ... •/ .... The remainder: of' the' evening was. r cle-. voted to music, 'a sliort programme • of/.uu-' 'usual excellcnco' being carried . out. __Jliss jieatrice ' Richmbiid and Hei;r Max , Hoppo ;contributed;a violin/and" pianoforte duet, the first movement from Huber's Sonata in ,13 ( 'Bat/ '■ .Miss; Lloyd-Hassall sang Wagners "Fraume." 'A pianoforte solo, "La Filouse (Raff), ; by Mr. Edward Taylor, followed. Mr.. Leo Buckeridgo sang tho ' weird Romanza "II Lacerato Spirito, from Verdi s bimon. Boccanegra." .Mr. F. It. Johnston con'tributcd a 'cello,solo, tho "Andanto, irom Klonget'.s Miss Mina Calclow s item was ? "Caro' 'Mio Ben," "the '.programme concluded witli a clarionet solo La .Pirati" (Muller), by Mr, C. l). Macintosh.