MUSICAL MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 5

MUSICAL MATTERS.

CONFERENCE AT AUCKLAND

THE PROPOSED CONSERVATORIUM.

m :'■:-■■ , '■'■■-•.■ : Auckland, January 25. _ llio second ..annual conference, of - New /.ealand professional musicians• • opened ; * 'this mornmg at the Municipal Chambers, Mr. C. Urey (sanior councilor) performing the opening' oeremony in place of the Mayor (Mr. A M. Myers), who was'unable to attend;..> - • :■■ The attending delegates were as followerAuckland :■• Messrs., W. H. Webbo,' J H £ raj 7 Lcslie Hunt, and Mrs. A. -Boult. ™« Bay: Miis EV Williams, and: bt. L. Toner. Wellington:: Messrs.' It. Parker and L. /W-atkins.- Nelson: "Miss *Tv M ■ Hornsby. Cantarbiu-y:. Herr. Hirschberg.. Timaru-: Mr. J.. Gillies:,.: Southland: :Mr: C. Grey. ■ ..• ..•■.'■■■('. . .-,<•. -. •■;-.'.■ '■ The following officers were elected:—President, Mr. W. H.. AYebhe;. vice-president, •Mr. L. Watkins;. chairman ■of committees,Mr. C. Grey; secretary,.Mr. J. Timson. The president, in his address, remarked that the first conference of: professional '.musicians took place .in :■' "Wellington i when-' a" number of leading- musicians .."■' other. i than those belonging to the' existing societies were umfed-io attend. On the present occasion only delegates from registered societies wern taking and it was gratifying■ to.- find that, all the nine existing .societies were represented ;_ Las: year they wore ca!h>d" together to consider the. advisability, ■of securing legislation for the "musical: profession:; A motion, "That it. was desirablo legislation should bo obtained,'' • was carried:: .'Mr. Sidcy's Bill' was then taken as the basis of proposed Numerous amendments

were made to the Bill, oiioof th'e"most in-/' portant perhaps baing"That' tlie 'certificates' granted by the council must clearly set forth any subject or subjects the" holder or. holders are considered competent to teaon.-??. --That was-a clause for whioh the.public should;be very much -obliged. Ho .(the .president)! -sincerely, trusted that the results of. their bussions mirrht, proVo beneficial to - sional and.student,' : encourage -the- keeping up of- a high standard .of roii3ic, and assist in the further developing of musical culturo throughout It ivas to .-he; hoped tint societies Of musicians, might bb;. extended to the centres, hot yet roaohed. and th.at before thb close- of -the • year-all the existing .and newly-formed; 'societies,.might lis united in'one', incorporated, society'qf'proV fessionah musicians (teachers and performers) for the whole of the Dominion.-: The Musi-, cians' Bill, which was circulated some time

ago, was.adopted,, with minor: amenchnents. The ' aEsocmtion decided, with one '•'dissentient;, that the time is. altogether, iijopportuno for the establishment of-a', Stateaided Conservatorium.; of -Musio. ;',tA', deputation -was appointed te wait on., the TJni.versity Senate with this resolution.

An interesting discussion'arose "regarding ' tho proposed Gonservatorium of Music,con r ; ceniing whicli there, has been consider'ablediscussion of late.' l-,--"^*' ' Herr Hnschberg,. of Ohristchurchj ■moved—. .'"That- in.the cdnferenco ; ,l;he. torium of Music in'.New"ZealanS;is prema--ture," Ho said .that, after the report of tho Music Committee had booiupresented",to tho University Senate,*it was -natural"that musicians should ask theniselves'whotherr.the establishment. of a -conservatorium-would carry witli it all that the .of' the scheme had taken such care to place before tho public, Such an'Hhstit'ute,-'. while benefiting perhaps a ohosonifiJw, would not reac(r the masses, To' attain'-tbis end it was more desirable,; should the Government see its way to do something for the cause' of music, to devote any money availablo to' the ■establishment of up-to-date prpf.essional.', orchestras, one for each island. There, were many' things which would tend to. nullify-the. work of-a conservatorium.-;;; New Zeaiaiidvhad'coiiipiratively, only a scanty and-. tion. Tho Dominion was isolafecl'from any great art centres,. and ho. .was ,-afraid: the> bulk., of the. p'eopjo were jnclined,, After touching on the question of finance, the speaker went on to .cmark-that aoonser-.-vatprmm -.'would : -benefit phly.'very'-:few> > o,utside those' who secured,,an,appointment on tho staff, and.it would be a very heavy ox-' penso without the'slightest musical advantage to, tho people of Ne\v v Z,eaJand, ',:There,j was a want of good music" for the people, but that want would only ho :rempved i4 by plenty of fine ..orchestral perfor'ma'nces'i'VaiKT..by; "a first-class',' opera.' 'The" 'former. '• were; within' the reach of possibility, while the. latter would remain for many:years.something to.be wished for, The advocates of-the;conserva-torium, unable to refnte: the arguments : advanced against it, ..raised-' the' cry-that-the opponents of it were actuated by-solfisH motives. The teachers .had :,thes.mterest.;and' welfare of music at heart just'as much as the ndvocates of the conservatorium, and probably were more sincere and less noisy about tho matter:' Men who knew the musical conditions and workings 'inithis- country,' and of European countries,- were, -more' competent to form a correct idea how.to. solvo.the problem than men'who had.never come, ,uMer the" influence of musical life in Europe.; Tho president (Mr. W. H. Webbe,, of Auckland) remarked that he had visited several conservateria in. Europe",, and found that it had taken several generations to bring them into'existence''. It had taken over'fifty'-years to get the Royal Academy of Music managed with any degree of success, and London had a population of seven or eight millions. To establish a conservatorium. they -wanted | students practically independent of all work outsido music. Tho time"wasi not'yet"rine"! for the establishment.of anything of the' kind in New.Zealand. It would be,wasteful extravagance on the part of the Government to import professors from the Old Country wihout having the, material to work upon. The motion was carried with only one dissentient (a lady),' and, it was'agreed; that a copy of the resolution should be forwarded to the University Senate.'