SCHOOL MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 442, 26 February 1909, Page 8

SCHOOL MUSIC.

RECENT STRICTURES CRITICISED. / ■ :AN 'INTERESTING REPOR'T.':' ■',- - The/recent strictures passed'by musicians at the. Auckland. Conference on, the. alleged unsatisfactory :■ condition jof school. r singing were, challenged by. Mr. A. H. Vile at the meeting of the Wellington Education Board yesterday. ..He moved:— ■:, , ;;." ■ -i / / "That in ; view of; the .expression of . opinion at the Musicians' ' Conference,, recently held at Auckland, that singing is not taught generally in. the primary; schools :■ of -.the.Dominion, ■ the : inspectors ; of this board be'--.asked to furnish a re-., port indicating.those schools, if any, in -.the: Wellington education; district in ■ . - which singing is not properly taught, ;. and also their opinion -.as'to whether the . .services of specialists to .visit the, respec- : t - tive' schools are., required;" •'■■'•, -. '•".- ~ ■ v-Mr./Vile said that'he had-been'.astonished to note the statement, made .by a Wellington musician,.that 'only,abouti6.per cent, of their school teachers >ere competent .to teach school /singing. He dissented from such an assertion; it was not fair , to the board, and members should discuss'the /matter. .;... The motion ' was'.-.secoridedT:'' ; ',-■..■■■■ . '.-. ' • : :'•■' The/chairman (Mr. R. Lee).remarked that the motion - They, had before 'them V repbrt from -Mr/ : Robert Parker, who'had concluded a successful series of .lectures on school singing Vat. theThbrndon Training College, at a retaining, fee of-.£50: The board would, be ; asked to consider .a:"sug'gestion' in the direction : of-" extending : the •scope'of Mr: Parker's/worli: so.as~to include a' series of visits-to at' least'the larger schools, for which service an additional '. fee ;of £50 be,paid; . r ■', . /.:'//. ' ' \ '■;! Mr. Parker's report, as/read ,to.'■ members, stated-that classes.had been -held at .'Welling'fori and : Mastefton, and that several yisits h'nd ;been paid to, local -schools-'for.. the pu'r■pose of hearing the singing. ,-''The syllabus arranged for the teachers' classes/included ■exercises in- breathing,' voice-training,; sight-.-reading-Jtune ; and time),-'ear-trainingj' and general- instruction in : . the? art of '■ teaching .'school' songs, including 'the points oi; pronunciation and enunciation.'; , ' ;.' -■ '.; : '; ';-■

.'■'■ "It would, of course, be absurd," observed Mr. Parker,-"to claim'that anything like exhaustive, treatment 'of , all- or. any , of these", points was attained.'in lessons at each place, but it.was possible to condense'a. fairly complete course.of elementary; training, . especially in "important, first principles, into the very limited time available. ../['he classes included teachers of all grades,, and I was moro than gratified at the -keen interest, which they took,- in the : work;; -Especially ■was this the. case-at. Masterton,,where the. lessons often;covered' , the best'-part. of two hours, and.were;.then only termiiiatecl by the exigencies of the train serviced I. must: here express my ■ acknowledgments, to Mf. : J.: C. Webb, headmaster of Thorndon School, and .Mr; , - AV. H.^Jackson,., of ■ Masterton 'School, for'the very, satisfactory arrangements; made for my 'lessons hyt their respective> schools. , /'During my yisijs to .some Tialf-dozen Wei; lington schools, I'yha Vβ; seen that: there-is nuich'infelligent work being.done,:but also , that,ther?.;are'frequent , and sometimes'very marked inequalities, even : in;the';sam«i" school.. Some, teachers, have .not;qualified, Jheinselves ,fqr" the work, or'they \do not'.regard the lessons '.vas':"of., any : serious, ; importance'; but .it cannot botoo .strongly urged; tliat;: apart from all iuiisical .-..'• considerations, -actual ,harm;is being done'when such lessons are given on.wrong of improper. methods of breathing and trainiiig. .These.are.'.pfeciselythe'two point's on which the \rhble:permahent. usefulness; and: benefit 6f "the singing'; lessons 'depend, 'aid' it is in.-these - that- i the .'advice and''supervision, of 'an ■export : ;is especially and .qbnstantly re-., quired;';;;"'■■;*-' .■;..'. " : 'y ."'"■■■'.■■ :^;.'-: .;;'; ;' "The actual''work of teaching- singing' must always,? of necessity, lie .-'chiefly,.in r the hands; of the, school; teachers .-'themselves, and''for their : .help, .and . guiclance'.'inuch' ;_ has, \been' a,lrea]dy done;by : your ■district;''b'iit'-'Jtt: my"''b'pinibn\th<Sfe' : should'be .in , ' large 'i'ceiitre'/'iii' 't^ : Donriiiioifj/a'i'qualifieU'|fe , pef6;"*'h'B:.should regularly \visit,; and'',"advise 'such teachers 'in : this;"special■ and'not'uhiniportaiit worfe ! '» ■;■'• 'V ! ?'J C ->*l. iK-'iK Wi.fr' , ' : ;.:.'li:.. j..-.-

■rS-Tiieboard'unanimonsly decided to. refer the ■matter. r of retaining Mr. iParker's.services;at -aliihonorarium b£V£loo',to ; the;Finahce Com-! mi_tt«e'ion favourablejconsideration;; : lt' was pbinted'out-that' half.Jithe-.airiouht; ■would'be: ■available'from:-the^.-Training":'College;,' ■"■.; :■■ ■■■