OUR TWO CHORAL SOCIETIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2708, 1 March 1916, Page 7

OUR TWO CHORAL SOCIETIES

amalgamation of union and ROYAL CHORAI

CONDUCTOR CRITICISED

The president (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided at the eleventh annual meeting of the Royal Wellington Choral Society, held in St, John's Schoolroom, last evening.' In submitting the annual report and balance-sheet for adoption, the president said that the socicty felt the disability of carrying on through the war. The time was not far distant when they would see the silver lining, or the cloud dispelled altogether. Mr. J. R. Burley said that the committee had beeu very guarded in what they had said in tho way of comment on their present- conductor. I'ersonnlly, he considered lie had not been a success, or not so successful' as they . might have expected him to bo, in view of another important po'st he held, but ■ speaking of the two performances given under his (Mr. Page's) baton, they had not been so successful from an artistic ' point of ' view as they might have been. Three years ago, when Mr. Mauglian Barnett, resigned the society was at the high-water mark, but they could not say the same to-ctoy. Ho admitted that the war had militated against the best results being aohieved by the eooiety, and they had lost a lot of men, hut there had been a number of new i-ecr'uits who, from a musical standpoint, were just as capable as those who had left, so the society should not .be so far below the standard. He did not speak personally, as he did not know Mr. ,Page to speak to, but spoke in the interests of the society. Mr. A. H. Miles said t-liat it had come to his knowledge that Mr. Page ■was only staying in Wellington for another 6ix months, and wanted to know If the committee were aware if that were so.. r MR, LUKE IN DEFENCE. The chairman remarked _ that Mr. Page had never had a fair chance to •stablish himself with the people _of Wellington. He had arrived at the time of the strike, when people were not 1 In the mood to interest themselves in music, and following that came the war, and lie wished to ask all seriousminded peoplo if ho had been given a fair atmosphere to work in. The City Council had a wonderful admiration for Mr. Page, who .had been able to prove to Wellington that he. was fully as able as the credentials sent out from Home set out. Mr. A. H. Miles said that Mr. I/uke was labouring under a misconception, riiey were not discussing Mr. .Page as an organist at all, and certainly not personally. He thought that Mr. Page was a great organist, but lie was. not a successful conductor of a Choral Society. ' AMALGAMATION. Mr. Caldow, sen., in introducing the question of amalgamation _ with ; the Musical Union, said that it had been advocated in the newspapers as _ desirable, and'there had been negotiations 6ome time since, but they- could not come to an understanding. Since then the war had come, it had _ weakened the male ! sections of both societies, and it was .held that it was absolutely impossible for both societies to have a strong male section at the same time. The secretaries of the society and the union had held a conference re amalgamation, and each had brought tho matter before his committee. As the result each body had appointed a, subcommittee of four to go into the mat-' ter from every conceivable standpoint. UTiey then reported to their committees, and it was decjded to bring ; the matter up at the annual meetings of both sooieties to be hold the came night. If favourable, they were to adjourn the meetings until Thursday evening, and then elect the officers, etc. He would therefore formally move: "That the committee recommend that the amalgamation, of the Royal Wellington Choral Society and Wellington Musical Union be brought about at a joint meeting of the two bodies." Mr. Miles, in seconding the motion, asked: what the position was regarding the liabilities of the Musical Union. — Mr. R. |T. Caldow: "They won't trouble us that much" ■ (snapping his lingers). . , • Continuing, Mr. Miles said that there was .the old question of the conductor. It v.rjuld be well if that matter were left to the adjourned meeting to decide. Mr. Burley asked about the title of the •new' body, mentioning tha ttlie society held theirs under royal letters patent. ■ Mr. D. 'Alexander suggested that the union should affiliate with them, and the; society should still exist under its present title. In reply to some comment on the Musical Union's performance of "The Messiah," Mr. R. T. Caldow said that he had heard from many quarters that it was batter than that of the Choral Society, and he was generous enough to admit it. The. union had just as good talent as they had, and he hoped •that for the future there.would be no feeling of one society against the other. THE MUSICAL UNION. 'AGREES TO AMALGAMATION. The annual meeting of tho Welling-' ton Musical Union was held last night, Mr. T. Forsyth presided, and there v were: some twenty-five members_ . present. . The annual report showed that the financial result of the year's operations was satisfactory, considering the prevailing, conditions,- the committee having reduced its liabilities by about £22. The report expressed appreciation of the services of Mr. H. S. Claughton as conductor, of Mr. Robert Parker (who acted as conductor for one performance), and of Miss Phyllis Hanify, as honorary pianist. There was no discussion on the annual, report, which was adopted as a matter of course. The important question before the meeting was a proposal that the Musi- ', cal Union should amalgamate with the Choral .Society. Mr. A. M. Lewis detailed the negotiations leading-up to the present proposal. The chairman explained that there had T?een one serious obstacle to amalgamation—the indebtedness of the Musical Union. The Choral ■ Society was not •itself in a strong financial position, ant the committee of that society did nol care to incur the liability of taking ovei 1 the union's overdraft of ■ some £70 The guarantors of the . overdraft Messrs. G. Shirtcliffe, A. M. Lewis, anc W. R. Bock, had however agreed t< carry on. the overdraft, and woulij take over also the society's library. Thii was valued at £150, but it would noi be readily saleable at that price. Pos sibly the overdraft would be reducec from time to time by the loan and sali of some of the music. He urged tha on general grounds amalgamation wa: advisable, being of opinion that then was.not room for two societies in' Wei lington. He moved :— "That this meeting adopts the com mittee's unanimous recommendatioi to amalgamate with tho Royal Welling ton Choral Society." The only objection raised was as t< the name of the now society which, i was suggested, should be the Roya Choral Society (with which is incorpor ated the Wellington Musical Union) Two or three membors objected to thi name, arguing that the title would sup pest absorption rather than anialgama tion. The'motion was carried unanimousb