BRITISH MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2793, 10 June 1916, Page 14

BRITISH MUSIC.

Sir.—ls it not time that the musical societies of New Zealand. awoke to tho fact that some of the finest music over penned has teen written, not by Continental composers, but by men of our own blood: and that there is absolutely nn excuso for tlio contirunl presentation of nrogrammes consisting almost exclusively of well-worn foreign items? It is almost inconceivable that the won. derfnl reimi,«nnce of music in Great Britain should Tie unrealised in so progressive a country as New Zealand: vet tlml: scorns the only explanation which will nccount for such programmes as those of

the Orchestral Society on Tuesday last, and the Professional Orchestra for Sunday next, neither of which includes even one item by a British composer. Men of our own nationality have been, and still are, voicing our ideals and aspirations, and expressing, in an idiom that is not foreign to us, the soul of tlio people of our great Empire; anil yet our concert-givers, in th« majority of uases, will not spare even one place on their programmes for the work of these composers. What opportunity do our musical societk's give us of becoming acquainted with tho works of Elgar, Granville Bantock, Frederick Delino, Joseph Ilolbrooke, or any of tlio many others, the mere enumeration of whose works fills nearly 150 pagqs of the Year. Book of tlio Society of British composers? Theso bodies should act as educative agencies; and yet they exert no effort to bring us into touch with modem British compositions, often works of tho hi"lnv>t genius, wliich should be made available to us all. Surely, i# such times as these, it should be worth taking some trouble, and tfoing to some expense, to bo able to bear a sharo in spreading a knowledge of the glorious music of our own race.—l <im, etc., BRITISH MUSIC-LOVER. MACHINE-GUNS AND MOTOR-CARS. Sir,—As one who believes this war is poing to be won by the side putting the greatest killing-power into action, may I be permitted to make a. suggestion to the responsible authorities? Judging by ivliat one sees about the Wellington streets there is one motor-car in the Dominion to about every ten persons. These cars itt present arc mostly usc-d for adding adipose tissue to those who would be physically benefited by a little pedestrian exercise, besides piling up the casualty lists in our own home forces. The Old Land wants no help oil the sea, she has well shown. Why not commandeer about twenty thousand of these vehicles, which anything in the way of an engineer could armour: into a fearful weapon of destrnc. tion in a day? Each of these, mounted with a machine-gun, would do more 'destruction among the enemy than fifty soldiers. This was proved in Belgium'a experience. Some of your readers may ask about payment. Well, in most cases the owners would be well repaid in having it brought home to them, probably for tho first time. Hint fiey have enJoyed all these privileges for so long a period by reason of other sections of the Umpire to which, we all belong sulfering indescribable suffering and privation. In addition, the healthy exercise of pedes., trianism would rapidly restore the own< ois to #ich a condition of good health and fighting condition us to bo fit to nerve their country in somo.more practical form than lolling in motor-cars,' bedecked with the Union Jack—l am, PRACTICAL.