NEW ZEALAND DAY IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 47, 19 November 1926, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND DAY IN ENGLAND

A DISAPPOINTING EFFORT. Si r ,—l feel constrained to write to vou after bearing the broadcasting of the talk on “New Zealand Day” which was given by the British Broadcasting Company to-night. I speak as a New Zealander who is anxious to see his country thought well of in the eyes of the world, and I blush with shame to think of the impression this talk must have made on many people in this country. It is difficult for i.e to talk about the musical part of the programme, as I myself was represented by one small' piece, which was oeautifully played by Miss Esthei Fisher. However. I fail entirely to see how such a programme as was given to-mgnt was at all representative of New Zealand composers. We had Alfred. Hill, Brahms Rachmaninoff and Chopin, etc. Nevertheless, the performers were excellent and a credit to the country. My real bone of contention is with the manner in which the entertainment was presented—and here I apologise if 1 am offending anybody’s particular susceptibilities. I cannot imagine a talk better calculated to prevent anyone from taking an interest in New Zealand or New Zealanders there «er Die childish bits of information about the Maoris, interspersed with what appeared to be entirely inappropriate songs. The whole thing gave the impression that one was attending to a fourth rate “turn’’ at a music hall. There seemed to be no dignity or form in the dis-course--there seemed to lie no attempt made to make people feel that there is any semblance of culture in the country or that any of the things hat are worth living for really exist. Finally, it seemed to show a painful lack of method on which to base an efficient propaganda for the country. What an opportunity lost! Perhaps I am mistaken in my view of the real intention of this discourse, and perhaps it was really meant to convey the i<iea that New Zealand is still a country of savages without much culture and which required people to go from this country to show it what things really it alter in this life. I hardly think so, for I know how unfounded such an impression is, and the author <.f the discourse must also know it and have unwittingly allowed his imagination to I know who was ro-ponaible for the imitation of train v histles end steamer noises which were undoubtedly meant to convey the listener ox -seas, but in this city of perpetual noise they appeared simply childish, inartistic and ineffective.—l am, etc. HUGO ANSON. MA., Mus.B.Cantab. P.S.—I have since writing this litter received a letter from a Spanish triend, who gives his impressions as a foreigner. I venture to think that they will be of interest to your readers also. The writer is a very great Spanish violinist and musician, although his English is. alas, rather elementary. I attach the letter' in case vou wisli to publish it. — H.A. London, September 27.

[Enclosure.] Cumberland Court. 63 Warwick Road, 5.W.5. Dear Hugo,—Yesterday evening I heard on the wireless the programme dedieated to New Zealand music and musicians, and I must tell ,ou that 1 felt verv disappointed. To begin with, the efforts of the speaker to convey an idea of New Zealand dances and songs failed to unveil the poetry that lies behind those manifestations of New Zealand’s romantic customs and sentimentality. The programme also was rather mediocre as far r.s the value of the composition is concerned, lecause I felt that those composers trying to express the spirit cf New Zealand national music in a modern’ idiom of harmonic conceptions failed by lack of personality and artistic conception. All those compositions were .like a bad translation of an original—’ike people in fancy dress —too masked to be recognised. And will you tell me why it was necessary to do the compositions of Chopin and Brahms in a New Zealand concert? lam sure the 8.8. C. was not responsible for the arrangement. I think it was a real opportunity cf showing to English audiences a sound development of New Zealand possibilities in music and a worthy representation of those possibilities.” (Sgd.) ANGEL GRANDE.