MECHANISATION OF MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19794, 18 February 1928, Page 15

MECHANISATION OF MUSIC

EFFECT OH PROFESSION Dr E. Markham Lee, president of the British Incorporated, Society of Musicians, opening the thirty-eighth annual conference at the Mansion House, dealt with the mechanisation of music and its effect on the careers of professional musicians. The past year, Df Lee said, had been ono of more or less universal depression in music, except for ’ the more mechanical forms, such as the gramophone and wireless. In the bigger forms of music, opera had been artificially supported, but it was in a rather desperate condition. Orchestral concerts had been continued with great difficulty, and in the case of the promenade concerts only with the aid of the British Broadcasting 'Corporation. Recitals were successfully attempted only by the very few. The only thing for budding artists was to send free tickets plus a cheque for cab fares and dinner, and in that way they might get an audience. (Laughter.) The new conditions represented by the mechanisation of music came at a time when many musicians in or around middle life found it difficult to meet the altered circumstances. Turning to the, consideration of remedies, Dr Lee said it was obvious that, however many programmes per week the British Broadcasting Corporation arranged, however many musicians the gramophone or the pianola might employ, the organisations representing these mechanisms could not use as many artists as were required all over the country in the past. While all professions were overcrowded, that of music was especially so, particularly in the case of the music teacher. There was only one remedy—to reduce the number of entrants to the profession. Mr A. Rawlinson Wood) director of music at Denstone College, said that there were more hoys learning music in th© schools than had ever been known before. Wireless and the gramophone were a tremendous help to music, at least in the schools. He agreed that it would he well to have a literary examination, as well as a professional one, for entrance to the profession, which really was an open field into which everybody could rush. Sir Henry Coward said that mechanical music had undoubtedly injured choral and orchestral societies in the country, but ho thought that was only temporary. Wireless and the gramophone were at least interesting people in music, and sooner or later these people would want to hear “ the real thing.” Mr Bernard Johnson said that his experience as a university lecturer on music in the villages convinced him that the nation was still at heart highly musical. i