THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 23369, 12 September 1939, Page 3

THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

[By L.D.A.]

Music gives tone to the universe; wings to the mind; flight to the imagination; a charm to sadness; gaiety and life to everything—Plato.

Reports from London hove informed us that the war has necessitated the complete cessation of all sports and amusements. Presumably, though not specially indicated, a similar ban operates upon concerts and every kind of public musical activity, excepting radio transmission. This means that, for the first time since they started, 44 years ago, the famous “ Prom.” concerts at Queen’s Hall have suffered interruption. It is a disturbing thought to musicians, for nobody knows how long the war may last, and there is always the chance that these concerts may never be resumed. Sir Henry Wood is now over 70 years of ago, and in the ordinary course of things even his marvellous vitality and tenacity must give way sooner or later. But the abrupt termination of the Proms, in the middle of their forty-fifth season has very unpleasant implications and possibilities. Apart from other and deeper considerations, musicians will pray for an early end to hostilities, so that the long-cherished Proms, may speedily resume their glorious career.

It is Interesting to note what a vast difference modern conditions of warfare have made to music in London. Except for a few modifications, the Gre at War of 1914-18 had little or no effect upon concerts there. I may be pardoned, in consequence, for quoting from Sir Henry Wood’s book, * Aly Life of Music,’ some passages that relate particularly to the outbreak of the previous war (I won’t say the “ last ” war, as present events disprove the term). In a chapter headed 1 The War Years,’ Sir Henry writes as follows: “ I had earmarked a week to spend at Bayreuth in order to hear ‘ Parsifal ’ on August 4, 1914, as a kind of refresher prior to conducting my own concert performance of the same work at the Norwich Festival that autumn ; hut Robert Newman (Sir Henry’s colleague and the originator of the Promenade Concerts) begged me not to leave England on account of the unrest everywhere on the Continent. 1 must admit I disagreed with him, but I gave in to what proved to be wise counsel.

“ I fear I have never read my daily newspaper with the diligence of the average Briton ; and when war was declared it came like a bolt from the blue, as far as I was concerned. I interviewed Sir Edgar Speyer (Newman’s financial backer) and Newman regarding that season’s Promenade concerts, and put the question of whether they should be run at all.

“'Not, run them?’ snapped Newman. ‘ AVhy not? The war can’t last three months, and the public will need its music just the same. So will our orchestral members need their salaries.’ ”

■ [lncidentally, it was the general opinion, among many people who should have known better, that the war would be over in a few months.]

“So (continues Sir Henry) we opened as usual on August 15. Public feeling had not then reached boiling point, bnt it was getting dangerous, i remember how intensely unhappy I was during those early days. I jelt so deeply for my friends the Speyers, who were of German birth. Yet they had done so much for the furtherance of music in London. Despite this, they were not spared from little slights and insults at the hands of both the Press and the public. “ We opened our first concert with the National Anthem and the ‘ Marseillaise ’ to a crowded house in whose demeanour one could trace no signs or thoughts of war. For all that, the lesser Press was demanding that all German music should be deleted from our published programmes, and a largo number of letters had reached Newman to the same effect. The following Sunday we held a long meeting of the Queen’s Hall directors, and decided to withdraw the customary Wagner programme the next night, substituting a programme of Russian, French, and British composers, preceded by the National Anthem and ending with the ‘ Alarseillaise.’ This change was intimated to the audience thus: ‘ Sir Henry Wood begs the kind indulgence of those patrons who may he disappointed at the omission of the usual Alonday evening Wagner concert, the postponement of which has been necessitated by force of circumstances.

“ A few nights later appeared this supplementary intimation :

“ ‘ The directors of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra think that some explanation of the change of programme last Monday is due to their subscribers and to all who have so loyally supported the promenade concerts in' the past. The alteration was not dictated by any nar-row-minded policy of intolerance, but was the result of outside pressure brought to bear at the eleventh hour. With regard to the future the directors hope—with the broadminded co-opera-tion of their audiences—to carry out the original scheme of the concerts as nearly as possible according to their prospectus.

“ ‘ They take this opportunity of contradicting emphatically the statements that German music will be boycotted, during the present season. The greatest examples of mu.sio and art are world possessions, and unassailable even by the prejudices and passions of the hour.

“ ‘ For the directors of the Queen’s Hall Orchestra. Robert Newman, manager.’ ■” The result of this manifesto. Sir Henry goes on to tell ns. was that “ the usual Wagner programme was reinstated on August 24, not to be disturbed again during the four years of the war.”

I am wondering whether an echo of the musical intolerance he mentions will be heard in New Zealand during the prevalence of Great War No. 2. 1 know for a fact that certain contracts with alien performers have already been cancelled by the broadcasting authorities. This precaution could hardly he avoided, f suppose, because nobody knows how many spies the Nazi Government employs in outlying countries. Talking of spies reminds me of Sir Henry Wood’s allusion to his friends the Speyers—a most unfortunate name in the circumstances. Let me quote some more from his hook:— “The Queen’s Hall management had no light task before them in that war period. Everyone who lived through those dreadful years will remember how either cheering or depressing news affected the mind of the public. Day in. day out. we received hundreds of letters; some were kind and grateful, others resentful because men should

keen out of the Army to make music, while the foolish few who tried from the first to banish all German music gave Newman endless anxiety, even though he was strengthened in his determination to prove that musical art was beyond any national limits and that the classics were the world’s heritage. . . . The concerts were not so crowded as formerly, but the fact that they continued at all gives convincing testimony to Sir Edgar Speyer’s generosity. Eventually, pressure of public opinion compelled him to leave England, hut he left it richer in music than he found it—at a cost, to himself, of over £30,000.”

Could the irony of circumstance go much further than this? Just imagine a man whose munificence had benefited British music and musicians to the extent of more than £30,000 being hounded out of the country of his adoption! Of course, war is no respecter of persons, and it must be exceedingly difficult to know exactly where to draw the line. Perhaps the very name “ Speyer ” was against its generous owner. What happened to him subseouently I have not been able to ascertain, though 1 fancy he died some years later in America. While on this subject, one little anecdote of Sir Henry Wood’s must be related:—

“ Just before the Speyers left London, I was walking one day with Lady Speyer in Hyde Park. We watched one of the many companies of young men drilling and marching, in preparation for military service. I remember Lady Speyer turning to mo and saying; 1 ilv dear Henry, how can these young, untrained boys hope to conquer our armies of trained soldiers? It is dreadful!’ ” Sir Henry docs'not comment upon this naive remark, but he must have chuckled when the “ young, untrained hoys ” got the hordes of “ trained soldiers ” on the run. Let us hope fervently that history in this respect may repeat itself right speedily.