SINGING IN SCHOOLS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5073, 10 January 1927, Page 4

SINGING IN SCHOOLS.

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. MAORI SONGS TO BE INTRODUCED. Music has not yet assumed its right'ful place in the schools (says the “Dominion”). Where one. of the teachers on the staff of a primary school happens to be. particularly interested in music, and knosw something about it, good results are readily obtainable, as enthusiasm is the keynote of success in almost, anything. But there are. very many casds where there aer schools without a teacher who knows or cares anything about vocalism, in which case the efforts. of thd children are. often lamentable. Perhaps the worst attempt at class singing heard in Wellington is the pathetic attempts made by the University tsudents to sing their own college songs at the annual capping ceremony. A few puny voices are timidly raised in the beautiful “Gaudeamus,” and there are places so tender at times that it seems that the vocal fabric is completely breaking down. Year afifer year this find old college song has been “murdered” by the incompetency, or lack of spirit, or training, or all three, on ,tlie part of the students, until it is just a- pity that the singing is not cut out of the ceremony. That is only one notable, instance, apart from the primaiy schools. In these schools the trend of singing takes some eccentric forms which do not at all times reflect much credit on the teachers responsible. A person who is interested in the. subject happened to be passing a city school during singing time, just prior to the holiday, and was staggered to hear the children singing that tawdry sentimental vaudeville song “Always,” a sloppy, mushy love song of the type that is only written for a certain class would new be accepted as go°d music in the best sense of the. word, whilst the lyrics are distinctly com-mon-plcac. This is one case Where taste as to what children should sing we.nt astray. It is not desirable that popular music hall songs of the day should be taught the children, as they are usually without the right kind (, ’f merit and sentiment for heathy children.

In respect to t,he question as to what sort of songs should be sung, there are books innumerable of excellent patriotic, moral, stalwart, breezy, and even poe,tical songs thta breathe a Live of country and the Homeland ; there are very be.autiful English 'folk-songs, national songs or three, kingdoms, whilst there are numerous excerpts from opera that could be. taught the school children with pr fit. to them and those that come after them, for the songs learnt a school are, never forgotten through life. Another vista has bene opened up by tlie possible introduction into the schools of t,he collected songs, either written or arranged by Mr Alfred Hill, formerly of Wellington, and now of the staff of the Sydney Consevatorium. Mr Hill has arranged some genuine Maori airs very cleverly, and . they have been printed in London and published by John McIndoe, of Dunedin. These songs are, collated under the t,itie of “Songs of the Maori,” and Mr Taylelr. the new director of music in the schools, has promised to se,e that they are introduced into the schools during the present eyar. The ararnger, in af forenote, thanks Haere Hongi, James Cowan, Elsdon Best, J. McDonald, A. T. Ngata, M.P., P. Tahiwi, and Bella Papakura for the assistance given his in his task.