W.E.A. LECTURE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 340, 29 September 1932, Page 4

W.E.A. LECTURE

YERSATILE GENIUS OF GSi BRITISH GOMPOSER, SULLIVAN ILLUSTRATED BY REC0ED1 The member s of the Rotorua!: of the Workers' Educational As tion held their second "open" in the Citizens' Gluh -room on' day eveniqg. The speaker of the evening \r, president, Miss M. A. French, n: livered an interesting address c: life and work of Sir Arthur Sit illustrated with gramophone n ings. Miss French, in opening, saii she felt that as a W.E.A. sh group they should have an on evening, in other words, a !« prepared by one of the memte contrast to those chosen hy the 15 Council and which had been used ing the winter session. Again, although they had had: evenings devoted td music, it had! Italian, French and German q leaving the impression that therei no Brtiish composers of note. evenihg' it was an entirely Britis!: gramme: The genius of Sullivan wassj satile, that although he was: known as the composer of then to the Gilbert and Sullivan light c: it was not so well known that b primarily, a composer df brai: music. From his birth on May 13, f Arthur Sullivan was surrouadd an atmosphere of musie; as a t; was a chorister at the Chapel Ee and later studied for 21 years >! Conservatoif e at Leipzig. By tfcef he was 20, he had composedd anth'anis and part songs. Royal Recognition In 1875 the University ofC hridge conferred on him the fc of Honorary Doc'tor of Music, as 1883 he was Knighted by Queefi toria, in recognition of his disting: ed talents as a composex*. Sullivan pass'ed away on Norc 22,- 1900. He was huried in thfiO of St. Paul's Cathedrhl. In 1905? the bust of Sullivan was to he p in the Savoy Gardens, his old f and partner, W. S. Gilbert, sent following quotation to be in® on" the bust.: — Is life a boon? If so, it must befal, That death when eer he call Must calfetoo soon. The lecture was illustrated! selection from the oratorio, Light of The World," sung' Itf choir- of Salisbury Cathedral' Night is_Calm" (The Golden M Florence Austral iand chorus; Of Christian Soldiers, choir of 8 Royal; Thou'rt Passing Hence,? Dawson; The Sailor's Grave, 5 Oldham; also selections from ti/ operas Trial by Jury, Pirates oh zance, Mikado, Yeomen of the 8 and the Gondoliers. Close of Season At the close of the evenif hearty vote of thanks was Miss French for her interesting ture, and also to Miss McDeriw her loan of a very fine grawot On Tuesday October 4, the«will meet for the last time tb son, when ahout 16 of the $ members will recite selected from Shalcespeare. The evening ing arranged -by Mr. W. H. The report and balance shee«. also he presented. The ,progi'anl^. the annual summer school, to f at Wesley College, Paerata, 26, 1932, to January 3, 1933, ^ ready dome to hand, and seveW' bers are hoping to attend.