Musical.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 11, 10 June 1893, Page 10

Musical.

(By Cokyex’.)

We, in modern times, can scarcely credit that the Chinese are as conservative in music as in other things. In Naumaun’s “History of Music ” he says, referring to the subject:—“All their music has from time immemorial been under State supervision, in order to guard against the stealthy introduction of any tone contrary to ordinance. Here we already meet with the pernicious influence of a bureaucratic pedantic State, as well as that of the prosaic character of the Chinese upon their music. Both features are exemplified in the names of the notes of their oldest musical scale, which consisted only of five tones, from ¥to D, omitting the B. The lowest note of this scale, F, was called ‘ emperor,’ the G ‘ prime minister,’ A ‘ loyal subject,’ C ‘ affairs of state,’ and the D ‘ mirror of the world.’ ” Is a second orchestral society a necessity? Judging from the meagre attendance at the Theatre Royal on Friday last I should say No! Support the Society you now have, I am sure Mr Gray will be happy to find a desk for any musician who wishes to join, and I would recommend the old maxim, “Union is strength.” Have one good s ciety. It is a pity the public will not rally found the Orchestral Union, whose members are so ready to assist on any occasion when their services are required. Could the Operatic Society not put another piece on ior this deserving institution ? The Invercargill Ox-chesti-al Union gave the third concert of the third season in the Theatre Royal on the evening of the 2nd inst. Invercargillites have the name of beingvery musical, but for some reason or another the concert did not secure a very large attendance. The programme was in many respects the most attractive of the series submitted by the Union, and was enthusiastically received by their patrons. The vocalists were Miss Kirwan, who contributed three songs, and deservedly won a liberal measure of applause ; and Mr Reunert (Dunedin) who also gave three selections, and who also succeeded in pleasing his hearers. The accompaniments w T ere played by Mr C. Gray. The instrumental section of the programme comprised examples from the works of Rossini, Strauss, Wagner, and Gounod. The various items w'ere given with a highly creditable degree of proficiency—one that could only have been reached after a lot of hard and painstaking practice under an enthusiastic conductor. That Mr C. Gray answers that description goes without say ing. Of a lady (Madame Antoinette Sterling) who is due in New Zealand shortly, “ Spare Moments” whites :—Mrs John M. Kinlay, the famous contralto singer, is, perhaps, the most remarkable woman of her class in England. She is a staunch teetotaller; a strong advocate for reform in female dress; and a student of natural history. Her letters are full of original thought, and she has a clever incisive way of expressing herself which many a popular author of to-day might copy to advantage. Her most treasured belonging is a dingy little book containing the w r ords of all her faveurite songs, and she always uses this in preference to the large open sheets affected by most of her fellow professionals. When w'e add that she is the mother of a very large family, to which she devotes a great deal of her spare time, readers wall understand that her life is a pretty busy one.