Playing for the Royal Family

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 June 1927, Page 16

Playing for the Royal Family

MR. GUTTRIDGE’S CAREER IN THREE ROYAL ORCHESTRAS To have played in the private orchestras of Queen Victoria, King Edward, and King George, the Royal Opera Covent Garden orchestra, and the Queen’s Hall orchestra, under Sir Henry Wood, is an experience any musician should be proud of. JT is the experience of Mr. Maurice Guttridge, musical director of the Regent Theatre. It should also be mentioned that in between times he also found time to enlist during the war as a private in the British Forces, working his way up to the rank of acting-major. The latter phase of his life, although not adding in any way to his experiences as a musician, is of particular interest, adding as it does another nail in the coffin of the old fallacy that a musician could not be an all-round, normal, and practical man. Although born at New York, Mr. Guttridge is of English parentage. At the time his father was touring with Arthur Gilmore’s band, the greatest band in America of that period. When Gilmore died, Mr. Guttridge’s father returned, to England, and a fellowmember, a trumpet player named Sousa, took the baton. Later the combination became world-famous as Sousa’s Band. IN ROYAL ORCHESTRAS On'their return to England his father joined Queen Victoria’s private orchestra. At the age of six Mr. Guttridge had already received tuition in French horn playing and the pianoforte. So well advanced was he at the time of Queen Victoria’s

death that he was able to deputi: for one of the horn players, and h£ the distinguished honour of playir at her funeral.

Accepting a position in King Edward’s private orchestra, he remained in it under the baton of Herr Gotlieb throughout his reign, continuing to play in it as the private orchestra of King George until 1912. This preliminary experience has been undertaken with the one object in vi«w—the gaining of the necessary experience under famous conductors to enable him to qualify as a legitimate conductor. At the age of nine he won a French horn scholarship at the Trinity College of Music, ' London, later winning another scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music. In his later studies at the Royal Academy he continued the study of the pianoforte under Professor Berringer, and composition under the late Sir Alexander Mackenzie, principal of the Royal Academy. AT COVENT GARDEN Further orchestral experience was also gained in the premier production at the Queen’s Hall, with Arthur Wood as director, and also at the Palace Theatre, when Madame Pavlova made her first English appearance. Following an engagement with the Edison recording people, Mr. Guttridge accepted a position with the Royal Opera Orchestra at Govent Garden. The conductor-in-chief was then Dr. Hans Richter, without question one of the finest conductors the world has seen, while Arthur Nickish and Richard Strauss were also among the other maestros who conducted from time to time. For eight years Mr. Guttridge remained with the Covent Garden orchestra, gaining a wealth of experience that must now prove invaluable. During this period he played in Wagner’s famous “Ring” 32 times, the opera wlii.ch comprises “Tlie Ring.” “Rheingold,” “Siegfried,” “Valkyrie,” and “Gotterdamerung,” laking fourconsecutive evenings to perform. During his career at the opera house, three operas—“ Salome.” “Electra,” and “Rosen Cavalier”—were composed and produced by . Richard Strauss. One can easily imagine the wealth of experience acquired under such men. In 1909 Mr. Guttridge won another scholarship at the Royal College ol' Music which entitled him to three years’ further study. QUEEN’S HALL ORCHESTRA Between the grand f oi)tra season, playing with the Queen’s Hall Symphony Orchestra under Sir Henry Wood, he had further optortunities of studying the symphonic world, and afterwards with the London Symphony, New Symphory, and British Symphony Orchestras under Sir Henry Wood he stuck'ed the art of conducting. Sir Henry Wood and his famous orchestra is still the fountainhead of British music, am? u-nder such a man his training could not have been better completed With such experience behind him, it was not a difficult matter for Mr. Guttridge to be admitted to one of the most exclusive of English musical societies, the Musical Conductors’ Association, the honor?ry and examining council of which is composed of such famous musicians as Sir Frederic Cowen, Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Sir Landon Ronald, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Sir Henry Wood, and Mr. Edward German. The membership of this society, it may be added, is restricted to British subjects, and as far as it is known at the present time the only other member in Australia and New Zealand is Mr. Redmond, of Messrs. J. C. Williamson and Co., Sydney. Seven years ago Mr. Guttridge came to New Zealand with the “Irene” Company, proceeding afterwards to Australia to open up the Musgrove’s Tivoli vaudeville circuit, and it was upon the completion of that engagement that he was called to New Zealand to take over the directorship of the Regent orchestra.

On the musical side Auckland picture theatres have set a very high standard, and the extent that the Regent management has gone to in this direction can easily be realised from the qualifications ol its musical director, and also from the class of music provided. Recent performances cf Wagner’s “Rheingold” and “Meistersinger” music by Mr. Guttridge’s orchestra serve to indicate the excellent medium that exists in picture orchestras for the education of the masses up to a higher standard of musical appreciation.