"A NEW ZEALAND COMPOSITION"
Sir,-May I point out to A, D. Heenan that in his letter to you under the above heading in The Listener of July 12, he said nothing at all to rebut my criticism of Miss Pollard’s work? He did succeed, however, in being very boorish and rude -no doubt the result of writing in anger. Having stated, evidently to his own satisfaction, that I do not possess either of the qualities requisite-on the quoted authority of Leslie Orrey-for the prac-
tice of musical criticism: viz., facility with the pen, and insight into the spirit of music, Mr, Heenan asks me to inform him on what grounds I base my ¢laims. to be a music critic. Well, Sir, I think you will agree that this is a very awkward question for me to answer without seeming egotistical. I would much rather refer Mr. Heenan to such authorities in New Zealand as Dr. Vernon Griffiths, Lecturer in Music at Canterbury University College; Dr. Edgar Bainton, the former Director of Sydney Conservatorium of Music, who is visiting this country; Mr. Alan Mulgan, whose impending retirement from the NBS we have all heard of with deepest regret; or abroad, to Dr. Malcolm Sargent, who paid me a very high compliment when he was here some years ago; Eric Coates, Frederick Lamond,. Mark. Hambourg, Egon Petri, and the late Sir Henry, Wood, a friend of long standing, I could cite several more examples, sir, but these will suffice. Finally, sir, with further reference to the matter of Miss Pollard’s composition, allow me to point out a fact too often overlooked by champions of the modern musical-or, rather, un-musical -idiom; namely, that the basic essential of any kind of music is that it shall be pleasing to the ear. Mere cleverness on paper is frequently mistaken for
musicianship, whereas that means nothing whatsoever. Music is primarily intended to be listened to, and if it fail to satisfy aurally, it is ipso facto not true music. Most emphatically, Miss Pollard’s. work does ‘not. pass thie vital
test.
L. D.
AUSTIN
(Wellington),
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 370, 26 July 1946, Page 5
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348"A NEW ZEALAND COMPOSITION" New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 370, 26 July 1946, Page 5
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