MUSIC IN NEW ZEALAND
Sir-Miss Bessie Pollard’s review of Hinrichsen’s Musical Year Book, 194748 seems, in reference to my article on New Zealand Musical Activities, to have been written in that spirit of parochialism which still at times colours New Zealand critical writing. Ignoring the sections in the article devoted to Maori music, music in schools, music in the university colleges, the teaching profession and broadcasting, any or all of which might conceivably provide targets for a _ well-sharpened pen, Miss Pollard seizes on the accidental omission of one name as the chief evidence of an undesirable inter-island partisanship. It is indeed regrettable that Dr. Bradshaw’s name was omitted from the list of University Professors of Music, for his is one to be respected and remembered, but the article was intended to be a record of trends and movements rather than of personalities. The list of names, partly compiled in England, was added as a postscript at the suggestion of the publisher. (Incidentally, of those names included as specifically working in one part or other of the country, six are from the North Island and eight from the South!) Any other special cases mentioned are, in the main, examples to illustrate the general proposition. Obviously, in so short a survey, even though the writer made a sincere attempt to give a complete picture of the New Zealand musical scene, it were impossible to give credit to all the individual effort that has contributed to our cultural development. The essential criticism of Miss Pollard’s review, however, is that she should forget that we have outgrown the
childishness of North v. South controversies. More important than who initiates a movement or where it originates, is where it spreads to and who. benefits by it. If Miss Pollard cares to bring to my notice any important musical activity not included in the article -- remembering that the article was written more than a year ago-I shall be glad to pass the information on to the publisher for inclusion in any \ further reference to New Zealand’s music.
OWEN
JENSEN
(Auckland).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19471128.2.14.7
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 440, 28 November 1947, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
344MUSIC IN NEW ZEALAND New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 440, 28 November 1947, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in