JUNIOR SYMPHONY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 447, 16 January 1948, Page 14

JUNIOR SYMPHONY

John Bishop’s Work For Melbourne Children

years in Wellington. as conductor of the Royal Choral Union and the -Wellington Philharmonic Orchestra, has been appointed to the Elder Chair of Music at Adelaide University and Director of the Adelaide Conservatorium of Music. This means that Mr. Bishop goes back as Professor and Director to the city where he started his musical career. He was South Australian scholar at the Royal College of Music, London, where BISHOP, who spent six

he studied conducting under Sir Malcolm Sargent and Sir Adrian Boult, and pianoforte with Herbert Freyer. From Wellington he went to the University Conservatorium of Music, Melbourne, in 1934, and was appointed Director of Music at Scotch College, Melbourne, in 1937. His work among Victorian school children has attracted attention, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that it was a factor in his appointment to Adelaide. He was President of the Victorian School Music Association, and organised and conducted Melbourne’s Junior Symphony Orchestra, consisting of 80 boys and girls drawn from public and private schools. The following information about this orchestra is from an article written by Betty Gill, and comes to us by courtesy of the Australian High Commissioner. In the past, development of musical gifts was possible only to a limited extent in most Australian schools, since there was-little or no orchestral activity, and many gifted students who could have contributed greatly to the cultural life of their schools-and eventually even to Australia itself-were cut off

from the main channel of music. Today, these children are creating music themselves and bringing it to their schoolfellows. Mr. Bishop believes that making music is much more important in musical appreciation than listening. The children meet every Saturday morning, in the Melba Hall of the University Conservatorium. The youngest of the group is a 10-year-old boy flautist, the average age of the members is 14 to 16, and 19 years is set as the maximum age. "Rehearsal time has great value for these students," says Bishop. "Concert

performance is important, but nothing is more important than actual work which goes on from week to week. It is achievement that matters." One serious difficulty in maintaining the high musical standard of the orchestra is the changing personnel. The children leave school, or other studies may take up so much of their time that orchestral activity has to be given up. Because of this, auditions are held frequently throughout the year, so that new young players can take the place (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) of former students. The culminating point of the hard work and eagerness to learn expended in rehearsals is the yearly public concert given at the Melbourne Town Hall. Soloists for the concertos are chosen after all Victorian schools have been told of the coming concert and every child has a chance to compete for the coveted roles. The main works presented at the 1947 performance were the pianoforte concerto No. 1 by Beethoven, Symphony |’ No. 5 (Beethoven), and Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. Three young pianiststwo girls and a boy-handled the Beethoven. piano concerto in relay, giving an interesting sidelight on individual interpretation of this classic. Help for Promising Students From money raised at these public concerts, practical help is given to the most promising students. The first grant of £50 has been made to Wilfred Lehmann, 18-year-old violinist, in recognition of his excellent leadership of the orchestra since its inception, and of his exceptional promise. He is doing a diploma course at the Melbourne Conservatorium and hopes to go to England later to study. As well as leading the orchestra, he has at rehearsals deputised as conductor for Bishop. Lehmann has to leave the orchestra now because his work prevents him attending Saturday morning rehearsals. The School Music Association ‘plans to increase these grants as funds from these concerts grow, and it is also collecting children’s compositions, which will be played by the orchestra. In this way student composers will have an opportunity of hearing their own work and receiving valuable criticism. 4