ANDERSEN TYRER LEAVES FOR ENGLAND

New Zealand Listener, Volume 22, Issue 549, 30 December 1949, Page 10

ANDERSEN TYRER LEAVES FOR ENGLAND

NDERSEN TYRER, who has been a familiar figure to New Zealand musicians and concertgoers for a number of years -first as a pianist and examiner, then as conductor of the Centennial

Orchestra, and latterly as organiser and conductor of the National Orchestra of the NZBS-has left for England with Mrs. Tyrer. "We are going home to see our family for the first time in ten years," he told The Listener. It was in 1946 that Andersen Tyrer was given the task of organising the National Orchestra, selecting players from all parts of New Zealand and later visiting England to enroll new recruits, and _ since then-with the exception of occasions when guest conductors were invited to take over — he has |

conducted all rehearsals and concerts. Speaking of the influence exerted by the Orchestra on music in New Zealand, Mr. Tyrer said that he believed local composers had been materially encouraged by the performance of their works. In some ways, though, the influence of the orchestra had produced unexpected results. "The situation of orchestral players in New Zealand today presents something of a»paradox," he said. "They are, as it were, both abundant and scarce. There is now, on the one hand, a great deal of orchestral activity; on the other, a dearth of players for certain instruments. "The future of orchestral music in New Zealand is a matter of vital importance, and the country must face up to all the problems involved in retaining a professional symphony orchestra. But the supply is unequal to the de-mand-and is, in fact, still undeveloped in terms of future replacements. To meet the challenge squarely, we must criticise our musical life and, above all, realise the inadequacies of orchestral training. To my mind, the goal to be aimed at is a genuine fusion of musical otf —

education and professional musicianship. "To realise the necessity for achieving this goal, we must have a clear vision of the potential as well as the actual role of the musician in today’s society, and of the education necessary

to prepare the musician for that role. You must try to give young musicians a sense of their possible contribution to the develpoment on a large scale. Speaking in general terms, you must not train students exclusively for a_ professional career, but help them to see that New Zealand can become » a musical nation." Speaking of the benefits derived from , the extensive tours undertaken by the National Orchestra, © Mr. Tyrer said that these might well be cumulative in effect. Through them the Orchestra served the community artistic-

ally; by providing this service it became a centre of community pride and interest, and by being a focus of interest it extended its influence the more. "Judged by tangible results," he concluded, "the orchestra has had a marked influence on New Zealand, and no one could have wished for a more enthusiastic response from the many thousands of people who have made up our audiences." Mr. and Mrs. Tyrer were guests of honour at a reception given by the Government the day before they left for England. In March, Mr. Tyrer, who has not sought re-engagement as conductor of the National Orchestra, will conduct orchestral concerts in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Dr. Edgar Bainton, formerly director of the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, has ace cepted a temporary appointment as conductor and "will stay in New Zealand till March next. He was a, guest conductor of the orchestra in 1946. There have been 71 applications for the permanent conductorship; 22 were received _in Wellington, 40 in London and nine in Canberra. ST