Music for Connoisseurs

New Zealand Listener, Volume 22, Issue 557, 24 February 1950, Page 17

Music for Connoisseurs

times to travel the lanes and by-ways of music-the littleknown works of great compusers, traditional aits and antique folk music-trather than the familiar highways of the major compositions, should welcome news of a series of progtammes to be broadcast from the YA stations and. 4YZ, beginning early in March. Among the 15,000-odd items listed in the files of NZBS music library, there is available fot performance a great deal of music that, as far as is known, has not béen recorded-and certainly never broadcast-in this country. Since "last July, Bessie Pollard, who compiles and Too gh entation. of, classical or. YA stations, has , ig this collection and culled material for the new series-thirty-one programmes already and probably more to come. The amount of research involved was formidable and every item choseh had to be timed and annotated before its inclusion in the programmes. " ccoae who prefer someThe music for voice and instrument ranges across manhy hundreds of years, "from songs of the 12th Century French troubadours, through Tudor songs for voice and string quartet, and French bergerettes and pastourelles of the 18th Century, down to songs by American Negro cofhposers of today. The evolution of piano music, illustrated with examples of keyboard writing frotmgy_the 14th to the 17th Century, will be traced in thréé programmes, while the development of the trio sonata in the 17th and 18th \Centurieés will be présented in a set of six. The whole of

the sériés, prepared from music held by | the NZBS_ music library, will — be broadcast by local artists and small instrumental enséembles. The first of the broadéasts will be heard from 2YA at

7.30 p.m. 6n Marth 2, when a progtamine of 17th Century sacred songs, one of four illustrating stages in the history of sacred songs from Couperin _ to Rubbra, will be presented by Merle Gamble and Hilda Chudley, with Charles Martin at the organ, In the sameé programme listeners will hear a string quintet, led by Alex Lindsay, play a sonata with continuo, by Couperin.

Later programmes in this group will present Three Divine Hymns, by Purcell, sung by Muriel Hitchings, Biblical Songs, by Dvorak, sung by Sybil Phillips, -and Three Psalms, by Rubbra, sung by Sylvia Dellow. All ‘three singers will be accompanied by Charles Martin at the piano. The eight songs which make up the first of two programmes called English Folk Songs for Voice and Violin, come from Somerset-songs with a rustic setting, such as "the Sweet Primrose," "The Lark in the Morn," "The Crystal Spring," and "Searching fot Lambs."

This programme, sung by Isa Garden, accompanied by Ritchie Hanna, will be broadcast from 4YA on March 6. The sécond pfo--gfamme, also pfesented by Isa Garden. and_ Ritchie Hanna. from this

station, consists of another eight folk songs coverifig a wide range of subjects -tales of chivalry in "Flowers of the Valley" and in "Henry V. and the King of, France," a simple devotional Evening Prayet," two pictures of rustic simplicity, "The Merry Haymakers" and "Strawberry Fair," and two songs about sailors. The programme erds with a special arrangement. by Vaughan Williams, of "The Lawyer," a charmitig love tale. : Following -the rise of sold singing early in the 16th Century, John Dowland’s famous Book of Aytes, with dccompaniment for lute or voices, appéared about 1597. (The first printed book of songs so accompahied was issued by a Spaniard, sixty years earlier.) The lute, -an instrument of Eastern origin, seems to have been used first in Spain, passing then to Italy, to France, and so to England. Beginning on March 8, 4YZ will broadcast three programmes . of Tudor songs, with string accompaniment. .In the first, listeners will hear a four-part Ayre "Diaphenia," one of the loveliest madrigals composed by Fraficis Pilkington,, who died in 1638. This will be followed by two songs of Johh Dowlands, "Fine

Knacks for Ladies," and "Woeful Heart with Griefe Oppressed," both from his second "Book of Ayres," and the programme. ends with "Deare Though Your Minde," a song by William | Corkine. °

Songs by other Tudor, writers, including Thomas Campion (who was physician and poet as well as dramatist and composer), will be heard in later broadcasts from 4¥YZ, the whole series being presented by May Burman soprano), accompanied. by Peter. "Garrity and Hatvey Strang (violitis), Colin Matheson (viola), and Viétor le Petit (céllo).