School Music in Britain

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 659, 22 February 1952, Page 22

School Music in Britain

HAD the privilege of spending 1951 in England on leave of absence to study music in education. This course of study entailed travelling the length and breadth of England, and including visits to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, in the course of which I visited schools, youth clubs, music clubs, and attended conferences and schools music festivals. There was, I found, a great deal of musical activity in England. For example, in Derby, a town about the same size as Christchurch, there were the following musical eorganisations: Derby Philharmonic Orchestra, Derby Light Orchestra, Derby String Orchestra, Laurence Lee Grand Opera Society, Rose Hill Musical Society, Alan Turner Opera Company, Derby Opera Company, Ley’s Opera Company, Derby Choral Union, Richard Boughey Singers, Derby Male Voice Choir, Derby and Derbyshire Competitive Music Festival, Derby Recorded Music Society, Derby. Music Club, and Derby Youth Orchestra. As far as I could gather, these societies were flourishing, and it is possible there were other music groups I did not hear about. This interest in music was widespread throughout the country. The Standing Conference of County Music Committees states in its repoft, Music and the Amateur: "The combined effect of the growing enthusiasm of teachers, and ,the opportunities and © encouragement afforded the county committees and advisers has been enormous. School festivals, concerts, choirs, orchestras and string classes have multiplied beyond the | most sanguine expectations."

Public School Thoroughness The’ public schools have their own contributions to make to music through their chapel choirs, competent music staffs, regular recitals by good artists, orchestras and choirs, and house music competitions. Music tuition is almost invariably individual as opposed to group teaching. Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Durham, Oundle were some of the schools I visited. One of the schools that impressed me with the thoroughness of its music-making was Oundle. There are seven members on the music staff. Every year this school presents a major choral work in which the whole school participates. Last year it was Haydn’s Creation and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the year before that, Bach’s B Minor Mass. These works are not done for public performance, but for the enjoyment of the music. Outside artists are used only for the solo parts, the school providing: (a) the choir of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices, (b) a non-choir, (c) the orchestra, I heard the final rehearsal of the Creation and the Christmas Oratorio, when the choir consisted of 270 voices, non-choir 350,. and the orchestra 50 players. The non-choir was used to lend emphasis at appropriate places. For instance, in the chorus, "Achieved is the Glorious Work," it joined in on "Glory to His name for ever," and the effect was splendid. Other Oundle mvs cziivities are a Chancel cho#t. eat society, school orcheste>, *>epr string orchestra, "‘band-

master’s wind band, house competitions with vocal and instrumental sections, subscription concerts by famous artists and groups (e.g. Boyd Neel Orchestra), music periods for classes when boys learn sight reading, score reading, etc. The school offers annually a Major Scholarship to the value of £120 in instrumental music. It is not surprising that Oundle is noted for its music-yet it is probably even more famed for its workshops, and the engineers it produces.

Money for Music County schools are those which provide free education for the average ‘child. These schools, whether they be nursery, infant, primary, secondary, or for further education, are controlled by a Local Education Authority. Most of the authorities reflect the community’s interest in music by employing music advisers, These people, I found, were not only musicians of ability, but they also possessed enthusiasms tempered by tact which ,admirably suited them to their jobs. Authorities are spending money on musical education as a matter of course. Last year Cornwall spent some £5500, Glamorganshire £12,000, Dudley-a county borough with a population of 63,000 people- £2000, Lindsey in Lincolnshire, £2500. This money provided orchestral instruments for loan to children (who were encouraged to secure their own instruments as soon as possible), tuition in these instruments (usually group tuition), music, recitals by good artists, refresher courses and conferences in music, salaries of music advisers. Children in both primary and secondary schools make use of the opportunities to learn instruments, and it is the policy to draft. them into orchestras as ‘soon «s possible. The bigger schools usually have several grades of orchestras. In some districts, for instance East Glamorganshire, children travel to a centre, and form a district orchestra. These

children’s travelling expense are refunded | if at least 80 per cent. of the practices are attended. Groups of recorders are popular in both girls’ and boys’ schools. In some cases treble and tenor instruments are added to the descant ones. I recall an excellent rendering of two of Handel’s pieces by a group of 24 boys'of the Sefton Park Secondary Modern School in Liverpool. Orchestras and recorders are frequently used to play the hymns for the morning | assemblies-and, incidentally, English | schools have assembly halls. Percussion bands were valuable, I felt, when the children played from music. They were usually taught first to read) their parts through using French time | names, and this appealed to me. Audition-Festivals Festivals are popular. In some districts, for example in Northern Ireland and Ayrshire, they are competitive, but the trend is to the non-competitive type. The most interesting one is a kind of compromise. It is the festival with auditions. During the day the various groups perform in front of each other in- the presence: of an adjudicator, who writes confidential critiques, which are handed to the conductors concerned. Afterwards, the adjudicators usually discuss. performances with the teachers, meet the | children for a massed rehearsal, and conduct the evening concert. At the Portsmouth schools festival the choir was accompanied by an orchestra consisting of teachers, and all participating groups had to be regular school classes as shown in the school timetable. On the whole, music is in a healthy position; but this has not just happened. It has bétn due to good leadership. I quote again from Music and the Amateur: "The pioneer work in the counties of the last twenty years is bearing fruit and the many enthusiasts engaged in. the work of county music committees and rural music schools now see that they are taking part in a great and spreading movement."

A number of people remarked on Dr. Vernon Griffiths’s book, An Experiment in School Music-Making, in. which he describes a scheme he introduced into King Edward Technical College, Dunedin, in 1933, since when it has spread to a number of our leading secondary schools-and will, one can hope, be used in our primary schools too. It was good to hear this appreciation of work being done in New Zealand.