Planned Music

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 671, 16 May 1952, Page 11

Planned Music

LTHOUGH a few 1YC musical programmes are still of the "hear-my-record-collection" variety, or else organised upon some esoteric principle beyond the grasp of ordinary listeners, there has recently been signs of a distinct move in the direction of the integrated session. Personally, I find much English music has too great a family likeness, but I must applaud the planning which gave us recently two and a half hours of such compositions. ranging from Cathedral music, beautifully sung by the York Minster Choir, and some not too hackneyed Purcell and Byrd to more familiar but compelling moderri works. In the same week, my Mozart-centred spirit was elated by two hours of the master, of which half an hour came from Hazel Millar, soprano, and Felix Millar, violinist, in the studio. The Millars always select dnd perform their works with exceptional taste. I did feel that, on this occasion, the Haffner Rondo presented one or two slippery places where Mr. Millar’s feet just failed to grip. But their programme was a pleasant change from the colourless, aggressively middle-level selection most often heard from the studio, and it was well arranged to fit neatly into the re-

corded context.

J.C.

R.