New Zealanders Record for NZBS in London

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 774, 21 May 1954, Page 10

New Zealanders Record for NZBS in London

New Zealanders to study the arts in Britain and Europe has become a steady stream since the war, and two or three years ago a group of New Zealand musicians studying and working in London decided to form an association for their common interest called the New Zealand Music Society. Warwick Braithwaite, who was then in London, was its first president. A number of successful concerts have since been held by the Society in the Arts Council Building in St. James’s Square, and more recently, as a result of negotiations with the BBC and the NZBS, a series of recital programmes was recorded in the London Studios of the BBC for presentation in this country. The first of these recordings recently atrived in Wellington, and the series will be broadcast regularly from~ the YC, stations during the coming winter months. The first programme, containing performances. by Denis Dowling (baritone), Jack McCaw (clarinet) and William Clark and Ann _ Broomhead (pianists), will be broadcast in a link of the YC stations at 9.0 p.m. on Tuesday, May 25. This programme includes an interview with the New Zealand ballerina Rowena Jackson by Andrew Gold, exodus of talented young

the compere of the programme. An introductory talk is given by the New Zealand High Commissioner in London, the Hon. F. W. Doidge. Denis Dowling sings "Furibando" from Handel‘s opera Partenope, "Verdi Prati," also by Handel, and "All’ Acquisto. di Gloria," by Scarlatti. He is accompanied at the piano by William Clark. Jack McCaw, with Ann Broomhead, plays Milhaud’s Scaramouche suite. Rowena Jackson. discusses in her interview with Andrew Gold her early work in ballet, her more recent appearances as a ballerina with the Sadler’s Wells company, and her plans for the future. The signature tune at the beginning and end of the programme is an arrangement for women’s voices by Max Saunders of a well-known Maori song. In the second programme in this series by members of the London Music Society, listeners will be able to hear an interview with the new conductor of the National Orchestra, James Robertson, and items by Patricia Naismith (viola), Mary Richards (pianist), Leslie Andrews (tenor) and Jean Anderson (pianist). The programme’s signature tune will be sung by Pamela Ballard, Cecile Davies, and Valda The third programme will include items by Douglas Zanders, Pamela Ballard,

Valda McCracken, John Thompson, Godfrey Tiffen, Leslie Atkinson, Marjorie Alexander, Cecilia Keating and Brian Ashbridge. The fourth programme in the series will include items by Wilfred Simenauer, Lawrence Edwards, Teresa Fahey, Valerie Beere and William Clarke. The fifth programme . features Wenda Heald, Bryan Drake, Mary Richards, Jean Lennie, Bernadine . "Wood, and Ronald Tremaine. The aims of the New Zealand Music Society, according to its first chairman, Ian Harvey, who returned to New Zealand at the end of last year, are both musical and social. At each of its London gatherings members present a short musical programme, and from time to time new works written by New Zealand composers are performed. Last year several prominent musicians addressed the Society. Sir Bernard Heinze, the Australian conductor, spoke at one meeting, and Graham Carritt, of the Royal College of Music, and Eric Grant, of the Royal Academy of Music, spoke about their tours of ‘New. Zealand as examiners for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools, of Music. At one meeting the Society combine with the London Contemporary Musi it (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) Society to hear a performance of a Duo for Two Violins written by Dr. Ronald Tremaine, an outstanding young New Zealand composer now in London. One of the violinists. was Alan Loveday. This work was later chosen to represent New Zealand at the International Festival of Contemporary Music at Salzburg, and was also played on the BBC Third Programme.

Recently the New Zealand Music Society organised a competition for a new work for voice and piano, as part of a campaign to stimulate the production of new compositions. The Society also works for closer relations between musicians in New Zealand and England. Newsletters about musical activities in the main New Zealand cities are sent to members in London, and news of activities there is sent to musical organ_isations in New Zealand.