Junior Symphony

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 778, 18 June 1954, Page 6

Junior Symphony

of enthusiasts in Auckland set about forming a Junior Symphony Orchestra. The idea and inspiration came from Gordon Cole, a school music specialist who was concerned about the lack of opportunity for young orchestral players to continue with their playing after they left secondary school. The scheme to form.a permanent youth orchestra was taken up with great vigour by musicians in Auckland, and received wide public support. As a result, an orchestra of 70 players was formed in the following year, with every instrument represented from the ‘piccolo to the string bass. The average age of the years ago a small group _-

players was between 17. and...18, and within a year and a half of its formation, the Auckland Junior _Symphony Orchestra gave its first’ annual concert in ‘the © Auckland Town Hall. Recordings were made last year by the NZBS at the Orchestra’s fourth annual concert, and these will be broadcast in coming weeks from the YC ‘stations. There are two programmes, and they will be heard first from

1YC, starting at 7.0 p.m. on Monday, June 21. The programmes are introduced by Dr. Charles Nalden, the conductor of the Orchestra, who speaks briefly about the history of the scheme to form it, and the aims of the men and women who made it a reality. "Very few of our members are fulltime music students,’ Dr. Nalden says, "but some do become fully fascinated with the idea, and endeavour to turn their experience with us to more serious account." Three former members were accepted by the National Orchestra, he says. A further four formed part of the orchestra attached to the Australian National Opera Company when _ it toured this country, and not~a few have passed on to Auck-

land’s senior orchestral group. the Auckland String Players. _ Dr. Nalden mentions that he was offered the post. of honorary conductor in 1951 after George Cole, the organiser and foundation conductor of the Orchestra, was obliged to resign through pressure of work. He pays tribute to the work of Mr. Cole, whose interest in a permanent youth orchestra started through ,his

work as conductor of the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Festival Orchestra. The Auckland Junior Symphony Orchestra was formed into an incorporated society, and one of the aims of this, society has been to encourage young soloists. In the first annual concert Ngaire Stead, now a member of the National Orchestra, played the solo part in Pergolesi’s Oboe Concerto. The second concert had Keith Field as soloist in the Grieg Piano Concerto, and this led to two further performances for him — with the National Orchestra. In the third concert the young violinist Antonia Braidwood played the solo part in Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending. 33 The soloists to be heard in the broadcast programmes are Murray Musson, who plays the solo part in Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, K.622, and Donald Bowick, who plays the ‘solo part in César Franck’s Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra. Murray Musson will be heard in the first programme; he is a commercial artist by profession. Donald Bowick,- who will be heard in the second programme, is a student at Auckland University College, where he was awarded the Auckland Centennial Music Festival Scholarship. He comes from Palmerston North. The programmes are of a high standard, although, as Dr. Nalden points: out in his introductory talk, it is possible to detect faults in the playing if you set out to look for them. He adds that "nobody is more acutely aware of our short-

comings and limitations than are we ourselves, but may we make this plea, that you condition your approach from our viewpoint; because, believe me, music making in this country needs all the generous support and encouragement it can get." After these programmes by the Auckland Junior Symphony Orchestra have been heard from 1YC, they will be broadcast during July and August from 2YC, 3YC and. 4YC.