MUSIC BY DOMINION COMPOSERS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 786, 13 August 1954, Page 9

MUSIC BY DOMINION COMPOSERS

NZBS invited composers living in New Zealand to submit works for inclusion in a series of programmes that would give a comprehensive survey of the music being composed in this country at the present time. The works were to be performed by the best artists available and broadcast from the YC and YZ stations and Radio New Zealand. The result has been a most interesting selection of works of all kinds, ranging from small orchestral pieces to the humble song, and these have been made up into 15 half-hour programmes called Music by New Zealand Composers. They are at present being heard each week from 2YC on Monday evenings (the second programme will be broadcast at 7.57 p.m. on Monday, August 16). They will be heard later from the other National stations and beamed overseas to shortwave listeners. Thitty-six composers were asked to submit a selected group of five or six compositions, any work being eligible whether it had been published or performed before or not. Songs, instrumental works, and music for small combinations, vocal or instrumental, were particularly asked for. About 28 composers replied, and the resulting selection numbered 84 separate compositions in all. The composers represented in the programmes come from all parts of the country, from Auckland to the Bluff. Besides widely-known musicians like Ernest Jenner, Dr. Vernon Griffiths and Dr. V. E. Galway, there are such composers as Douglas Lilburn, of Wellington, H. C. Luscombe, of Auckland, David Sell, of Christchurch, and Terence Vaughan and Owen Jensen, also of Wellington. Tracy Moresby, Thomas Gray and Ashley Heenan are represented by works of unusual interest, and Nigel Eastgate has a song-cycle, "Home is the Sailor,’ in the series. Among other composers of songs are "Richard Dixon," Barry Trussell, Dorothy Curtis, Ronald Dellow, David Menzies, Keith Field and John Ritchie. It was not anticipated at first by those planning the series that orchestral comAY NzE 18 months ago the

positions would be included, but in view of the standard of some of the! works submitted. the Alex Lindsay | Orchestra and the Auckland String Players conducted by Georg Tintner were engaged. The latter group plays a suite by Barry Trussell, and the former plays two selections by Thomas Gray ("Two Folk Songs" and the suite Questions and Answer), a suite by Garrick Thompson, and Allegro, by Leslie Thompson. Instrumental works include a violin sonata by Claude Haydon. trios by Ter- | ence Vaughan, Doris Sheppard and Douglas Lilburn, a ‘cello sonata by | Berenice Rodewald, two clarinet works | by Owen Jensen, organ compositions by Joseph Papesch, of Auckland, and others, and a number of piano pieces. Vocal work is well represented in the series. The Wellington Baroque Chorus conducted by Stanley Oliver sings "Four Songs for Chorus,’ by Dr. V. E. Galway, and the Auckland University Madrigal Group, directed by Thomas Rive, sings songs by Leslie Thompson, David Menzies and Keith Field. The English Singers conducted by Malcolm Rickard sing several songs by John Longmire, and the Christchurch Harmonic Society and the Christchurch Cathedral Choir sing songs by Dr. Vernon Griffiths. Solo songs are sung by | Barbara Hyland (soprano), Maurice Larsen (tenor), John Dellow (baritone), Robert Wilson (tenor), Winstone Sharp (baritone) and others. H. C. Luscombe has contributed "Six New Zealand Songs," which are presented by Dorothy Hopkins (soprano), James Hopkinson (flute), George Hopkins (clarinet), H. C. Luscombe (dulcitone), and the Community Arts Service Quartet. These songs are settings of New Zealand poems. David Sell is represented by "Five Songs on an Aspect of Nature," performed by Pauline Price (soprano), Loretta Cunningham (piano) and the Alex Lindsay Quartet. His songs are settings of poems by Thomas Hardy, who is regarded as one of the hardest poets to set to music, and listeners will be able to judge for themselves how well the composer has succeeded. Those who contributed works for the series Music by New Zealand Composers were given the chance to nominate the artists they would like to perform their compositions, and the suggestions they made were generally found | to be acceptable by the NZBS. When | the programmes were in the rehearsal stage, the composers were also invited to be present at rehearsal in order to give advice to the players, so that the performance would come as close as possible to the composer's intention. Many were able to take advantage of this opportunity. Composers who had written songs | which were settings of contemporary poetry were advised on copyright problems, whether New Zealand or overseas poetry was involved. The performance of one or two part songs required large numbers of parts, amounting to several hundred pages of music, to be copied out, and the NZBS gave assistance in preparing these extra copies. All compositions submitted for the series were examined by the NZBS before a selection was made, and, although it wasn’t possible to include everything in the 15 programmes, some of the works left over are being used independ- | ently for broadcast from local stations. |