The Week's Music...

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 800, 19 November 1954, Page 10

The Week's Music...

by

OWEN

JENSEN

}-ROM the Music by Commonwealth Composers (3YC) performed by the BBC Orchestra and the BBC Chorus and soloists, the most impressive works were Lilburn’s "Aotearoa" Overture, South African Van Wryk’s Christmas Cantata excerpts, and Australian . John Antill’s Corroboree, But surely Antill has written something else besides his aborigine ballet music, as, we know Douglas Lilburn: has produced much more music and more mature music, too, since the early "Aotearoa" Overture. Hearing this familiar music from composers we know, raises the suspicion as to how representative, after all, such a selection may be. It’s almost 20 years since I first heard Mary Pratt sing: Already in those days she left an impression of fine artistry. Over the years she has established a reputation for consistently beautiful singing by which, too, Dunedin and other parts of the country have derived much pleasure. Mary Pratt’s singing of Bach (YC link)-I missed out on the Handel-showed: that her’ voice is no less rich and her musicianship as impeccable as always. Maurice Till as accompanist and solo pianist was an admirable associate. From north to south, this has been a big week for choirs-the Pitt Street

Methodist Choir (YC), the Minstrels (1YA), the Hamilton Civic Choir (1XH), the Wellington Madrigal Group (2YC), the Khandallah Singers (2YA), the Royal Christchurch Musical Society (3YC), and the Dunedin Primary Schools’ Festival (4YA). Some of these choirs were big, some small, some of the singers were young, others less young, experienced and inexperienced; and the programmes introduced a wide variety of music. Most of these broadcasts would turn out enjoyable entertainment; but more important, in terms of music about the countryside, they represented many people singing, people who are obviously not content just to sit round and listen, Without any disrespect to the listener by habit, all this activity adds up to a strong and healthy breeze blowing the cobwebs off our music. A well-presented programme off the beaten track was "Please to Remember" (3YC), in which Myra Thompson had devised a musical celebration of November birthdays. She was assisted by Ngaire Wilson, John Scott, Grahaeme Johnson, Jennifer Barnard and Wynyard Cobby. Charmingly introduced and sung and set out around its background, this music made good listening.