David Farquhar

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 800, 19 November 1954, Page 29

David Farquhar

[AviID FARQUHAR was-something of a prodigy among composers when his Trio for violin, ’cello-and piano was broadcast from Station 1YA ten and a half years ago. The lad from Wanganui was then only 15, and he took part in the broadcast himself, playing the piano part with Carl Whitmore (violin) and Lalla Hemus (’cello). In 1947 four songs by Farquhar, settings of poems by William Blake, were broadcast from 3YA by Marijean Edmonds, mezzo-soprano. The youngster graduated in music and arts from the University of New Zealand, and later went on to England, where he graduated in arts from Cambridge University. He made further studies of music at the Guildhall School of Music under Benjamin Frankel, and since his return to New Zealand he has been lecturing in music at Victoria University College. More recently he has become known for his incidental music for the plays Ring Round the Moon and A Midsummer Night's Dream, produced by the New Zealand Players. These compositions have both been broadcast, and so has his Overture for String Orchestra, Epithalamion. Last year he contributed, along with other New Zealand com-

posers, to a musical sequence in honour of the Queen. This work was a feature of the New Zealand Composers concert by the Auckland Lyric Harmonists in October of last year. In the current broadcast series of Music by New Zealand Composers, two songs by David Farquhar may be heard in the 15th programme. They are "Primrose" and "Wild Iron," the latter a setting of a poem by Allen Curnow. The songs were composed in 1951 and are sung by Gerald Christeller (baritone) with the composer at the piano.