The Week's Music...

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 808, 21 January 1955, Page 10

The Week's Music...

by

OWEN

JENSEN

Now that the excitements of Christmas are well behind us and we have time to take stock of things, one more resolution might be added to the New Year list. That is, to make music at Christmas a somewhat more vital celebration. For it is a fact, as you may have noticed, that a good deal of preChristmas music tends to sound, if not a duty, at least a habit, rather than a spontaneous and genuine love. Too often the old familiar carols are treated familiarly, and the gift of something new in music is a rarer tribute than it should be. Among the programmes to which it seemed some especial thought had been given, was that by the National Orchestra and the Wellington Baroque Chorus with soloists Evelyn Haggitt and Donald Munro (YC link). With Stanley Oliver and James Robertson sharing the conducting, orchestra and singers presented interesting carol arrangements by Peter Warlock and Vaughan Williams. There were, too, five carols by Australian composer William James. Without drawing on mediaeval clichés for his ideas or becoming frantically modern, William James nevertheless avoided the mire of banality. What is more, this was no alien Christmas of sleds and snow, but a real

summery season of the Antipodes. William James’s Five Carols will be worth hearing again some time. A little programme that might be circulated, however, as a blueprint for Christmas music, was happened on by chance in Canterbury Roundabout (3YA). It was given by the Canterbury University College Madrigal Society conducted by Peter Zwartz. The singing made a pleasant sound and was jubilantly tuned to the occasion. Arrangements of English, Welsh, French and Czech carols made up a most enjcyable recital. I would be inclined to put this down as among the best smali group choral broadcasts of recent months. If you’re looking for something adventurous in the way of contemporary music but not too frighteningly "modern," keep an eye and ear on the music of Dutch composers circulating on the YC programmes under the aegis of the Radio Nederland transcription service. Heard in the last week or so were Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Oscar van Hemel, and Symphony No. 3 by Badings. Both were impressive works, the Concerto especially. It was brilliantly played by Theo Olof-of whom I hope we may hear more-and the Utrecht Municipal Orchestra.