New Zealander Playing His Own Music

Radio Record, Volume IX, Issue 2, 19 July 1935, Page 59

New Zealander Playing His Own Music

Cello and Piano Compositions to he Played from 2Y A

NE of the too infrequent occasions on which New Zealanders are heard playing their own compositions will be on August 1, when Hamilton Dickson and Deci-

ma Hughson are to broadcast ‘cello and piano numbers respectively from 2YA. Three ‘cello solos, ‘Arietta,’ "‘Bouree" and "‘Romance," and three movements of "Country Suite" (Winding Lane, Waving Corn and Dance of the Scarecrow) have all been written by Hamilton Dickson recently, and are numbered among many more of his compositions as showing unusual merit and not a little originality of the sort which is too rare among New Zealand musicians. Mr. Dickson has‘been teaching in Wellington for the last eighteen months before which he had spent some years in Christchurch, and later in Sydney, where in addition -to teaching he studied composition under Alfred Hill, and singing under Ronald Foster at the State Conservatorium. While in Sydney Mr. Dickson was a *cellist with the New South Wales. State Orchestra, in the Sydney Professional Orchestra, soloist in broadcasts from 2FC and 2BL, and solo baritone in St. Jude’s Choir. He has also conducted orchestral and choral combinations in both Australia and New Zealand. One of his most successful appearances was at

Palmerston North last year, where he received high praise from critics when he conducted a performance of his own orchestral suite — Serenade, Barcarolle and

Valse Finale. On this occasion he also made a great impression with his conducting of glee singing. While in Australia he played in string quartets and quintets with Alfred Hill. . Decima Hughson, who is interpreting Hamilton Dickson's ‘‘Country Suite" on August {, is also a New Zealand pianist, who studied in Christchurch with Ernest Empsom, well known as a solo pianist and accompanist. She has been teaching pianoforte in Wellington since early this year. It was by the impressions gained when, motoring on one occasion that Hamilton Dickson was inspired to write his "Country Suite.’’ From'the turning off the main road into and along a country lane, its smooth and rough patches, and its later juncton with the main road again, the first movement was conceived. Later a large field of waving corn, bending further in occasional gusts of wind, gave the impression for the second movement. ‘Dance of.the Scarecrows," the third movement, is a rhythmical musica] tribute to a loose-limbed scarecrow dancing on his prop-in a tising wind-which the composer spied be~ fore he left the country behind.