Malcolm Sargent Gives Wellington the Treat Of A Lifetime

Radio Record, 21 August 1936, Page 17

Malcolm Sargent Gives Wellington the Treat Of A Lifetime

Famous Conductor Cheered. By Huge Audiences an APHERE were two memorable highlights last week in Wellington’s musical history-the performing of a concerto by Russia’s greatest living conductor, Rachmaninoff, with a. famous fellow countryman, Paul Vinogradoff, at the piano, and the greatest living conductor of concerto, Dr. Malcolm Sargent, wielding the baton; the second, at the Royal Choral Union's concert, when the vast audience rose -to its feet and, with Dr. Sargent conducting, the full orchestra and choir gave the National Anthem as it has seldom been heard before. Eyes were wet before the first-majestic chords of Mendelssohn's "Elijah" were ever struck.

charming naturalness have set all Wellington talking in the past week,» has done more for music in the capital than any other person in the last 20 D: MALCOLM SARGENT, whose magical baton and years. ~ oO Had Sir Thomas Beecham arrived with the full Covent Garden Opera Company, greater en‘thusiasm could not have been shown. Music has gone back to its lofty pedestal, and Wellington citizens-in fact, listeners all over New Zealandowe a very great. debt to the Wellington Symphony ’ Orehestra and the Royal Choral Union for their courage and foresight in enlisting the services of "such a man as Dr. Sargent. And twice in one week the Town Hall echoed to the cheers-ves, full-throated and hearty cheers-of audiences

whose enthusiasm is wusually confined to a few handclaps. Wellington has been given the musical treat of its life, and it is indeed glad news that a further concert, this time in company with the talented pianist, Hileen Joyce, will be given by Dr. Sargent before he finally leaves for Australia. The "musical critic of "The Dominion,’ enthusing rightly about the performance of the Wellington Symphony Orchestra under Dr: Sargent’s baton the other evening, said: "The band did not seem like. the Wellington Symphony Orchestra at all, praiseworthy as many of its performances in the past have been. It was an orchestra under the spell of a conductor of infinite knowledge, . sympathy and inspiration; an orches‘tra’ with a new dignity, a new sense of tone values; 4 new affinity with the conductor and one another, and a new and deeper appreciation of ordered modulation. This was the magic exerted by Dr. Sargent." Gratifying. as this praise’ was, Dr, Sargent had no desire’ to allow his conducting of the orchestra to detract from: the work. ‘that. had: been: done by’ Mr: Leon de Mauny. In .a_ télephone eonversation with the ‘"Ra- dio Record" on the morning following the concert, the. doctor paid. generous tribute to both the orchestra and its regular conductor.

"The combination is a splendid one," he said, "and we could never have given the performance we did if it had not been for the excellent work done by Mr. de Mauny. I have been both amazed and delighted at the musical knowledge and execution of the Wellington Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Choral Union." These words are not mere conventional praise from a visiting musician-Dr. Sargent is not a man to make pretty speeches. He says what he means, and often straight from the shoulder. Although disappointment was felt at the last-minute change from the "Peer Gynt" suite to Hlgar’s "March of Pomp and Circumstance" at the symphony concert, there Was not a person who could. deny that the playing of Elgar’s composition was one of the dramatically. stirring

moments in WYWellington’s musical history. Those last few bars, with the orchestra playing as it had never played before, the great organ welling majestically on, and Dr. Sargent, his personality vitally affecting players and audience alike, wielding the baton, will go down in memory as one of the supreme achievements in New Zealand music. On the Saturday evening the Town Hall was besieged by thousands, the huge and enthralled audience including their Excellencies, Lord and Lady Galway. A few moments before the Gov-ernor-Genera] appeared, Dr. Sargent took his place: in the rostrum, and the waiting thousands rose to their feet and remained stockstill until the last notes of "God Save the King" had died away. The Choral Union had other surprises in store. The part of Elijah was sung by Sydney de Vries, the well-known Dutch baritone, who is touring the national broadcasting stations, while Beatrice Pugh was the soprano.. The choir and orchestra were like beings possessed, and, when near the voices and musie were lifted to "Behold! God _ the Lord Passed By!" the great hall echoed and reechoed to the wonderful and terrible majesty of the music,