Juvenile Violinist To Study In America

Radio Record, 11 March 1938, Page 56

Juvenile Violinist To Study In America

THE sum of about £1500 is required to~ send ten-year-old Alan Loveday, the Palmerston North violinist for whom the public of New Zealand are subscribing to a fund to enable him to study music in America under Louis Persinger, who trained Yehoudi Menuhuin, overseas. To date, just over £200 has been received from benefactors, and from the numerous executives of concerts arranged in his honour in many of the Dominion’s cities. At the beginning of the year, it was_ expected that the violinist would leave in April, but subsequent happenings have made the date of his departure uncertain. When he does leave, however, he will be absent for four years. Alan Loveday, who has always been under the tutelage of his father, Mr. L. G. Loveday, first handled a violin when he was three years old. It has only been for the past 12 months, however, that he has played with a fullsized instrument. The boy’s happy, friendly nature has not been in any way spoiled by the panegyric accorded him. Except for a longer hour for practising, his day iz spent in much the same manner as that of an ordinary boy. For three hours and a quarter Alan practises assiduously under the direction of his father, who, while never imposing on the boy’s selection of pieces, astutely teaches him appreciation of the old masters. For three-quarters of an hour before breakfast Alan Loveday practises, ‘in addition to an hour and a quarter after breakfast and a similar period after lunch. He does his school lessons at home, in the summer on the veranda of his parents’ suburban residence, with his mother, who, before her marriage was a certified school teacher. At 38.30 o’clock his working day ends and he is’ free to spend the hours before bedtime in playing games with his friends. An ambitious project for so young a musician is that which Alan Loveday is at present working on; namely the preparation of Edouard Lalo’s glorious composition "Symphonie Hspagnole for Violin and Orchestra." This work takes about half-an-hour to present and Alan, who has been working on it for the past three months, is aiming to present it at one of the many benefit concerts being arranged for him in the South Island. In the rendering of music composed for the violin, tone is largely a matter of physical strength, and as Alan’s age increases so his tone improves. With his increasing age there is also developing a greater depth of feeling. For one so young, his control over hig instrument is amazing, . He plays entirely from memory, has a marvellous sense of rhythm, and overcome technical diffculties with the ease and natural style of masterly playing. His bowing, either in staccato or in broad legato passages, is firm yet delightfully free in style, and the spacing of his chord work is most admirable.