Bringing Together The Child And The Masterpiece

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 34, 3 February 1939, Page 12

Bringing Together The Child And The Masterpiece

An Experiment in School, And A book

yf a school examiner of Victorian days wero’ to enter some of our New Zeeland schools to-day, he would be puzzled with many things. For example, if he witnessed a lesson in music appreciation his mind might go back to a duet in "H.i.5S. Pinafore," in which Buttercup makes the bold assertion: Things are seldom what they seem; Skim milk) masquerades as cream. But that would be only a part of the story, because in many crowded city classrooms and in the not-so-crewded. rural. "halls of learning," the work of teaching music appreciation goes on antl prepares the children for experiences "that very few ‘Victorian youngsters were privileged to enjoy. For the purpose of educating a new weneration to become intelligent listeners, many enthusiastic teachers are devoting time to this big subject of music appreciation, and thus widening the ecuitural horizon of their pupils, : , One so engaged is Mr. R. HB. McLay, assistant master at the Alexandra District High School, who has made a hobby .of training

children on these lines, and noting the results.

And now, after ten years’ practical experience of teaching music appreciation, Mr. McLay has writ-

ten a book, "The Appreciation of Music," which is intended for secondary schools, junior orchestras, yadio listeners, and music-lovers and teachers generally. The book sets out in very plain and easily understood terms the various sections of the orchestra, and it discusses form in music, ‘such as the sonata, the symphony, the concerto and allied forms. It gives bright and readable biographies of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms. . More than thirty important works are interestingly annotated, and the book is a credit to Mr. McLay’s courage and faith in his

methods:-

K.

A.

"The Appreciation of Music." R. E. McLay. Whitcombe and Tombs. » Our copy: fram the publisher, . bald