THE WORLD OF MUSIC

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 261, 6 December 1930, Page 11

THE WORLD OF MUSIC

By "B Natural."

Tbe Chalk Farxn Band, wbicli is tbe leading coxps band in tbe Salvation Armv, lcft London in August for a tour of Sweden and Norway. At Gotbexiburg two concerts lvere given in the btrge Belblebem Cburcb, lvbicb liolds two tbousand people, and was crowded. When perforxning tbe Hallelujali Cborus in Karlstad Catbedral all ihe unliglited electric lamps were switcbed 011, making ap cxtraox'dinax*y flood of ligbt. The band travclled to , Oslo, givin - two concerts; Dramnxoxx, two concerts; and to Bergen (Grieg's birth- • place), wliere it gavc its final concert, wliich ivas broadcast Tlie greatest excitement prevailed during tbe tour and tbe final send-off as tbe steamer left Bergen. Outside of Salvation Armv circles brass band:; or amateur bands of any kind are almost unknmvn in Scan-dinai-ia. Salvation Armv bandsrnen are all pure amateurs ; nobody l-eceives anv pay for bis services, and in connection with a trip sucli as is rcported above all tbe hnndsmen contribute towards tbe expense. Tbis is tbe eleveuth tour undertaken bv tbe band. and tbe fiftb 011 tbe Contineut, tbe players Iiaving previously visited Finance, Germany, Switzerland. Holland, Belgium, Denxuavk and Sweden. Tbe members live in tbe neiglibourbood of Cbalk Farm. and tbe band bas been in existence for fortyeigbt years without a break. It is tlie leading corps band in tbe Salvation Ax-mv, comprising forty-two instrumentalists. and is under tbe directioii of Mr A. W. Puncbard, wbo baS been baudmaster for tbirty-seven years. The folloiving essay was written bv a boy, aged elev'en. Tt is reproduced bero . because it seems to say in a nutsbell all there is to be said about our belovcd art : — J MUSIC. 1- Some people tbink music verv dry, • but to people wlxo know tbe small, but

ixnpox'tant, facts xixusic is very interesting. Music is a veiy interesting subject to me, because 1 know all tlie notes wliich [ bave to know until I perhaps start playing the big Avorks of Bacli. There were, and are now, some very famous writers of music. suck as Badb, l>eethoven, Brabms and Chopin, b-1" none of tbose were English. A great iniprovenicnt bas been made ro music bv putting several instruments together and playing tliem all at once. * * * Messrs J 1U. Dent and Sons ari,nounce tbe issue of several books wbicli, are already famous in Germany. Tbe first to be i&sued is Paul Beklier's "Ricbard IVagner," translated by Miss M. Bozman. Tbis is a full dress study of "VYagner, tbe man ivitli Wagner, tbe conlposer. Adolpb Weissnmu's "Music Conie to Eartb," translated by Erie Blom, will also be issucd. Weissman bad a great reputation in Germany for tbe_ intelligible and simple way in wliich be stated prolix' and eontroversial matters. lle died only recently at Jerusalem, where be bad gone to deliver a series of lectures. In tbe nresent work lie deals with tlie possible future development of music, and makes a searcbing study of mecbanised music.