Bands/Musical Groups
Advertising sheet for the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra with signatures of some of the members.
A photo of a visit by the Royal Welsh Male Choir to New Zealand in 1909.
A fascinating photograph that is possibly of a Salvation Army Concert Band.
A photo of the Drake family musicians from a poster advertising one of their Concerts.
Band Rotundas and Brass & Pipe Bands
Certificates
A Musical Knowledge certificate for Trinity College dated 1895.
Composers
Some notes concerning C. P. E. Bach and his association with 'Sturm und Drang'.
Some photos of Edvard Grieg’s house, Troldhaugen in Bergen, Norway.
John Joseph Woods won a competition to set the words of God Defend to New Zealand to music.
Photos from a visit to Sibelius’ home, Ainola 38km north of Helsinki.
Programme cover from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Opera Company tour of New Zealand in early 1941.
The Vienna Central Cemetery contains a number of graves belonging to composers, some of which have been moved from prior burial sites.
A set of Beethoven pieces that have been in the ABRSM Grades 1 - 5 exams.
Barbara Kirkby-Mason wrote a number of piano tutors in the 20C for both children and adults.
A short biography of the teacher, composer and performer, Marjorie Evelyn Helyer.
A biography of the composer, conductor, teacher and organist of Robert Fuchs, who spent the majority of his life in Vienna.
A short biography of Frank Bridge, composer, conductor and viola player.
A short biography on Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, the second surviving son of J.S. Bach.
Concert Programmes
A short history of The Pollards and a programme from their production of “The Toreador”.
The programme from the Royal Christchurch Music Society’s production of the Messiah in 1975.
A programme from the Royal Christchurch Music Society’s performance of Edge of Shadow, Toccata for Percussion Instruments and Carmina Burana.
The programme from the Canterbury Centennial Music Festival in 1940.
Concert programme from the Inaugural Concert Christchurch Town Hall 30th September 1972.
The Yeoman of the Guard or The Merryman and his Maid
Paul Dufault was a Canadian tenor of French ancestry who toured New Zealand in 1916.
Adeline Genee, a dancer from Denmark, who spent much of her life in the United Kingdom.
Trial by Jury was Gilbert and Sullivan’s second operetta and its success generated the writing and production of many more from these two collaborators.
The life of Robert William Cary (1848 - 1890), who was a theatrical agent, actor, singer, director and manager Melbourne, Australia and New Zealand.
A brief history of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta “Iolanthe”.
A short history of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta “The Pirates of Penzance”.
The history of some early productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore”.
Sound of Music Majestic Theatre, Christchurch April 1970
Patience was the sixth operetta of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Savoy operettas.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta ‘Ruddigore’ first performed in 1887.
Programme from a concert given for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in Dunedin 26th January 1954
Concert Programmes cont.
Note-reading
Here is another activity that is suitable for reinforcing the position of notes on the piano.
I am showing you a teaching aid that helps to reinforce the use of signpost notes as well as second and thirds.
The musical alphabet letters that are contained in this pack can be used for the following,
Obviously one of the first things a beginner needs to learn is the position of the notes on the piano.
Pianos
A machine that was used in the business of McCracken and Walls in Dunedin for winding the outer part of the string.
A few newspaper articles concerning the state of the British piano manufacturing industry after WW1.
A 19C invention for placing under the legs of a piano to either improve the quality of the sound, or to protect the floor and/or floor covering and to prevent dampness from coming into the piano.
An article about The Dresden/The Bristol Piano Company in New Zealand.
Pianos continued
Pianos Continued 2
In Dargaville Museum there is a display of over 200 piano accordions along with other musical items.
Repertoire
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no. 14 Op. 27 no. 2 Moonlight Sonata
I have just finished reading an excellent book by Christine Brown called ‘Bartók’s Mikrokosmos, A Guide for Piano Teachers’
An overview of the life of Schumann and the inspiration for the writing of The Album for the Young in 1848.
The slow movement of this sonata, being in a minor key, is very beautiful.
This set of etudes composed by Burgmüller rightfully holds its reputation and popularity as pieces that appeal to all ages whilst providing exposure to a particular area of interpretation or technique.
Mozart’s Piano Sonata no 17, his penultimate one, was published posthumously in 1796 as a sonata for piano and violin.
Mozart’s Fantasia in C minor K475 and the Piano Sonata no. 14 in C minor K457 were published together in 1785.
Rhythm
I am a firm believer in teaching rhythmic patterns separately in the early years of learning.
Throughout my teaching career I have always devoted a small amount of time during the lesson in regards to the teaching of rhythm and beat.
Sight-reading
There are three books in this series and they were published in 1996 by Oxford University Press.
During the many years that I have been teaching, I have purchased and used a wide variety of sight reading books.
Teachers
An account of Edward Travis’ world record marathon piano playing during the early 20C.
William Densem, singer, performer, producer and teacher.
An article concerning Sir William Sterndale Bennett as a teacher.
An account of a New Zealand teacher who not only taught a number of pupils piano, violin, singing and elocution but also was deeply involved in numerous community organisations.
Tutor Books
The mother and daughter combination of Lela Hoover Ward and Ruth Ward Farrell worked on piano tutor books as composer and illustrator.
John Thompson’s Simplified Edition of Hanon Excercises
Recently I located a copy of Tobias Matthay’s book “How do you do Mr. Piano?’ Book 1 at a second-hand book shop in Auckland.
A piano tutor written by William Smallwood in 1880 which is still in print today.
I located this book “Twelve Hand-Formation Studies for Pianoforte by Cuthbert Harris, Mus.Doc” in a shop recently
Mathilde Bilbro was considered to have helped revolutionise the way in which the learning of piano was taught.
This book was published in 1935 and on the first page it states that the book is for pre-school beginners or youngsters of any age.
This book copyrighted in 1935 is advertised as a beginners’ book, specifically planned for children of pre-school age.
This tutor book, written by Walter Rolfe which was published in New Zealand by Charles Begg and Co.
Since these tutor books were published in 1996, I have used them on a regular basis.
Vintage music
A set of three songs published in Christchurch, New Zealand entitled ‘Sweet Memories’.
It was at the time, an immensely popular song and is still very well-known today.