“Our National Conservatory—When?”
such distant days, some young musical students in far-off beautiful Sydney found it difficult to get _ good tuition; some, let it be told very feelingly, never receiving any. Gf how they vowed that when they had “arrived” they were going to see to it that the future ones should not share their fate in the so often doubling of their tracks through lack of proper guidance. In time, as they grew, some of these came to have more or less influence, and when the right Premier and Minister for Education arrived, the time was ripe. The seed of the long artistic struggle and unrest had been sown. These two men, William Holman, Premier, and Campbell Carmichael, his Minister for Education, both of them from the people, had that splendid vision and the courage to follow it, to foster the great ideal and give it expression. First convincing their colleagues of it, then the party, they finally, on a wonderful day, passed it through Parliament. To these two men fell the honor to visualize the people’s needs aright and to express it by giving them a National Conservatory. One more step in the nationalization of necessities—for music is a national necessity, even as are all culture and spiritual expression. Else, what are we evolving and striving for?
So that all might be represented and to give the minister the aid of experienced people, an advisory council was appointed, consisting of the president of the Chamber of Manufacturers, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, the director of a big Australian theatrical firm and the heads of the respective musical organizations, etc. This amalgamated support was of the greatest assistance to the minister, who yet had the yea or nay of decision. And excellent were his decisions in every way, for not only was he pre-eminently an idealist, but he had a remarkable capacity for making his ideals manifest. No institution ever had a finer inception. All things depend upon the head, and it is a wise body that lets the head direct and co-ordinate the efforts of the whole.
Choosing a Site.
The next step was to choose a site. This was finally taken from part of the Government House grounds, right in-the Botanical Gardens, surrounded by the wonderful Sydney Harbor. What a home for music! Out of the city, yet only ten minutes from the heart of it, surrounded by quiet, space, trees, flowers, birds and most beautiful water views, with the concert hall in the center, was built the conservatory as you see it in the picture.
The Director.
The next step was to find a director. The Government recognized the extreme importance of finding the right man for the position and advertised throughout Europe, England and America inviting applications. Mr. Carmichael very wisely insisted on having an executant musician, and this was stressed in sifting the four hundred-odd applications, which included such eminent musicians as Humperdinck, etc. Of them all there was one man who stood out as having not only just made a great success, both artistically and financially, of the first big Beethoven Festival in London as conductor, but as the one man who had dreamed of a national conservatory and had a practical scheme ready. Oh, what it means to be ready! The arm
By NELSON ILLINGWORTH
Copyrighted, 1922, by The Musical Courier Company.
flowed, which, more than all else, told of how at last they had gained what they wanted, what they most needed. Alas that the “House Full” sign had too often to make its appearance, although the mushroom growth of studios both above and around the main building did its best to keep it down. And out of it all emerged a national symphony orchestra. Oh, wonder of wonders, a real National orchestra, which all might hear for twenty-five cents. The
NELSON ILLINGWORTH,
greatest music, with a great conductor, for twenty-five cents! As to how that people’s orchestra was heard by the people you may gauge when I tell you that the orchestra made musical history by having a financial surplus—actually a financial surplus—in its first season. I can feel you catch your breath. We did, too, and you should have heard the noise ours made when it broke loose again! Do I doubt that you can emulate this ? Do you ? Did such sweet history ever yet not repeat itself ?
Ideals and Enthusiasm.
But what I set. out to tell is the story of the ideals and enthusiasms of which this is the flower. Of how, in not
[Since the United States is now the musical center of the world for the big attractions, our need of a national conservatory is more pressing than ever, so that we may not lag behind the Old World in providing the best facility for our young people to develop their talent at home. In view of the bill now before Congress to meet this need, and the widespread interest in it by the thousands of music clubs, organizations, and individuals throughout the country, the Musical Courier has asked Nelson Illingworth, the distinguished song interpreter from Australia, who has had such pronounced success in his recitals here, to write the following article on the Australian National Conservatory. Mr. Illingworth speaks with authorty, since he was deputy conductor and professor of singing there, and his vivid picture of the need that made for its inception and the remarkable result of its work is very illuminating and has an inspiring message for us.—Editor’s Note.]
IT is a splendid purpose of yours, this working to inaugurate a national conservatory. The time is surely ripe, and so long as you will strive for it, so surely will you succeed. Then what a crown for your endeavor ! What a memorial to bear witness to your ideals and what a heritage to bequeath to the rising generations ! The nation as a whole will acclaim it when it comes to realize, as it surely will, the national importance of a musical culture. The sooner will it realize it when you have laid the foundation of a national recognition by giving it a national home. A culture will quickly follow then as music finds its expression in the hearts of the young people.
A like inspiration has happily been consummated in the Antipodes and is now flourishing and doing a great work at the other end of the English-speaking world, in far-away Australia, the land the very name of which breathes sunshine, and, to me, the tender memories of home; the island continent of the sunny South with an area as big as the United States, but with, alas, but 6,000,000 souls to share its glory, its ever-abundant best of what the world and nature have to give. But these few, in this vast inheritance, have built a wonderful democracy, with much in it that I should delight to tell of, but not the least of which is a National Conservatory—inaugurated, controlled and directed by the Governement; built and paid for by the people’s money for the people. Can you wonder at the people’s pride in it and how they support it, this thing of their expression—the first absolutely national conservatory in the English-speaking world? The civic pride has been delightful to see. The people just rose to it and the pupils flocked in from all ends of the continent, some traveling over 3,000 miles. For the summer schools some dear souls of the “out back,” as we term it, journeyed for ten days. But they got what they came for. At last there was the authority they needed. I can picture them now with their beaming, eager faces, a class of 400 teachers to whom I lectured and demonstrated. And when they heard the symphony orchestra and that veritable monument of Beethoven, the great “Missa Solemnis,” it was a revelation. There were many brimming eyes that day, many hearts that over-
THE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, SYDN|
and its magnificent surroundings. This splendid institution, standing in the Botanical Gardens close to Sydney harbor, was established by the Government. The picture above shows