Brentwood College School - Brentonian Yearbook (Mill Bay, British Columbia Canada)

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Brentwood College Magazine Music Memoranda IT may be a long time before we fully appreciate the highlights of the past musical season. Through the year, we literally moved through the whole gamut of artistic repertoire. Classic performances of music, ballet, drama and mime, following in rapid succession. Starting the season, a rather small but select group of music lovers first journeyed to Victoria to hear Rose Bampton, Metropolitan Soprano, who had captured our hearts on a previous occasion with her charm of personality and splendid talent. On the same programme with her was the youthful violin prodigy, Ossie Renardy. The concert was easily up to our expectations. The appearance in Victoria, after a lapse of six years, of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra was met with genuine enthusiasm from every quarter. Three factors were largely responsible for the wide appeal; it was the first organized concert in aid of the Red Cross Society; the presence of Sir Ernest MacMillan on the podium as guest conductor; and the return to Victoria (her home town) of Madame Gertrude Huntly-Greene, noted Canadian woman pianist. The combined efforts of orchestra and pianist in the Mozart concerto in E flat major left nothing to be desired by anyone. It was perfectly delightful music, superbly played. The Hart House String Quartette gave the next scheduled performance Following an absence of three years, the members of the quartet received a tumultuous welcome when they appeared in the ballroom of the Empress Hotel. With Arthur Benjamin, eminent English pianist and composer at the piano, the quartet played the plaintive Death and the Maiden quintette by Robert Schumann. The piece de resistance of the Christmas term came on Monday evening, December 4th, when, conforming to the policy established a year ago, Mr. Bott successfully arranged a major musical event for presentation at the College in aid of the Curtis-Hope Memorial Organ Fund. In the appearance of Mr. Jan Cherniavsky, internationally known pianist, the previous standard of musical entertainment was appreciably improved. Mr. Cherniavsky being no stranger to Victoria audiences, the concert was largely attended by the music-loving public of the city, despite the thick pall of fog which descended upon the district a few hours before the recital was scheduled to commence. Always in excellent form at the piano, the programme chosen by Mr. Cherniavsky revealed a careful attention to musical detail; brilliant and under- standing pianism; and a flawless technique. [Page Eleven |

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Brentwood College Magazine Dr. R. Scott-Moncrieff, who produced Stroma, the latest addition to the school fleet. Mr. R. G. Coghlin, M.B.E., special correspondent of the Continental Daily Mail, for his talk on current events. The following members of the medical profession, who gave of their valuable time to talk to members of the matriculation Health class: Drs. Amyot, Felton, Gayton, Kincaid, Elkington and R. Scott-Moncrieff. Mr. R. Hocking, who so generously gave of his time to coach the school tennis team. All parents who so kindly supplied taxi-service at intervals throughout the school year. Mr. W. F. Clarke for so nobly coming to our rescue on Speech Day, when he filled the breach for Brigadier Stockwell, whose duties did not permit his visit to Brentwood for the occasion. All those whose generosity made it possible to build a much-needed addition to the greenhouse; and whose interest in horticulture prompted the many gifts of plants and cuttings. The following five candidates were presented for confirmation when the Rt. Rev. the Lord Bishop of Columbia visited the school on Sunday, April 7th: M. A. Johnston, I. S. Kenning, A. E. Gillespie, D. H. Molson and P. A. Chetniavsky. We acknowledge the thoughtfulness of Mr. W. H. Molson, through whose efforts the school was given a set of chandeliers for use in the chapel. On com- pletion of the necessary re-wiring, it is hoped to have them installed. The Curtis-Hope Memorial Organ fund continues to grow, there having been a generous response from the Old Boys in the past year. There are still $450 to be collected before the organ can be dedicated to the memory of the two men whose faith in the ideals of Brentwood it is intended to perpetuate. With the advent of a resident padre, it was decided to have an early Com- munion Service on the third Sunday of each month as well as on the first Sunday, as heretofore. Also, during summer term, we introduced the service of morning prayer (matins), which was read on the second Sunday of each month at 9:30. Our thanks are due to Canon R. J. Pierce, who took the chapel services prior to the arrival of the Rev. Watts, and who also assisted at the confirmation service. Also, we would thank Mrs. Privett for her admirable and tasteful arrange- ment of the flowers on the altar. i [Page Ten]

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Brentwood College Magazine It would be extremely difficult to extol the respective virtues of each group of numbers as they were performed. The Bach chorale, The Son of God, and the Chopin numbers having a powerful appeal; while the satisfying rendition of the better known Beethoven Sonata (Moonlight) met with a generous approval. The Russian group found the artist in his most discrimin- ating element. Here, we felt, was a mode very dear to his heart; one loved and thoroughly understood. The playing of the Anton Rubenstein Funeral March seemed in every sense a dedication. The thunderous ovation which rewarded his final encore bore testimony to the intense gratitude of the audience for the very satisfying musical feast Mr. Cherniavsky had offered. The complete programme was as follows: — I. Gavotte in E major Bach-Saint Saens Easter Cantata (The Son of God) Bach-Rummel Minuet Stavenhagen Sonata in C sharp minor (Moonlight) Beethoven II. Two Mazurkas Chopin Waltz in E minor Chopin Polonaise in B flat minor Chopin Scherzo in B flat major Chopin III. Three preludes Shostakovitch The Village by the Stream Polovinkin Funeral March . Anton Rubinstein Prelude in D minor Anton Rubinstein Early in the Lent term we were privileged to spend an afternoon with the ballet. Never before had the Ballet Russe been to Vancouver Island and the Royal Victoria Theatre was entirely sold out for both performances. A clever combination of the classic and the modern in ballet was presented. Worthy of particular note being Ghost Town, a modern ballet which received its Canadian premiere at the afternoon performance. As the season wore on, the small band of music lovers was being slowly augmented; however, when Alec Templeton, versatile blind pianist and radio artist, visited Victoria, the entire school with but few exceptions, sallied thence for one of the most delightful evenings of musical entertainment the current season had offered. The best tribute to this great artist was the fact that no one was disappointed, however discriminating or not he may have been. On the occasion of the appearance of the noted Canadian actor, Raymond Massey, in the role of Abraham Lincoln in Robt. Sherwood ' s play of the same name; the school again turned out in almost full force. Very few of us had ever seen a first-rate exhibition of the legitimate stage and were impressed beyond words by the moving drama which was so convincingly enacted before us. It was a truly memorable performance. [Page Twelve]