THE COMMONWEALTH AND INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY Joint Chairmen of the Honorary Editorial Advisory Board SIR ROBERT ROBINSON, O.M., F.R.S., LONDON DEAN ATHELSTAN, SPILHAUS, MINNESOTA Publisher: ROBERT MAXWELL, M.C, M.P. MUSIC DIVISION General Editor: K.A.WRIGHT SCHOOL AND AMATEUR ORCHESTRAS Frontispiece. The Aberdeen Schools Military Band. (By kind permission of Aberdeen Journals Ltd.) SCHOOL AND AMATEUR ORCHESTRAS by JOHN B. DALBY, B.Mus., F.R.C.O., (CHM), F.E.I.S. Organizer of Music, City of Aberdeen Education Authority Foreword by DR. RUTH RAILTON, O.B.E., P.R.A.M. PERGAMON PRESS OXFORD · LONDON · EDINBURGH · NEW YORK TORONTO · PARIS · FRANKFURT and J. CURWEN & SONS LIMITED Pergamon Press Ltd., Headington Hill Hall, Oxford 4 & 5 Fitzroy Square, London W.l Pergamon Press (Scotland) Ltd., 2 & 3 Teviot Place, Edinburgh 1 Pergamon Press Inc., 44-01 21st Street, Long Island City, New York 11101 Pergamon of Canada, Ltd., 6 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario Pergamon Press S.A.R.L., 24 rue des Ecoles, Paris 5 e Pergamon Press GmbH, Kaiserstrasse 75, Frankfurt-am-Main Copyright © 1966 Pergamon Press Ltd. First edition 1966 Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 65-27372 Printed in Great Britain by Balding & Mansell, London and Wisbech This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise disposed of without the publisher's consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. (2432/66) Foreword I ONCE asked a great teacher and conductor if he was going to write a book and he replied: "Those who can, teach; those who can't, write books about it." John Dalby is one of those rare musicians who can do both. A fine soloist on the organ, he can bring a choir to life and make an orchestra sound full of colour through his own deep sense of beauty and very original mind. Since 1947 we have worked closely together in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the National Junior Music School in which he has been pro- fessor of percussion and assistant Musical Director. The fact that his former students are principal timpanists in four of our leading sym- phony orchestras and several others are in their percussion depart- ments, is its own tribute. So much teaching has gone astray because methods become ends in themselves. I personally find the atmosphere in which I work is all important. I prefer orderliness and silence which I find necessary for concentrated listening, as it is through the ear that we teach the young to distinguish the accurate from the slovenly, the ugly sound from the beautiful tone, and discover the shape of the phrase and the mood conveyed by the rhythm. We should not be trying to fill the heads of the young with facts and theories but let them experience the music with their hearts. This book should help cover some of the many problems which, left unsolved, hamper this end. I commend it because it comes from a teacher who can get musical and artistic results from the very young and from adults. RUTH RAILTON vi Preface A GENERATION ago the child who learnt to play a musical instrument other than the piano or violin was exceptionally privileged. Today the picture is entirely different in that children are encouraged to play instruments of all kinds. The enthusiasm with which schools and education authorities provide for the playing of orchestral instruments, the high standard at which many boys and girls play, and the excellence of school orchestras and bands are obvious signs of an educational development that has outstanding significance and value. But the playing of instruments is not the exclusive privilege of children who play in orchestras. The continuing popularity of the piano, the keen interest in the recorder, and the extensive use of the percussion band bring thousands of children into music-making that has little to do with orchestras. Nor must we overlook the growing interest in the harmonica and the guitar and the enthusiastic adoption of activities in which children play chime bars, dulcimers, glockenspiels, and xylophones to their obvious delight. In fact com- paratively few children are now denied the opportunity of playing a musical instrument of some kind or other during their school days. When I began to write this book, I intended to touch upon all this, but eventually thought better of it. After all, only a large and heavy tome could do justice to such a comprehensive and detailed subject, and the writer would have to be exceptionally experienced in every branch of it. I decided, therefore, to restrict what I have to say to the discussion of school and amateur orchestras and to the consideration of instruments that are normally associated with them. Throughout the book reference is made to many other books. I make no apology for thus directing the reader's attention to the joy vii viii PREFACE and instruction that further reading will bring. If he wants to learn more about orchestras and instruments, I strongly advise him to beg, borrow or steal the books I mention. Alternatively, he can buy the lot, as I have done, and become the possessor of a small library that is rich in information and interest. Mention of these books prompts me to acknowledge the help I have received. But how shall I begin? In every sentence I have written I am in some way indebted to other people, and if in the following pages anyone recognizes what he has said, written, or done, he must accept my grateful acknowledgement. There are many, of course, who have contributed more directly to the prepara- tion of the book, and I take this opportunity of thanking the teachers with whom I have discussed various topics, the publishers of music and the makers of instruments who have given advice and informa- tion, and even the pupils who have taken part in a number of experi- ments. Because Chapter 1 is in the nature of a preamble, many readers may be tempted to skip it and begin at Chapter 2. If so, spare a thought for Miss Marion Brodie who, while typing all the script in her spare time, spent many hours in retyping the first chapter time and again. Please read it if only to make acquaintance with the most frequently altered and retyped chapter of all time. Finally, I pay special tribute to Mrs. Elizabeth Baird, M.A., who, through constructive criticism of the script, has tried to keep my mode of expression crisp and clear, and to Kenneth Wright, Esq., o.B.E., the Editor of this series, who, in keeping my ideas within bounds, has been patient and firm. Aberdeen JOHN B. DALBY CHAPTER 1 Prelude Aims — Principles — Methods "THE most exciting sound in music/' That is how a well-known musician described the playing of an orchestra of young people. "Exciting" is an apt description not only of fresh youthful playing at a high standard, but also of the story with which this book is con- cerned, for it tells of a thrilling adventure in which boys and girls are brought into intimate contact with great music. It describes how young players can learn skills of playing and, in company with their fellows, enjoy inspiring musical experiences in school and youth orchestras. It presents a vision of the heights of achievement to which they can be led and points out the recurring miracle of very talented children who play with technical assurance and artistry beyond nor- mal expectation. The purpose of this book is to encourage those who are already embarked and to provide information and inspiration for some who have not yet begun. This exceptionally practical subject is so different from anything else in the curriculum and needs such special treatment that it cannot conveniently be incorporated in a school's time-table. It follows that a teacher will have to show resourcefulness in devising a workable system in which the teaching and playing can prosper, and common sense and tact will also be needed if the non-musical school authority is to be made to regard the teacher and his music as a help rather than a hindrance. In this work, which offers tremendous oppor- tunities and rich rewards, efficient organization is as important as high ideals. At the risk of being banal I quote the aphorism: "Don't put the 2 SCHOOL AND AMATEUR ORCHESTRAS cart before the horse" merely to point out that in the treatment of this subject in schools it is sometimes difficult to decide which is the horse. Are we, for instance, concerned chiefly with the bringing into being of orchestras with teaching as a more or less casual contribution, or are we principally engaged, even in orchestras, in teaching child- ren to play instruments ? Some teachers say that experience of playing breeds good listeners and that even the unpromising stumblings of the less apt pupils are therefore worthwhile. Others believe that play- ing brings about a more permanent conversion to a love of music than singing or listening. These are worthy enough aims but not by themselves good enough for our purpose. The true aim, a difficult one to define precisely, contains something of them all, and there is no doubt that that aim can only be achieved when, as part of a school's greater plan to foster a general love and understanding of music, the opportunity to play an orchestral instrument is offered to pupils who can really profit by it. I suspect that some schools and education authorities permit in- strumental teaching and orchestral playing to enhance their prestige, for concerts and other performances make excellent window dress- ing, and music is not immune from the parade of impressive statistics. The pursuit of prestige in itself may be ignoble, but pride in fine work is commendable. As soon as a school or an education authority becomes aware of the value of the work being done and is proud of it, the way to progress is made easier. This is understandable, for education has become so full and time-tables are so complicated that there is room in the school curriculum only for activities that can fulfil a useful educational purpose. Therefore, if orchestras and the playing of instruments are recognizable as desirable pos- sessions, it is more likely that harassed head teachers and cheese- paring education committees will somehow contrive to establish and maintain them. Let not the idealist be scornful of such worldly reasoning. Education has become a very serious business; even parents have to be made aware of the worthiness of this optional subject. Although playing an instrument is great fun, it is important at all times to aim at high standards, for music is not merely a toy with PRELUDE 3 which to play but an art in which to create. Those readers who are old enough will remember the unmusical sounds that came from the school orchestras of thirty years ago. Of course there were notable exceptions, but it was generally believed that distressing travesties in sound were all that could usually be expected of boys and girls. Now we know better. We find that young players can play in tune, pro- duce good tone, and shape fine phrases, and that by means of these and other technical and artistic skills they can make music which gives pleasure to them and to those who listen. When talented pupils are well taught and the conditions are favourable, the stan- dard can be exceptionally high. Although the recorder and the so-called educational percussion in- struments occasionally find their way into the school orchestra, the more normal use of them in the class-room is beyond the scope of this book. A few schools have had the courage to adopt orchestral playing as a class subject in lieu of or as an appendage to class singing, but this treatment of the subject must be regarded as exceptional, for it is dependent upon very favourable circumstances and particu- larly upon the presence of specially equipped teachers. The argument that follows applies, therefore, only to orchestral instruments and to the normal methods of teaching the playing of them. First let us think about the pupil. We will consider his teacher later. THE PUPIL Unless a school or an education authority has unlimited funds and plenty of teachers at its disposal, it cannot offer every child the opportunity to play an orchestral instrument. It may be necessary, therefore, to select for tuition the more suitable pupils. If so, it is fair to cater first for children who have distinct musical talent. These children are usually outstanding in the singing class or show aptitude in piano, recorder, or percussion band playing. But it is possible to overlook talent or for a child's "spark" to become noticeable only when he is older. Teachers have always to be vigilant, therefore, in their search for talent which sometimes tends to "hide its light". It is