The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life ...

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Page was the music critic for The Press in Christchurch when
Lilburn returned to Christchurch in the 1940s. Page's reviews of
Lilburn's works were always strong on encouragement, and almost always
iacorporated a plea for more of his music to be played. As mentioned
above, it was Page, in 1943, who generously offered to share his
reviewing assignments with Lilburn.
Also in 1943, it was Page, in his capacity as President of the
Christchurch Society of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand, who
helped instigate the presentation of the all-Lilburn concert held in
that year. Page, as a pianist and conductor, was also involved in a
number of performances of Lilburn's works. 34
Page's greatest influence on the course of Lilburn's career
occurred in March of 1947 when Page, who had the previous year been
appointed Senior Lecturer at Victoria University College and charged
with the task of establishing a music department, invited Lilburn to join
the staff. The position was to be a part~time
emolument of £250 per annum.
one and carried an
Lilburn at first was reluctant to accept Page's invitation: the
position was only part-time, and Lilburn was unsure as to how composition
could be taught in the formal environment of a university college. He
declined, but Page retaliated by rephrasing his invitation into what
amounted to be a summons:
"I cracked back that if Vaughan Williams,
whose pupil he had been, could give one
day of his life to teaching at the Royal
College of Music in London, then I expected
Lilburn to do the same. He came up on the
next ferry from Lyttelton."35
Lilburn's decision had not been an easy one.
His acceptance was,
in part, because he realised that most of the old Christchurch context
he had found so stimulating was evaporating.
Also, there was still a
feeling of unease as an aftermath of the affair at the Noel Newson
Memorial Concert.
To compromise, he accepted the invitation but
continued to return to Christchurch as often as his part-time teaching
commitments would allow.
34 Later, Page as pianist was to give the premiere performance of·
Sonata for piano (1949), Sonata for violin and piano (1950), Elegy
for baritone and piano (1951),as well as playing the piano part in
A Birthday Offering (1956).
35 Frederick Page as in Owen Jensen and others, A birthday for music.
op .cit.