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

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112<br />

from which it has nothing. Like the little<br />

boy in the nursery story I am clear-sighted<br />

enough to see that the liKing has no clothes<br />

on at all. "52<br />

Lilburn, obviously, was not going to be allowed to advance his<br />

<strong>music</strong>al style without firm opposition from certain members <strong>of</strong> the public.<br />

A Birthday Offering received two further performances under<br />

Robertson, one in Auckl<strong>and</strong> on 6 June 1957, <strong>and</strong> one in Wellington on<br />

3 September <strong>of</strong> that year. Following that, as was the established pattern<br />

with his symphonic works, the work was shelved. 53<br />

In 1956, the Australasian Performing Right Association 54 (APRA)<br />

decided that the increased compositional activity in <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong><br />

warranted the appointment <strong>of</strong> a separate committee <strong>of</strong> the Association to<br />

help foster specifically the growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong> composition.<br />

At this<br />

time, the number <strong>of</strong> full writer-members <strong>of</strong> APRA numbered eighty, <strong>and</strong><br />

this figure included thirteen <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong>ers. 55 Douglas Lilburn, along<br />

with Ashley Heenan,<br />

56<br />

was invited to an APRA convention in Australia in<br />

November <strong>of</strong> that year to discuss the possibilities <strong>of</strong> setting up this<br />

independent committee.<br />

What resulted from this convention was a firm proposal for the<br />

establishment <strong>of</strong> such a committee to be known as the APRA Music Advisory<br />

Committee in <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong>.<br />

Chaired by the APRA <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong> manager<br />

A.E. Rolfe, the committee comprised a representative <strong>of</strong> the <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong><br />

Broadcasting Service, three composers (Lilburn, Heenan <strong>and</strong> Vernon<br />

Griffiths) <strong>and</strong> a representative <strong>of</strong> the publishers Charles Begg <strong>and</strong> Co.<br />

Ltd. 57<br />

"Under Bert Rolfe's chairmanship, this committee<br />

with brave heart faced the future. Thank God<br />

we were ignorant. <strong>The</strong>re were moments when we<br />

wondered what it was all about as we slogged<br />

52 L. Assheton Harbord, "A Birthday Offering", Letters from Listeners.<br />

<strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong> Listenervol.35 no.905, 16 November 1956:5.<br />

53 <strong>The</strong> next performance <strong>of</strong> A Birthday Offering was not until 4 November<br />

1975, when William Southgate conducted the work in a studio<br />

rehearsal performance.<br />

54 See Appendix A2 for history <strong>of</strong> the formation <strong>of</strong> APRA.<br />

55 <strong>New</strong> directions in <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong> <strong>music</strong>. <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong> Listener vol.35<br />

no.906, 14 December 1956:26-7.<br />

56 See Appendix B4.<br />

57 <strong>New</strong> directions in <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong> <strong>music</strong> op.cit.

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