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

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4
1941-1945
WELLINGTON TO ~HRISTCHURCH
Early in 1941, Maurice Clare, the Leader and Conductor of the
National Broadcasting Service String Orchestra, announced his retirement.
The National Broadcasting Service decided that rather than appoint a fulltime
conductor to replace Clare it would appoint 'guest conductors', each
for a trial period of two months, with a view to making the position
permanent should a suitable candidate be found.
Leon de Mauny, already resident in Wellington, was appointed the
first of these conductors. At the suggestion of Maurice Clare,1 Douglas
Lilburn was approached and offered the position for the months of June
and July, 1941.
Taihape farm followed.
Lilburn accepted, and a shift to Wellington from the
Lilburn gave his first concert as Conductor of the National
Broadcasting Service String Orchestra in a studio broadcast on 12 June
1941. His contract was later extended for a further month into August.
At the end of August, Lilburn's tenure was suddenly terminated,
without official reason being given.
Possibly the reason for his contract
not being renewed was linked with his refusal to perform a particular
work that he considered had no musical merit. 2 Lilburn was succeeded in
the post by Anderson Tyrer, the Musical Director of the New Zealand
Centennial Celebrations and Conductor of the National Centennial Orchestra.
During his appointment with the orchestra, Lilburn had tried to
secure a performance of his Suite ~or
Strings. However, the orchestra
members were not hapl2Y about the work,. and only the first movement
reached the rehearsal stage. 3
No other music positions were available in Wellington at that time,
Clare and Lilburn had met in Wellington the preceding
the day I landed back in Wellington in August 1940."
in corr~spondence with author 29 July 1983).
2 Douglas Lilburn in conversation with author March 1983.
3 Scott papers.
year," on
(Douglas Lilburn