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

80
5
1946-1950
CHRISTCHURCH TO WELLINGTON
In 1946, the Cambridge Summer Music School was founded by Owen
Jensen, a member of staff of the Adult Education Centre of Auckland
1
University College. The proposed idea was to hold the Summer Music
School in January of each year at St Peter's School, Cambridge, under
the auspices of the Adult Education Centre. 2
liThe first Music School was held at a time
when something of the kind was badly needed
to bring musicians together to encourage
each other by discussion and playing. If
the need for music had increased during the
war, this very increase had shown up the lack
of experienced performers, and the poor basis
generally on which musical training had rested
for some time."3
As well as tutors in string playing, choral work, music education
and music appreciation, Owen Jensen invited Douglas Lilburn to the
inaugural school in 1946 in the capacity of composer-in-residence.
For this, Lilburn composed a special overture, for string
orchestra, to mark the occasion - the Cambridge Overture - to be
performed by the assembled musicians.
In addition to this, he prepared
the text of an address to be delivered to the students of the Summer
Music School.
In that lecture, he stated one of the aims of the school:
"But now something has happened - happened
for the first time, and we've got together,
not to admire what the big shots overseas
can do, but to see what we're capable of
doing for ourselves. In the process I think
we're going to discover some of our limitations.
Gillian Bibby, Profile: Owen Jensen.
1979:27.
Canzona vol.1 no.2, November
2 Whilst the early schools were held in January of each year, more
recently they have been held from late December of each year running
into early January. The durati~n of each school has varied, with a
mean length of about twelve days.
3 Dorothea Turner, Music and the SUmmer School. Landfall vol.\ no.2,
June 1947:126.