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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, June 1929

Musical Society

Musical Society.

"Spit in the hole, man, and tune again !"

—Shakespeare.

The only appearance of the Orchestra to date has been in connection with the Extravaganza. In the course of the laborious process of orchestrating the score, much MS. paper had been marred with wild dots and dashes bearing remote resemblance to minims and crochets: and this we were called upon to interpret with "heavenly harmony." Armed with our instrument and well-known musical nous, we set out thus to wage the unequal war that always wages between Chorus and Orchestra. Under the conductorship of Mr. Stainton, the Orchestra supplied appropriate accompaniment to the noises emanating from the stage—labouring, of course, under the disadvantage of inferiority of numbers; but for overture and entr'actes our regular conductor, demoted for the rest of the warfare to the ranks of the string section, played us victoriously and unopposed through pieces already very familiar to our members, and perhaps not quite unknown to the cars of our audience. We should like to take this opportunity of expressing our thanks and appreciation for assistance given by those outside the College in the drums and brass section, who frequently had to bear the whole brunt of the battle.

It is pleasing to note that we may venture to call an uplift in College musical life; the general improvement—with the definite exception of the Freshers' welcome and one item at the Undergraduates' supper—of the singing at College functions. At the Science Society's two social evenings the results were almost encouraging. If presumptuous criticism be permitted, it should be pointed out that the College songs at the Freshers' welcome, where the majority of new students hear them for the first time, are left in far too casual hands—hence their not unexpected and almost farcical flatness. Attention drawn to this important point may be the means of putting things right next time.

Recruits from the Freshers this year numbered two—just two more than last year. It is hoped that the hitherto latent talent will yet have an opportunity of coming to the fore in the forthcoming activities of the year.