1950-07-29 — Page 9

Durban ricksha boy

Mangwazan Ngoho

won

the first prize at Durban with this magnificent head-dress of turkey feathers, sparrowhawk wings, and beads, topped with a heron's head. The beadwork extends even to bowl of the pipe he smokes, Thousands of pacple turned out to watch the first rlekeha parade in Dur.

The prize was four guineas, (AP Photo).

ban recently.

Anniversary of Bach's death observed in HK

"Johann Sebastian Bach is recognised today as one of the greatest creative personalities of any age and in any art,” declared Father T. F. Ryan, 53, in the course of a lecture-recital at the Hong Kong Hotel Roof Garden yester- day.

- Father Ryan was speaking on the occasion of the second centenary of the death of the com-

poser.

He said: "That gives him a place among the great men of history, one of the rare few who 200 years after their death honoured throughou! civilised world.

Are remembered and the

"A 100 years ago the admirers of Bach were able to list 37

- books which had been written about him; in The 50 years

which followed that nunber was increased four-fold; in the first

113

"It

name in the history of intelle- many would say the greatest--) shall do nothing more than sim- ply recall the Story of the man Bach and remind you of the fea- tures of his musle which ha 10 won him praise and reverence."

After describing Bach's career.

HESE Father Ryan said:

limity of his genius.

There was at the end of this great life none of the national grief the pomp and the panegy- ries which marked the death of

was afterwards recorded

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 29, 1980

DON

IDDON'S

DIARY

An uncivil war of words.

NEW YORK, TUESDAY, Is there a mediator in the bouse? Not for Korea, but for America. A gigantle row is going on here.

The politicians orą making the generals the butt and etíopping- block for every sort of accusation, The Monday morning quarter- bucks are having a Beld day.

Congress has become the league of angry men, shouting: "Who blundered

on Korea 7

Why the armaments and, where'n the the armaments and where's the money gone 7"

For the first time in a long period the US. is indulging in bitter self-reproach. The pundits announce that Americans are nat the best in the world at every- thing" not by a damn sight," The military experts procinim that sometimes other nations soldiers, their equipment, and their Intelligence service can be better than the home product.

a people brought up on a

diet stendy

superlatives, of nssured from birth that they are the biggest, the best, the strongest, the wealthiest, the most resource- ful and most ingenious, this self- flagellation is painful, even agon- Jaing. Also, It is uncalled for and tindeserved.

The

gnashing of teeth at cach ether ins gone on long enough. The suger the U.S. resumes its eltructeristic and largely accu- rate hich opinion of

Itsett

the better for everyone, except, of course, the Communista.

the

I am surprised, too, at harsh things Americans are say Ing about themselves over their shortcomings. But Britain hus been let off lightly. The British do not show up too well from this distance.

As

uniform and the country prepares more Americans get into

to go on to a partial war basis, Jirring reports come from London. Mr. Attlee is not coming to Washington to confer with President Truman; there are no British plans to put the country

Mr. A. W. BOURNE, Jr.

.

New Stan-Vac Vice-President

"He wore habitually the large rey wig of his time, and there was about him neither the affect- el carelessness of the artist nor the fon

foppishness of the man of the years of the present century Court. Its appearance represent- nearly 300 new books about himed the ordinariness ut his ex- appeared, and since that time, internal life rather than the sub spite of war and unrest and political uncertainty of every kind, a whole library of books has grown up about his name.

Mr. A. W. Bourne, Jr., A the same with the publication-of-his-works. Fifty Handel. He was a local celebrity the past three years and whose Standard-Vacuum director for years after his death there was

he was greatly esteemed by sonic hardly one of his compositions in

oil career started 34 years ago print.

A hundred years later, to musicians he was,

by many who had been ак a marketing assistant in when the very nume of most

his pupils, but there was nothing | Java, has been elected a Vice- composers ha perished, there like recognition of the greatness President of the

40 were

company, great completed the

which

effective from July 19. volumes of the Barh Society, in

to him. which there is printed every note

Assigned to the Far East at the of the composer which is known Recognition of greatness conclusion of his classman's to have survived. And, as

"It was that

only with the slow training in March, 1916, Mr. course of time that his greatness Bourne travelled his first terri were not enough, a new Society was brought into existence to was discerned. A tiny trickle of tory by trams and horse-drawn. maintain a constant study of the reverent admiration

for him vehicles selling fuel and lubrica scores, and to publish every year

flowed always in Germany, and ting oils in case lots. In the three

decades which followed, Bach Year Book to record the

sew his memory was kept alive. The

he year's progress of study about the giants that came after him re- the petroleum industry in the Far cognised his worth. The youthful East develop, into fully-integrated composer and his work.

"More striking still hus been Muzurt heard a chance perform operations with all major products ance of one of his motets and sat handled in bulk through modern growth Bach's performed music. Á 100

erform popularity

up startled after he had heard storage and distribution facilities. a few bars. The stern Beethoven Transferred from years ago he was still regarded

to Java us the musician's composer, one

punned on his name,

Singapore in 1920, Mr. Bourne who could only be appreciated

"Bach means "siream,"

"he said became manager there in 1922, or even understood, by those who

it should be "occan." So the Then follow

15-year perfod in which Singapore office were scholars and specialists; his name authors,

the

read.

trickle of admiration grow, and

was known as those of according as one after another of under his supervision continued

like Spenser, whose the new musical fashions of the

to grow in importance. Its statu

district office under Hong

agn proved worthless the great-Kong was eventually changed to "Now there is not an orchestra RCES of Bach began to be re- or a choir, not a group of cham-esgnised.

nor an organist nor a

is

Bord

that of & division office under direct supervision of New York

inent.

ber music players, not a planist Then Mendelssohn came, and violinist Schumann, and the masterpieces

was assigned in 1930 to re- with a claim to any care for what of Bach were heard again, and

present Standard-Vacuum in Lon- in music,

that does aspire the trickle of admiration grew

don. He returned to the Far to perform some at least of the of a river. It had not yet swelled

East three years Inter, and 'be. works of Bach, and not cul- to a torrent when the year of his

a

cause Assistant General Manager Lured audience in the

first centenary came and his ad- which does not welcome

his inirere realised that not even his in Hong Kong of the then South works and listen to the perform- ance of them with critical familiarity.

world

his Chine

division. In 1941 he was appointed General Manager in Hong Kong. being in charge

of marketing operations in South- China, the Philippines, Maloya, Indo-China, Thalland and Indo-

grave was known. A search was mode for it and it was discover 1 ed. His remains were taken out and re-buried, while the choir of Honoured namo: Leipzig University stood boalde and song the great choralo from "Bach has an honoured name, the St. Matthew Passion: but in our critical age a name is us, "Lord."

near us,

nesla.

"Bo Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Bourne was

not accepted because it is famous, "It was not the Bach legond interned at Stanley Prison, Hong

1

then handled post-war planning for Standard-Vacuum for the remainder of the war period. In 1945 he returned to Shanghal

ad General Manager of the China Division where he was stationed at the time of his election to the Board of Directors in 1047.

and no claim to greatness will be whien began from that day but Kong. uncontested,

There exist today the Bach revelation. No fictitious He was repatriated in August many who are ready to admit glamour clings about his name; 1942, by the ss. Gripsholm in the. the worth of Bach, but only

wil never bo elevated to a Arst repatriation of internees. He a historical figaro, es landmark figure

of romance; but it has in the history of music but who come to bo recognised that would not admit him as a com- there is no great musical do poser

ser whose music is acceptable velopment since bis day that is to our ears as it was to those for not indebted to him, and there is whom it was written.

in his works a treasure-house of There are others too who can untold jebes

Bach n "It is for the specialist to re-

We're Irig up-to-dato and hot cognise his influenco, but it is for impossible... to. expect all the ordinary man that his music these to acquiesce in our praise was written. There is in it some of the greatest of human minds." of Hach, and it would be idle for thing for all, for Buch was na Father Ryan's lecture was or me to attempt to justify him to universal as Shakespeare the ganised by the Sino-British Club, them for 7 am sure that they

of "Lear" and "The and was illustrated by gramo not here to listen.

my hot making an apologiappreciation of his music may nadition,

phone-records.iss

• regard

*In

thing

the music of

aro Sha

the sonnets

of the innermost thoughts of one

Caroline

on a war footing. No industrial / or civil mobilisation or partial mobilisation is contemplated,

Not a clue

And worst of all-British oli sules to Red China boom, some British newspapers gibe at American setbacks in Korea, and

War Secretary. Mr. John Strachey continues as

Who on earth is handling our States ? public relations with the United

Few in Whitehall seem to have clue to the crisis, and there docan't appear to be a Press agent in all Westminster.

My American friends are tell- ing me! **You can bet your bottom Marshall Plan dollar-and I will be the bottom-that the United States would not be con- tent to go on a war footing, with all the sacrifices it entails, while Britain logs along cushioned on clry-fairy

Socialist schemes."

welfare

Did someone in the audience tion. But no one here is heuring mention Malaya ? A good ques-, for reading about Mulaya.

Koren is the supreme concentra- tion of the Americans and they consider it would be good sense and sound policy to push out promptly some substantial Britisha aid there and not rest easy on the warships made Hvailable to MacArthur and the vague expres- slon

of even vaguer further support...

To the limit

There Is a rush of fings and banners up and down town, and the appearance of General Muc- Arthur on the cinema sets off loud applause..

screens

Red round-up ?

Internment of local Commu- nists scoma certain. It is a very big talking point here.

And the greedy, the unscrupu lous, and the frightened are back in business.

Although there is a shortage of absolutely nothing in this coun- diers-prices of try-except armaments and sol- meat, bread, sugar, coffee, eggs, pepper, cocoa, cheese, petrol and fuel oils have ail gone up.

Ponle buying is responsible in some cases, but generally it is be- cause the under-the-counter pro- fiteers are out to make fortunes again.

Furniture companies and shoe companies, car dealers and nuto- moblie distributors are marking their prices up all the time.

I'm not saying that war nerves or hysteria are here, but I begin

murmurs about using the atom to detect symptoms. There are

bomb, and the New York Dally News has come out with a half- page article on preventing jitters. Its advice? Disregard rumours. get into defence work, cultivate mildly fatalistic frame of mind, and revive your Interest religion,

in

It is typical that it puts religion lost. Many people are putting Пrst.

The extraordinary young man Billy Graham, the high-pressure evangelist, spent half an hour with President Truman the other urging a national call to day

New Yorkers, of course, un- nounce they will go to the limit in the struggle.

trols, restrictions, and censorship, reconciling themselves to higher luxes, rationing programmes, con.

prayer. The citizens are

The President himself looks weary and worn with responsi- bility. His chirp is subdued.

If the crisis gets worse General Marshall or General Eisenhower may enter the Cabinet.

The Americans have a pen the reverses in, Korea they want chant for Colossus. Because of to mobilise the entire nation, con-

Wild West rage script women spend £35,000,000 more on strengthening the Voice with war or politics, Magazines Not everyone is preoccupied of Amerien broadcasts, station 14,000 air-raid spotters throughout Teenager Should Know

on run articles entitled "What Every the United States, and establis

About Dating 619 observation posts.

Some of these drastic measures have already been taken, New Jersey announces that it is ready to provide food and shelter and emergency medical care for 1,000,000 evacuees from this city. The metropolis more and more begins to behave as if the nation were in a world war. In Times- squate the young men queue up. 'outside 'recruiting stations.

for Bach, not am I attempting an be an mequired taats, but illa a Braga contributed plano solos, explepalion of his arealtem on tosto Swards negydring i for his and the Hong Kouk Singers bon this occasion when we theet to music is more than just the muslo, ducted by Professor hide, do homines to one of the grossest, of enjoyment. It is the sittersace sung a group of Bach's chippies, yo

and the nation's youth admits it is going "cowboy- nuity. It is.

Every precocious pup here- and they are all precocious--is going around dressed like the Lone Ranger, carrying a gun, shouting "Yippeel" making millions' for Messrs. Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers.

(Continued On Page 10)

pop-

and

Garrison School Speech Day

Lieutenant-General Sir, she said, "the school would now Robert E. C. Mansergh, Gen-be able to expand its work to an eral Officer Commanding-in-even greater degree for the bene

fit of the children." Chief, Hong Kong, distribut- ed the prizes at the Speech Day of the Garrison School yesterday.

Board of the Royal Navy, from

She thanked the Education} which Lt Cmdr. Cross RN, and Le Cmdr Lamb RN, were pre- sent, for their icind co-operation. Addressing some 50 children, The main items of the prizes and many of the parents, General were attractive books of appro- Mansergh said he was pleasedpriate nature, for the boys and work being done for the children. with the Garrison School, and the girls

In the five and six year old In addition to thanking the class, Nigel Blandford, David staff, he expressed, pleasure in Hughes, Richard Ashley, and seeing so many of the parents, Wendy Davis received prizes for and concluded with a special good work. message to the children. Now that you are on holiday," he said, "try to do one kind act every day, for in bringing a smile to others, it will also make you yourselves happy."

Before the prize giving, Miss E. Wills, the headmistress, gave her annual report for the banellt of the parents.

"With the addition of two fully qualified teachers in Miss H. Tebay and Miss M. Delamere,"

In the seven and eight year old class, Michael Duffett gained first place, and Caroline Adama second, Robert Stone won prize for general progress, and Richard Grouch for good conduct,

#

For the nine and 10 year olds, Peter Blandford came ton of the class, and Peter Roulesten second. In the upper division, Ann Gouldtherpe was top of the class, and Alan Weadley received the second prize.