Film music (1951)

FILM MUSIC NEWS CANADIAN Mr, Gerald Pratley of Toronto has been giving a series of BROADCASTING programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Company on the noted CORPORATION English film composers. Muir Mathieson has interviewed such composers as Walton, Easdale, Bliss and Vaughan Williams and played extracts from their film scores. These composers have talked a- bout the problems they faced in writing music for various pictures. Mr. Pratley is planning to give a similar series of radio programs on the film composers of the United States. Let us hope this movement will produce material which we may feature in FILM MUSIC NOTES. The radio service spon- sored by the various educational institutions will find such programs of great value. M.T.N.A. The two Audio-Visual meetings of the Music Teachers National Association in San Francisco in mid-August were well attend- ed, James F. Nickerson of the University of Kansas presided. Boyd Rakestraw of the University of California, a nationally- known audio-visual man, served as the keynoter of the sessions. Josephine Murray of the Santa Barbara schools and chairman of- the Film Committee of the Music Educators National Conference (California Western Division), of- fered four suggestions on the subject, "Evaluation of Audio-Visual Aids for Musio"i (l) That all music, musical instruments and cultural information contained in teaching aids be authentic. (2) That further instructional film materials be designed and produced to more appropriately cover the gamut of age and interest groups in American schools. (3) That systematic reviewing of film materials be attempted locally by a system of "preview nights". (4) That bulletins of materials such as the brochure, FILMS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION and FILM MUSIC NOTES be made available in all libraries. The second session was devoted to the preview and discussion of films showni WILLIAM TELL, TEE GREAT WALTZ, and slide films, FUNDAMENTALS OF STRINGS, THE VIOLIN (University of Nebraska) and an experimental sound-slide film on the problems of arranging for the WOODWIND ENSEMBLE(University of Kansas), COLUMBIA The Columbia University Film Society is conducting a series UNIVERSITY of weekly screenings of significant motion pictures. Bach FILM of the twelve programs of the fall series includes a feature SOCIETY film, a documentary and an experimental film or animated car- toon. The followinp films with scores of interest will be shown during the seriest NIGHT MAIL (Benjamin Britten)jPOIL de GAROTTE, (Alexander Tansman);DAY OF wRATH(Paul Schierbeck); THE LOON'S NECKLACE(Howard Cable); THE SPANISH EARTH(Vireil Thomson and Marc Blitzstein); LOVE ON THE DOLE (Richard Addinsell); POWER AND THE LAND(Douglas Moore); THE CITY(Aaron Copland); VALLEY TOWN(Marc Blitzstein); GRAPES OF WRATH (Alfred Newman); THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS(Virgil Thomson); Musical shorts will also be included! CHANTS POPULAIRES, HYMN TO THE NATIONS, and FIDDLE DEE DEE. MAINE Mrs. Rheta Tasker, state chairman of film music for the Nation- FILM al Federation of Music Clubs, writes that she plans this year PROGRAMS programs of film music in clubs throughout the state. She and several other state chairman have written our Council for sug- gestions of published music used in motion pictures, also topics for discus- sion. She plans to use such subjects as "Men ^ho Make Music for Films" using material for papers found in FILM MUSIC NOTESj MUSIC MAKERS(Vol.7#l-2-3); IN- FORMATION on FILM MUSIC in the UNITFD STATES(Vol.R#O; REVIEW OF MUSIC IN A FILM. RECORDS USED AS LISTED IN THE MARCH APRIL NUMBER. Performance of music used in films. Exhibit scores from FILM MUSIC NOTES. The National Film Music Council is pleased to assist with such information as is desired for these programs.