Music in Christchurch - Extracts

Thesis by Helen Watson c. 1948, University of New Zealand

Private Teaching (pp.192)
…The last twenty years of the 19th century constituted a particularly fertile period of musical instruction, and for this four men in particular were responsible. These were H.M. Lund, H. Wells, G. F Tendall, and F. M. Wallace.

Herman (sic) Maier Lund was the first of these to arrive in Christchurch, and he began teaching pianoforte and singing here, towards the end of 1877, at the age of thirty. He provided a link with many musical activities abroad, for he studied at the Royal Academy, Stuttgart, and completed his studies under Clara Schumann. In Germany he had been acquainted with Brahms, von Bülow, and Wagner and had often heard Liszt and Rubinstein play. In England he had made the friendship of Charles Hallé. Lund continued teaching until about 1930, and many of the best Christchurch pianists have studied with him. His pupils include Ernest Empson, Alfred J. Merton, Charles E. Tendall (son of George F. Tendall, organist and lecturer in music at the University), Constance Lingard, Katie Young, Lance Lewin, and Minnie Vartha. A large number of the pianoforte teachers in Christchurch at the opening of this century had been his pupils. Lund was also well known for his fine solo pianoforte recitals, and the piano and violin music which he played with Wallace. His last recital was given in 1930 when he was eighty-three years of age.

Musical Criticism (pp.219)
…But, in general, one might say that the musical criticism in Christchurch did not begin until Lund commenced his critical work in connection with the “Press”. Articles under his pen-name “Strad” began to appear on the literary pages of the “Press” before 1900. In 1905 he became the regular music-critic of that paper, and continued as such until his death in 1932. No musical critic in Christchurch since Lund, has been so widely accepted and appreciated.