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THE MUSICAL ADJUDICATOR.
| Dr. S. M'Burney, who acted as adjudi-
catorin music at the recent Methodist
exhibition at Hobart, holds a high posi
tion among the musicians of Victoria.
| The son of Dr. I. M'Burney, a well-known j
| educationist in Glasgow, he went to the
I Isle of Man as a boy attended the Glas-
gow University; where he was prizeman
in Humanity, and came out to .Victoria in |
1871. At one time he acted as mathema- 1
tical master for an Jold Tasmanian, Air. I
Hinsby, of Kyneton ; and after holding I
J various scholastic and musical .appoint- 1
meats, he returned to England la 18771
to be married, his wife being a daughter
of Air. James Ecoleston, th3 first head
master of Hobart High School. For
nine years he and Airs. M'Burney conduc
ted the Geelong Ladies' College, and at a
later data " Oberwyl," an old-established
school at St. Kilda, so that he has had a
long experience as a teacher of various
branches of education.
In 1887 Dr. AI'Burney mado an extend
ed tonr of the Australian colonies, and
New Zealand, with the double object of
investigating the state singing in the
state schools, and determining the varie
ties of pronunciation (if any) through
out Australia. Tho results of these
enquiries have been incorporated in Dr.
A. J. Ellis's colossal jvork on English pro
nunciation, where he remarks that the
thoroughness and extent of the investi
gations by one man are unparalloled,
""XX giro ...o xxxou xcxxauxu account ot
Australian English. School music in the
United States, Canada, England, Ireland,
Scotland, and the Continent of Europe
was further examined, as Dr. AI'Burney
was determined to know from personal
experience what was possible or attain
able in tho schools of Britain, Germany,
and other countries. Two years wero
spent in London, chiefly attending the
concerts, and studyiug under such men
as Prof. Ebenezer Prout, whose name as
a theorist and composer is world wide ;
and then within six months the degrees
of Bachelor and Doctor of music were
taken at the Dublin University, the only
University where that could bo accom
plished within the limited time at his
disposal.
In 1891, immediately after Dr. M'Bur-
ney's return to Victoria, ho was appoint
ed Inspoctor of AIuBio to the Education
Department, a position fie field until the
unfortunate exigencies of the boom col
lapse resulted in the dismissal of all the
singing masters, and, consequently, of the
Inspector of Singing. Air. Brodribb,
Secretary of Education, in a very eulo
gistic testimonial states that Dr. M'Bur
ney had aroused the greatest enthusiasm
among the teachers, and had created mors
interest in singing than had ever been
shown before in Victoria.
Since then Dr. AI'Burney has been
chiefly engaged in musical work, and has
been a very popular adjudicator at Eis-
teddfodau and competitions, having been
several times at Williamstown, Bchuca, j
Bendigo, Geelong, Alaryborough, New
castle, N.S.W., Adelaide, Daylesford,
Hobart, Queenstown (Tasmania), Ararat, |
Alildura and other places. His last en
gagement in this role was at Daylesford
during Christmas, when a very great deal
of local interest was aroused, and the
local papers credited him not only with
giving valuable hints to the oompetitorB
but with pointing out faults with consi
derable regard for the feelings of the Der-
formers.
Air. AI'Burney was for some years ex
aminer of -music at the University of
| Tasmania, and has also been connected
| with Alelbourne University since 1898 as
| examiner in theory, teacher of sight-sing-
| ing and ear-training, and Examiner for
| the Conservatorium local practical exami-
| nations. He not only holds the highest j
| degree of music in the ordinary notation
| but the highest granted by the Tonic
| Solfa College, of which he is representa-
| tive in Australia, where his advocacy of
tonic solfa Is well-known, especially in
connection with singing in State schools.
In order to arouse interest in the matter
be gave a lecture at the Y.AI.C.A. rooms,
Hobart, when a considerable number of
teachers and others were present, to hear
the advantage of tonic solfa in the study
of the ordinary musical notation, more
especially in sight-singing, trans-position,
theory, and harmony.
Dr. AI'Burney is also favourably known
as an entertainer, as he has a fund of
I quaint songs and anecdotes picked up
from qilaces all over the world, and his
style is described by the press as being
" ft. fftVinrr shi>1a fr.hftfc ftf. nnno annorrao I
I -Wj.w VMVW VUgMgWW VUS I
| attention of the audience ; with a keen
| sense of humour, and a gift of descrip-
tion. He has placed his services con-
| stantly at the disposal of various church |
and charitable committees, generally |
j without any fee or reward, except that of
assisting a worthy cause."
| Many of his compositions are popular, |
| especially his " Youthful Toilers," com- 1
posed for the great Alelbourne Sunday
| School Industrial Exhibition, " The Flag |
of Union," " United Wo Will Be," and |
| " Advance Australia," used in the federal
J campaign, and " Forward Gaily," a choral
| march which was 6ung by 5Q0Q voices at
| the Crystal Palace, London, during the |
IT.S.F. Jubilee celebrations in 1891. — I
| " Launceston Examiner." |
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