Choir Members Do Varied Jobs For Travel Funds

Press, Volume C, Issue 29622, 19 September 1961, Page 9

Choir Members Do Varied Jobs For Travel Funds

Grubbing a hillside to prepare it for cultivation, conducting bottle and rag drives, repairing watches and collecing stamps and scrap metal are among the jobs undertaken by members of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society to help pay the expense of its choir’s visit to Adelaide next March. The choir will perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, in Sir William Walton’s "Belshazzar’s Feast” at the Adelaide Festival One money-raising project has been the preparation of ebout two acres of land at Hoon Hay for planting potatoes and peas. During the last few weekends teams of more than 20 members equipped with grubbers have cleared a considerable area of hillside in pre. paration for cultivation and planting. The project organiser for the society (Mr R. C. Land, ery) said yesterday that the number of ways in which society members were striving to raise funds, both in groups and individually, was remarkable. Bottle Drive

"The men’s group raised a considerable sum with a large-scale bottle drive and they halve been doing watch repairs, tea packing, stamp collecting and selling scrap metal collecting, and have held a rag drive,” said Mr Lande ry. "Women’s groups have been raising money making toys, doing hairdressing, and preparing goods for a big ‘paddy’s market’ to be held in November. “In addition to this members are doing many jobs we don’t know about until they come forward with the money. They are doing a grand job but there is a lot to be done yet.”

The president of the society (Sir James Hay) said the pro.

jects were a magnificent ex. ample of self help. On his return to Christchurch after being away two months he had been greatly impressed by the progress made by members of the choir to raise funds, t “To have to raise about £ll,OOO is an endeavour of great magnitude,” said Sir James Hay. "What has been done so far is truly a magnificent example of self help. It is indicative of the enthusiasm prevailing among members of this talented choir. Their visit to Australia cannot but enhance New Zealand's reputation abroad as well as have beneficial repercussions between the two countries.”