City “Central Core Of Music-Making”

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30233, 11 September 1963, Page 8

City “Central Core Of Music-Making”

Ot all the cities, Christchurch was the central core of music-making in NewZealand, said Mr John Hopkins, conductor of the National Orchestra, when he attended a valedictory meeting convened by the Christchurch Civic Music Council at the City Council chambers yesterday. He said this was not just a compliment. No other city could boast of an organisation such as the Civic Music Council, which ensured a basic unity among the people making music. It was important to the development of music throughout NewZealand.

Mir Hopkins said that Christchurch was leading the way in all sorts of activity, and the choral one did not need to be emphasised. He hoped more and more unity would come about, and saw the town hall as one of the things that would help greatly in centralising musical activity. Mr Hopkins said that the Christchurch Civic Orchestra was one of the leading factors in New Zealand music. A valid criticism of the National Orchestra was that it had drawn all the best players to Wellington, but that had to happen. Christchurch was the first to regenerate itself and get on the move by establishing a civic orchestra. “Auckland, and later Dunedin, should follow suit,” he said.

Young Musicians Mr Hopkins said a problem in the training of young musicians was the question of being able to show them a real line that they could follow towards a professional career in music. The National Orchestra was the sum total of full-time orchestral playing. This meant that orchestral music was by no means so attractive as other professions where positions were

assured at the end of the training period. Through the Civic Orchestra and the University String Quartet, Christchurch was developing the right climate for young people to think of music as a profession and not as something to be dabbled in in their youth and then set aside. “There Is so much talent going down the drain and not being found in time,” said Mr Hopkins. Cr. H. P. Smith, the Deputy-Mayor, thanked Mr Hopkins on behalf of the city for his “immense contribution to our cultural life.” He was sure that the Mayor (Mr G. Manning), who was a great lover of music, would like to be present. “Deeply Grateful”

Cr. Smith, said he was deeply grateful for all Mr Hopkins had done to foster music and particularly choral singing in Christchurch. There were many whose interest and appreciation of music came from him. He mentioned particularly the National Youth Orchestra, the “proms” and the traineeship scheme. “The name of Hopkins will tong be associated with these and many other projects which you have founded and sponsored,” said Cr. Smith. Professor Vernon Griffiths, patron of the Civic Music Council, said that Mr Hopkins had brought the National Orchestra on to an almost incredible extent in his search and progress towards higher standards.

“We do thank Mr Hopkins most sincerely for all he has done for music in New Zealand and particularly in Christchurch and its environs. He has continued implacably the fight to achieve higher standards, so that today we must all admit that because of him our standards are much higher than they were,” he said.

Sir James Hay said that he wanted to emphasise the great contribution Mr Hopkins had made to ordinary people who made no pretence of having a profound knowledge of music. He had engendered in them a life-long love of music.