Christ’s College Hall Fund Now £148,122

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30312, 12 December 1963, Page 20

Christ’s College Hall Fund Now £148,122

The Christ’s College building fund total of £148,122 was a magnificent and inspiring achievement by any standards, said the headmaster (Mr N. A. H. Creese) at the school prize-giving ceremony last evening. “Although, when it comes to the final analysis, buildings are only of secondary importance, they are only the tools of those who use them. The college needs this building, and when she has it, she’ll be right—she’ll be really right. I count myself both lucky and responsible to be here at such a time," said Mr Creese.

Planning a multi-purpose hall was very difficult, and it was much easier to point to other people’s mistakes than to find the ideal solution for a building which mult contain provision for orchestral and band concerts, choral concerts, chamber concerts, large-scale school dramatic and operatic performances as well as house plays or revues on a smaller scale, dances, week-by-week assemblies, lectures and films.

It was hoped to provide downstairs space for a bandroom, a music master’s classroom, instrumental and piano practice and teaching rooms, stage dressing-rooms, a wardrobe room, a band store, an orchestra store, as well as 424 bicycles, heating appliances and cleaning equipment. "It is also planned to fit in downstairs a lecture theatre to seat upwards of 200 people, suitable for all modern aids for t-aching, such as television, films, film strips, colour slides and tape recordings,” he said. "This small hall, Mr H. R. Hornsby's brain-child, will be used for orchestra and band rehearsals, debates, small concerts, play-reading and play-acting, parents' meetings, and lectures.' ’

Mr Creese said that so far the assembly hall was a castle in the sir. “In real terms, we now boast two drinking-fountains. which gush out pure, unfluoridated water. Most of the bill for these was met by the Wairerapa branch of the Old Boys' Association.”