MUSIC FESTIVAL

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 13

MUSIC FESTIVAL

At the beginning of its second quarter-century the Christchurch Schools’ Music Association has become an incorporated body and is now called the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival Association, Inc. This year’s festival from Tuesday, October 6, until Saturday, October 10, will be held in its entirety in Canterbury Court

Last year, the two final nights were held in Canterbury Court, the seven preceding concerts being held in the Civic Theatre. On the basis of last year's . performances, the association decided to see how successful it would be in holding all concerts at Canterbury Court this year. Accordingly, the massed choirs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings will each comprise 970 children from 17 or 18 different schools, making a total of 2900 children from 53 schools over the three nights. Thus the massed choir each night will comprise more than twice as many children as could be accommodated on the stage of the Civic Theatre in previous festivals. The doubling of the numbers of choirs for each night, however, means that only some of the school choirs will be able to present individual choir items within

the time limits of each night’s programme. Besides massed choir and individual choir items, 10 instrumental groups, one recorder ensemble, four orchestras, a drum and fife band, and a handbell group will be heard during the three evenings. The programme on Friday. October 9. will be provided by the School of Instrumental Music, Inc. and three school instrumental groups. The programme for Saturday, October 10 will be choral and orchestral. A massed choir of 750 made up of some of the choirs singing in the earlier concerts will sing the 13 varied and interesting Massed Songs prepared for this festival, while the main orchestras of the School of Instrumental Music, will play numbers presented on the previous evening. One cr two items by a school choir and a school instrumental group will be included. The massed choir will be accompanied by the No. 1 Symphony Orchestra in three numbers —“Jerusalem,” “Crimond” and “On Wings of Song.” The president of the association this year is Mr Gordon R. Mathieson, the musical director, Mr Keith R. Newson, and the official accompanist, Mr Charles L. Martin.