“Great Need" For Town Hall

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30678, 18 February 1965, Page 12

“Great Need" For Town Hall

“One of the most significant features of the forthcoming arts festival is that it will highlight more than any previous event in Christchurch the great need that exists for an adequate auditorium in which to present the outstanding concerts and recitals which will be held daily during the next fortnight,” said the chairman of the Christchurch City Council’s town hall committtee (Cr H. G. Hay) in a statement yesterday.

Cr. Hay, who is also deputy-chairman of the Pan Pacific Arts Festival executive, said that considerable difficulties had to be overcome in converting the King Edward Barracks into a festival hall able to hold about 2600 persons. This had involved an expenditure of several thousand pounds and an immense amount of hard work.

“The provision of seating alone has been a formidable task and the erection of scaffolding for the festival choir of more than 500 voices has involved time and cost which most festival organisers in any other city in the world seldom have to worry •bout,” he said. “The lack of a town hall has been one of the greatest problems with which the festival organisers have had to cope in planning the festival, but they will probably gain some satisfaction from the fact that this festival will have again reminded Christchurch how urgent is the need for better facilities if Christchurch is to continue such festivals. Desirable Size

“One important sidelight from the festival of importance to the town hail planners is a clearer idea of the desirable size of the eventual town hall. With symphony concerts, opera, drama, ballet, and chamber music performances being presented in close success, it will be possible to assess where the public demand lies and to what extent it is desirable to provide a major hall capable of holding 2750 persons as has provisionally been suggested for Christchurch. “There is a growing opinion in musical circles that a hall accommodating more than 2000 persons is a mistake acoustically and economically, and it would certainly appear that the town hall committee could well reconsider its present ideas of a hail holding this number. On the other hand, the festival programme highlights the need for a smaller concert chamber with full stage facilities capable of being used for opent and ballet as well as other recitals. “I am hoping that there may be an opportunity to gain the benefit of Sir Mal-

colm Sargent’s advice on the size of our town hall while he is in Christchurch, as undoubtedly his wide experience and knowledge of concert halls throughout the world would be of the utmost value.

“The festival deserves the whole-hearted support of every citizen of Christchurch if for no other reason than to afford a really convincing demonstration that Christchurch urgently needs and wants a town hall,’’ said Cr. Hay.