Orchestra And Conductor Welcomed

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30682, 23 February 1965, Page 14

Orchestra And Conductor Welcomed

“We are indeed thrilled to see the musicians of our sister Dominion co-operating with us in this festival,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Manning) at a civic reception yesterday to Sir Malcolm Sargent and members of the Victoria State Symphony Orchestra. “Our two peoples, with a common heritage from our motherland and with a common language, have developed alongside each other and have served together in two world wars,” he said. “Now in this festival, we are together again but this time assisting with the development of the appreciation of music and the arts in general. “In this way there will be a significant contribution towards the enrichment of our social and cultural life,” said the Mayor. The Mayor said Christchurch’s two choirs were honoured to serve under the baton of such a worldrenowned conductor as Sir Malcolm Sargent. “In fact, this experience will no doubt become a memorable landmark in the musical development of this city and New Zealand,” he said.

The Mayor then invited the large crowd present to give Sir Malcolm Sargent a standing ovation. “Your Mayor is a wise old bird,” Sir Malcolmn Sargent said as soon as the prolonged applause subsided. “He makes sure his speakers receive applause before they start speaking. With me, that is a wise move.”

The co-operation between Australia and New Zealand

during the festival was an example to the rest of the world, he said. The easiest method of bringing peoples of different countries together was through music. Other speakers at the civic welcome were the president of the Canterbury Society of Arts (Mr S. E. Mair) and the chairman of the festival (Mr J. Collins). The leader of the orchestra, Mr L. Domett, presented the Mayor with a sealed letter of congratulations from the Lord Mayor of Melbourne.