Harmonic Choir Home

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30884, 18 October 1965, Page 1

Harmonic Choir Home

The Christchurch Harmonic Choir returned home on Saturday well satisfied with its performances during a six-week visit to Britain and the United States.

Hundreds of people were at Christchurch airport to greet the choir, some of whose 158 members arrived on special flights from Auckland. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr G. Manning) and Mrs Manning were among those waiting to welcome the choir. University students held aloft a banner of welcome.

While overseas, the choir officially represented New Zealand at the Commonwealth Arts Festival in Britain. The conductor (Mr W. R. Hawkey), the chairman of the choir committee (Mr C. Smith), and the choir leader (Mr G. A. Connal) agreed that the tremendous cost of the trip—about £63,ooo—had been well worth while.

They said each member had spent about £4OO, mainly on fares and accommodation. The New Zealand Government had given token assistance to the choir, but most other Commonwealth countries had sent professional groups heavily subsidised by their Governments.

Mr Hawkey said the choir thought the effort to make the trip had been fully justified. Some had said on the Irst leg of the return trip that they wished they were just starting, not returning. Being invited to sing in Westminster Abbey, St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, the Juilliard School of Music, New York, and at the Haydn and Handel Society’s anniversary festival in Boston had been the most rewarding experiences.

“These are experiences people cannot measure in terms of money," Mr Hawkey said. Mr Smith commended the choir for its exemplary conduct overseas.

“They sang their best all the time and enhanced the reputation of their country by their fine behaviour,” he said.

“On occasions, when they had to sing under considerable duress, they seemed to give better than their best.”

Mr Hawkey said the music critics generally had praised the choir’s performances. lit Boston,. the choir had been given a prolonged standing ovation by a traditionally conservative audience and newspaper critics had generously applauded their performance. Later, the choir had been presented with a Paul Revere bowl in recognition of the quality of its performance. In New York, the Consul General for New Zealand (Mr R. Taylor) and Minister of Finance (Mr Lake) had attended a recital by the chorale at the Juilliard School of Music.

Mr Hawkey said he was impressed by the teaching methods of the school’s choirmaster, Abraham Kaplan, who avoided pointing to the faults of his students, but encouraged them to discover their own errors.

The choir leaders spoke highly of the organisation of the Commonwealth Arts Festival in Britain and the hospitality of the people of

Boston who billeted the Christchurch visitors. Individual choir members made efforts to encourage visitors to New Zealand by showing their hosts colour slides of scenic attractions.

A move by the choir to promote the sale of New Zealand lamb in the United States did not eventuate after marketing officials showed only casual interest

Mr Hawkey said the choir drew excellent houses equal to the best of those for other groups participating at the festival. Throughout Britain the choir had been warmly received and at Christchurch, Hampshire, the New Zealand flag was flown from the town hall for the occasion.

Mr Hawkey said the 8.8. C. and the Haydn and Handel Society in Boston had made tape recordings of the choir’s performances and these would be made available to the N.Z.B.C.

So much singing in such a short time had sickened none of the choir. Rather, Mr Hawkey said, the trip had made members enthusiastic and anxious to improve their standard.