Arts Festival Plans Nearing Completion

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31588, 27 January 1968, Page 14

Arts Festival Plans Nearing Completion

Inquiries from all parts of New Zealand have been received about the Pan-Pacific Arts Festival which will be held in Christchurch from March 9 to 30, and a spokesman for the organisers said yesterday that it was already evident that the festival would attract many visitors to the city.

All the committees concerned have now reached the stage of planning in detail, especially with regard to the conversion of the King Edward Barracks into a festival hall, and to the proposed street decorations.

“Our officials have had a great deal of co-operation from the military authorities about the use of the barracks and the provision of accommodation for the Fijian Military Forces Band,” the spokesman said. “The band will appear during the final week Of the festival, and it is hoped to present two floodlit open-air displays featuring the visitors and Christchurch bands.” The festival opens with four concerts by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, under its young Israeli condi ctor, Moshe Atzmon. A Sunday afternoon concert for young people on March 10 has also been arranged. A concert by the N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra, under the conductorship of J -.an Matteucci, will bring the festival to a close.

The committees’ spokesman said additional gifts of money were still needed, and a

limited canvass of business and professional people would soon be made. “The response so far has been extremely encouraging,” he said. “There is widespread public interest in the festival, and the indications are that we will not lack financial support.” A souvenir booklet was nearly ready for printing and should be on sale early in February. This was a major effort by the Royal Christchurch Musical Society, and the profits would help pay for the festival publicity, and also benefit the society. The spokesman added that preferential postal bookings for the festival events would be accepted on Tuesday at the Christchurch store of Hay’s, Ltd. Choral Concert

Mr Atzmon rearranged engagements in Italy and Israel to bring the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to .Christchurch; and with the orchestra in two of its concerts will be the choirs of the Christchurch Harmonic Society and the Royal Christchurch Musical Society. A young Australian pianist, Thomas Ungar, will play Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto in B flat minor. John Robertson, a New Zealand musician who is head of the orchestra’s trumpet section, will be the soloist for Haydn’s trumpet concerto. The New Zealand pianist,

Maurice Till, equally well known on both sides of the Tasman as a soloist and accompanist, will play Khatchaturian’s piano concerto in D flat minor.

The N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra will be augmented in its brass sections by Christchurch bandsmen to present the first New Zealand performance of the Berlioz Requiem Mass, “Grande Messe des Morts,” with the two Christchurch choirs. The soloist will be the New Zealand tenor, Ramon Opie. Among the artists who will give recitals at the festival are the German soprano, Rita Streich; the New Zealand bass, Donald Mclntyre, fresh from Wagnerian triumphs at Bayreuth; the young British pianist, John Ogdon, a Tchaikovsky prize-winner; and the concert pianist, Tessa Birnie, who will also conduct the Christchurch Civic Orchestra Strings in a programme of rare piano concert!. Puccini’s famous “Madame Butterfly,” sung in Italian, will be the contribution of the New Zealand Opera Company. It will feature a Japanese Butterfly, Kiang Hwa, and an Italian Pinkerton, Nicola Filacuridi, a young tenor who appeared with Maria Callas. Ballets Ballets-will be presented by the New Zealand Ballet Company with “A Time for Offenbach”—specially prepared for it by Jurek Shabelewski —and other ballets from its repertoire. The festival will also feature a large number o art exhibitions, including sculptures by Rodin and the famous “Riverbend" panels, nine huge paintings by the Australian artist, Sidney Nolan. Britain's celebrate, “pioneer” potter, Michael Cardew, who spent many years in Africa, will not only exhibit work he is doing in New Zea-1 land, but will also lecture and demonstrate.

Contemporary Australian sculpture has been specially selected for the festiva'. and there will be exhibitions of New Zealand painting (contemporary and historic), New Zealand sculpture and pottery, Chinese and Japanese art, Japanese flower arrangements (ikebana), photography and architecture.