Orchestra’s first decade “colourful”

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32565, 26 March 1971, Page 10

Orchestra’s first decade “colourful”

The first 10 years in the life of the Christchurch Civic Orchestra Foundation had been colourful years, said the president (Professor J. A. Ritchie) at the annual meeting last evening.

“Its orchestra, like Muhammed Ali, has enjoyed many successes and it has suffered misfortune,” Professor Ritchie said. “It has fought many battles and it has tasted a spell of being laid up; it has returned to the fray, but above all like Cassius Clay it has not been knocked out.”

During 1970 the Christchurch Civic Orchestra gave 43 performances, including 10 broadcasts; it had six guest conductors, and had nine guest soloists perform with it.

Musical problems had arisen. For many concerts up to three key players had to be brought from Auckland or Wellington—which pointed to the need for more highcalibre wind players and for some means of inducing them to remain in Christchurch, Professor Ritchie said.

The orchestra's grant income for the year was in excess of $42,000. The Queen Elizabeth Arts Council gave $15,000, . the N.Z.B.C. $12,000, and the Christchurch City Council $lO,OOO. “It is my private hope that soon we shall have the N.Z.8.C., the Arts Council, and local bodies giving equal gants to $20,000 a year with an agreed annual increase of $3333 until each source reaches $33,333 by 1976,” Professor Ritchie said.

This figure of $lOO,OOO had been put forward in submissions on the orchestra in 1968.

Professor Ritchie said he hoped that the foundation would soon appoint a fulltime administrator for the orchestra. The board of management also recognised the need for a full-time musical director, though it was difficult to attract a suitable person to a substantially parttime institution. The orchestra’s deficit for 1970 was $1134, said the sec-retary-treasurer (Mr A. W. Mann). The accumulated fund was now $4621. A pubiicty campaign run by a professional public relations officer was a failure; there were 659 subscribers, about the same as the previous year. Officers elected were: Patron, Sir James Hay; president, Professor Ritchie; honorary vice-presidents, Professor Vernon Griffiths and Mr G. A. G. Connal; secre-tary-treasurer, Mr A. W. Mann; board of management, Mr G. Caldwell, Mr J. Collins, Mr G. A. G. Connal, Mr J. Cotter and Mr C. C. Steel.