Orchestra Foundation discusses grant loss

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32879, 30 March 1972, Page 12

Orchestra Foundation discusses grant loss

Although the annual grant of $12,000 to the Civic Orchestra Foundation might be terminated, the foundation should not assume that this would mean the end of income for the corporation, Mr A. W. Mann, secretary of the foundation, told the annual meeting last evening.

“It seems obvious that our next course is to see the extent to which we can sell programmes to the N.Z.8.C., which would in some way make up for the possible loss of the grant,” Mr Mann said. The chairman of the foundation (Professor J. A. Ritchie) said that he felt it was wrong of the N.Z.B.C. to decide to cease its grant to orchestras in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in the erroneous belief that their reputation was established to the point where the authorities and the public could be expected to stand behind them. “I deplore such an action to save the N.Z.B.C. a mere $37,500 to risk the ruin of three major New Zealand orchestras, while realising that their own orchestra costs nearly 30 times this amount,” Professor Ritchie said. Mr J. Collins, a representative of the Queen Elizabeth P Arts Council on the

foundation’s board, said he thought that the foundation should receive another $4OOO from the Arts Council and also at least another $4OOO from local bodies in Christchurch to help make up for the loss of the grant. "Local bodies in this city, in making grants totalling $15,000, are pricing their first-class civic orchestra very cheaply,” Mr Collins said.

Officers elected at the meeting were: Patron, Professor Vernon Griffiths; president, Professor J. A. Ritchie; vice-presidents, Messrs G. A. G. Connal and C. C. Steel; elected members to the board of management, Messrs Connal, C. Cook, P. G. Barton, R. Monk and R. E. Perks.