Orchestra back from China

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 18

Orchestra back from China

<N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON. The London Philharmonic Orchestra is to make a top twenty challenge with a recording of a piece of music picked up on its tour of China, which has just ended. The managing director, Air Eric Bravington. gave the news at a press conference at London’s Heathrow Airport after the orchestra’s return. “We’re going to make a challenge in the top twenty | with a piece of music called ‘The Happy Woman Fighters from the Red Detachment of! Women.' which is from a

post-revolution Chinese ballet.’' Mr Bravington said. The orchestra’s five-concert tour was so successful that! it had been invited to return as soon as possible. It was the first Western orchestra to tour the country since the Communists gained power in 1949. All 100 members of the-

orchestra were given a copy' of the “Little Red Book,” and i£6 as a present from the, i Chinese Government. Mr Bravington said: “We were very moved by this ges- j ' ture as this money was ? equivalent to about two’ weeks wages for a Chinese' worker.” ' The conductor. John Prit-I

chard, said that Chinese hon- i esty was the only thing! iwhich caused any problems.! ■making it impossible for them ! to throw anything away. ! One member of the orches-; tra threw an old. dirty shirt! into his hotel wastepaper bin.! .only to have it returned the; next night, crisply laundered.; Another musician who took ■a high-wattage electric light I bulb with him as he had been , told Chinese lighting was dim, : did not need it and left it in his Peking hotel when he left. Two days before they were due to leave China, when; they were 1200 miles away! in Shanghai, the light bulb; was religiously returned. I ■ -