Operatic hall loan almost repaid

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33235, 26 May 1973, Page 16

Operatic hall loan almost repaid

The Christchurch Operatic Society has almost repaid a mortgage on its hall. “The society’s premises may well be freehold within a few weeks,” the chairman (Mr M. C. Marshall) said in his report to the annual meeting of the society.

This had been achieved by astute administration, support by members, a very successful season of “Hello Dolly,” and a satisfactory yield from the 15-year subscribers’ scheme, Mr Marshall said. The society’s hall was built in 1964 with a mortgage of

$16,000, During the last eight years various committees had worked diligently to repay the mortgage, Mr Marshall said.

Almost $3OOO was paid off the mortgage by the 15-year subscribers’ scheme. “OUT IN COLD”

Mr Marshall said the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council’s policy to support the Federation of Operatic Societies rather than individual societies had “left the society completely out in the cold.” “The grant to this body, as I have said many times, is not sufficient to benefit anyone, and the greater part of their grant becomes absorbed in administration,” he said. “Now we are to see a further change in policly of assistance ot the cultural arts — this is long overdue,” Mr Marshall said.

“It is necessary that grants be made on results achieved by organisations rather than hand-outs on promises of what a society can proceed with if given a grant,” he said.

Mr Marshall was re-elected chairman, and Mr J. Collins was re-elected president.