N.Z. orchestra ‘made its mark'

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33678, 30 October 1974, Page 5

N.Z. orchestra ‘made its mark'

The N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra had made its mark on the international scene with its success in Australia, said the assistant concert manager of the N.Z.B.C. (Mr A. C. Palmer) when he returned from Australia last week. “When we arrived in Australia we were an unknown quantity, as it was our first •overseas trip. With our performances we proved ourselves,” said Mr Palmer. It took 18 months to two years to plan the 13-day trip, after an invitation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to the N.Z.B.C. Orchestra to fill in at the subscription concerts while the Sydney Orchestra was in Europe. About 18,000 people attended the nine concerts on the tour. “The Sydney critics were tough. Right from the start they made it clear they would not make any compensations, just because the orchestra came from a small place like New Zealand,” said Mr Palmer. “On the whole, all the critics were good and fair,” he said. The orchestra really enjoyed. Adelaide, which was very culturally minded. The

orchestra was given a standing ovation for 20 minutes in the city. “We, as an orchestra, would like to be invited to the Adelaide Festival, which is held every two years,” said Mr Palmer. Adelaide had the best theatres and audiences in Australia, he said. “People were surprised to learn that there is an orchestra of such high standard in New Zealand,” said the chairman of the players’ committee (Mr F. Wilkinson). “We provided a very good variety of programmes, where the usual touring orchestra has only one or two different programmes.

“Now we have made our mark in the international scene, we hope that we will get invitations to tour elsewhere, in the next two or three years,” said Mr Wilkinson.