Music ‘catastrophe’

Press, 9 December 1976, Page 1

Music ‘catastrophe’

Cr Helen Garrett wants action to prevent clashes of musical tastes and noise levels such as occurred at the Christchurch Town Hall last Saturday evening, when a chamber music soiree was held while a wedding party was entertained by a rock band in the next room.

The wedding party was held in the Cambridge Room, while the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra held a musical soiree in the Limes Room, Cr Garrett said at a meeting of the Towm Hall Board of Management yesterday. The situation was resolved rather unsatisfactorily by having the wedding band'play for 15 minutes, and then the chamber

group for 15 minutes, she said. The orchestra had written to the board, saying the evening had ended as a musical catastrophe, the chairman of the board (Mr Hamish Hay) said. It would be necessary in future to make sure that functions held in these two rooms were compatible, he said. Cr Garrett suggested that soundproofing should be provided between the two rooms, but the Town Hall manager (Mr B. P. Connell) said it would cost several thousand dollars to do this. He said that the noise from the wedding function could be heard backstage in the theatre.

Cr E. L. Tyndall suggested a noise restriction in the Tbwn Hall, but Mr Hay said that it should be necessary only to make compatible bookings for the two rooms. The Limes Room was not designed for quiet use, and it was noisier there than anywhere else in the complex, Mr Connell said.

Concessions had been made on the rentals to the two groups, because of the conflict, he said.

The board decided to raise the question with the Town Hall architects, Warren and Mahoney, to see if there was any solution that would not be too expensive.