Orchestra Trust offers two-year truce to C.S.O.

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 1

Orchestra Trust offers two-year truce to C.S.O.

Ihe Canterbury Orchestra Trust has come up with a fresh proposal in an effort to settle its differences with the Christchurch Symphom Orchestra.

The essence of the proposal is that in return for the dissolution of the C. 5.0., the C.O.T. would seek approval to amend its constitution to allow the en masse retirement of all its trustees.

For a two-year period the single orchestra would be administered by a tripartite board comprising the chairmen of the two present orchestras and a neutral chairman with a legal background nominated by the president of the Canterbury Law Society. The single orchestra would offer engagements “to those part-time orchestra players who are willing and able to play to a satisfactory standard. (Full text of proposals, page 3). An informal meeting of the C.S.O. board considered the proposals last evening, but its chairman (Dr David Shelley) would not comment on them. He did say, however, that it was "unfortunate” that the trust’s proposal should be made public before the C.S.O. board had an opportunity to consider it. The proposals were new and would require the approval of a proper board meeting, as well as the membership itself. "It would take several days at least to come to any conclusion,” said Dr Shelley. “We will give it urgent and proper consideration,” he said. Dr Shelley declined to comment when asked if he saw any significance in the sequence of events; the pro- 1 posals being submitted by the C.O.T. before the decision of the Court of Ap-

peal on the trust's applica lion concerning constitu tional matters.

The Court reserved its decision on Wednesday after a two-dav hearing. Three proposals for a single governing body were made by the trust last vear. but all were rejected. In a statement accompanying the text of the latest proposal, the chairman of the C.O.T. (Mr E. J. Bradshaw) said that a period of reconciliation was desirable The statement said: “The Canterbury' Orchestra Trust was established in July, 1975, bv and with the support of the councils of metropolitan Christchurch to provide a stable orchestral administration to replace the highly unstable administration which then existed. The dissidence within the then existing administration was such that the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council had withdrawn its financial support and the councils were concerned over their financial commitment.

"The Canterbury Orchestra Trust Board succeeded in regaining the financial support of the Arts Council. This support is conditional on adherence to Aits Council policy which calls for a Christchurch orchestra of chamber orchestra size with, initially, up to 12 full-time professional players. In accordance with this the trust appointed Mr Dobbs Franks as music director and, to date, nine principal full-time players have been engaged. All of these principal players are New

Zealanders and seven of them have been active in music-making and teaching in Christchurch fot many years. Through the trust they are for the first time able to pursue their careers full-time in Christchurch.

“The Canterbury Orchestra Trust Board has provided a stable administration whereby musical activities and the well-being of the orchestra are the responsibility of the music director and the orchestra committee, and the board concerns itself only with business and financial administration.

“In the opinion .of Mr Franks, the administration is the best he has ever experienced. In recent submissions to the councils the principal players said, ‘Our experience after one year’s employment has demonstrated to us that the orchestra is run very efficiently. The musicians have the utmost, confidence in the management. ’ “While the trust has succeeded in these important respects and while ail but 13 of Christchurch’s orchestral players play and enjoy playing for the trust’s orchestra, the trust has failed to gain the support of those 13 players and their supporters. This unhappy state of affairs has lasted much longer than was anticipated, has created an unhelpful atmosphere for musicians and administrators alike and is likely, in the end, to do untold damage to the future of any Christchurch orchestra. “In a further effort to

correct this state of affairs the Canterbury Orchestra Trust Board now suggests that a period of reconciliation is desirable and to this end has submitted the attached proposal to the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. The Canterbury Orchestra Trust Board sincerely hopes the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra will consider the proposal favourably, having in mind what best serves music and the cultural life of this city. A peaceful period of two years should enable past mistakes by both sides to be forgotten and provide the musicians with a happier atmosphere in which to demonstrate and develop their talents,”