Carless days may affect concert sales

Press, 17 April 1980, Page 20

Carless days may affect concert sales

Carless days may have an effect on concert attendances. The chairman of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society’s committe (Mr P. D. Barton) said earless days were one factor that might contribute to unpredictable attendances at concerts. Some people were also reluctant to pay for a subscription series and so attended fewer concerts. Others had to limit their spending to only one or two concerts a year, he said. Mr Barton said attendance at performances on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings last year had been much lower than the year before. It seemed likplv that this was at

least partly a result of the earless days scheme. In his report, Mr Barton told the annual meeting of the society that unpredictable box-office revenue, reduction in broadcasting support, and uncertain support from local bodies were causing financial problems for the society. After the meeting, Mr Barton said the society was in a solmd financial position but it was getting harder to keep it that way. With about 180 members, the only venue suitable for choir performances was the Town Hall, which cost $lOOO a night to rent, even at the reduced rate. The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra was also expensive to hire. - Financial, support from oublic bodies was uncer-

tain, Mr Barton said. Last year he prepared six submissions and received six different replies, ranging from a refusal to provide funds to a grant by the Christchurch City Council. Broadcasting support had also been reduced. In the past, the Broadcasting Corporation had allowed the society to make four local broadcasts, which earned $ll5O each. This had been reduced to three and then last year the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) had announced that only two concerts would be broadcast. It was virtually impossible to make ends meet without the broadcast support, said Mr Barton. This put the society in a dilemma, he said. It had to choose between per-

forming works which were popular and • drew big attendances and quality performances. A concert with the Skellerup-Woolston Brass Band last year had been very successful. However, Mr Barton said such concerts could loose appeal if there were too many of them. He favoured a system of financing which had been proposed to the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council by the chairman of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (Dr D. Shelley). This involved the council’s funding about 20 players on a part-time basis. The players would have to work with organisations such as the society’s choir for a certain number of hours each year.

Mr Barton said the system. which was aireadv used in Dunedin and Wellington, would be equivalent tb a substantial grant. “I would like to see the orchestra funded in such a way that they would be able to offer benefits to

other organisations,” he said: The society elected Mr N. H. Buchanan as a life member. He was president of the society from 1964 to 1974, and was a member of the choir for 25 years.