Music Council seeks continued support

Press, 27 November 1982, Page 6

Music Council seeks continued support

The Christchurch Civic Music Council will ask interested groups to back its request for continnued support from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. The Arts Council has increased its grant to the Music Council’s national concerto competition from $2OOO to $2500 this ■ year, but has said no further grants will be given. At the Civic Music Council’s annual meeting last evening, members were told; that a protest letter had already been sent to the Arts Council by the Music Council executive. The Music Council’s president. Sir Hamish Hay, said he had also written in his capacity as Mayor. The chairman, Mr W. E. Woodley, said that judges and former cmpetition winners were also being asked to write for support. The most expensive item in the competition was the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, which accompanied the three finalists. This had cost $7700 last year, Mr Woodley, said. . ......... “We feel the Arts Council k ■

has an obligation to the young musicians, and to support the regional orchestra,” he said. The Music Council had discussed the matter with the Southern Regional Arts Council, which would make representations on its behalf to the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council when it met on December 8, Mr Woodley said. A Music Council member, Cr Helen Garrett, said it was "incomprehensible” that the Arts Council was threatening . to withdraw its grant. It was a devastating blow to the competition and the Music Council. . ' The competition was a most successful national event, which was professional in its approach. It had brought to the fore many distinguished'musicians. ’ Cr. Garrett .said that the competition should be better publicised, as many people did not know about it. Sir Hamish said it would not be easy to get commercial sponsorship for the competition, because of present economic, conditions. : . About $20,000 bad been -i

given in prizes for the competition, and the Arts Council should be aware of the selfhelp that had gone in to it. Sir Hamish agreed there was a need for “aggressive promotion” of the competition, to fill more seats at each performance. This year’s competition will begin in about two weeks. The accounts showed that the concerto competition had lost $3393 last year. The sale of tickets brought in $4068 compared with $5836 the previous year. The concerto competition reserve fund had reduced the loss by $2889. Mr Woodley said in his report that the year’s trading for the council had given an excess of income over spending of about $3OO. The situation was very serious, and the Music Council pleaded with municipal and county councils to increase their financial help so its work could continue, he said. . . During the meeting, Dr Vernon Griffiths was reelected as patron, Mr Woodley as chairman, and Mr P. D. Barton as deputy chairman.' ' ' " ; > •