THE ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 26, 31 July 1899, Page 6

THE ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY.

TO TUB EtUTOn. Sir— There must be many lovers of music in this city who wove appalled by tho announcement th.it the Orchestral Society' is in danger of starving for want 01 iinanciul support. It would not hu becoming in a rceont bettler m Wellington to hold up his hands in horror at this state of things, or lecture tho town on tho importance and value of orchestral music. Ho cm only express his own prolound regret, and keep his reflections io himself. Ho may, however, be permitteu to add a hope that tho situation may not be allowed to como to extremities, nut that this startling revelation may. evoke such a responso as will lead to tho Society's being placed on n soiind financial basis. Ido not know anything about the intornnl organisation

of the Society ; I only know that its work is tliuiougiily good and honest, and, what is of even greater importance, that it lias the }«niiit in it which leads to progress and inipioveinent. I have no doubt, too, that tho committee and officers use every effort to promote tho interests of the Society from v practical us well aa from an iirtisstio point of view. But it will be a great pity if discouragement or disappointment is allowed to le.id to a relaxation of those- efforts. They may fahly appeal to their established subscribers to as.sist them by doing what they can to extend tho subscription roll. Every society of this kind is only kept alive by steady and persistent effort, and tho bulk of the work generally falls on a little knot of devotees. But why should wo allow tho whole burden to be borne by this limited group? We have all, no doubt, a great many things to think of ; but our absorbing interests will not sillier from a casual thought given now and then to the olaims of the Orche.sIral Society, or an occasional attempt to bring those claims before people who have porhnp'j never thought about tho matter at all. — lam etc., J. W. JOYNT. Wellington, 22nd July.