TOWN HALL CONCERTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19280, 19 March 1926, Page 12

TOWN HALL CONCERTS.

THE SATURDAY FIXTURES.

NO CHANGE TO BE MADE.

The question of reserving the Town Hall on Saturday evenings exclusively for th» holding of municipal concerts to the exclusion of visiting artists who look upon that night as the best of the week from the point of view of attendances, was considered by the City Council at its meeting last evening. At a meeting of'"the Concert Management Committee, Mr. L. A. Eady had referred to the heavy bookings of the Town Hall during the coming season and said that the continuity of the municipal concerts, which weer no wbecoming very popular, would be broken. The committee decided to recommend to the Finance and Legal Committee that the Town Hall be reserved exclusively for municipal concerts on Saturday evenings. In its report to the council last evening, the Finance Committee recommended that 110 action be taken. Mr. Eady said ho was in somewhat of a quandary on the question. They were trying to popularise. the concerts so that they would play a part in the cultural development of the people, and as they were meeting with considerable success, it would be a pity if the scheme were interfered with. On the other hand they had to consider the revenue from the hall, and in the interests of the musical education of the citizens it would not be right to discourage the visits of noted artists. Sir. E. J. Phelan moved that the recommendation of the Concert Committee be given effect to in future and that the hall be retained for the use of the people on Saturday evenings. Mr. A. J. Entrican pointed out that in order to get the use of the hall on Saturday evenings visiting artists often engaged the hall for a whole week, although they might not perform every evening. If the council reserved Saturday evening for itself these artists would be discouraged. In view of the heavy bookings already made he suggested that tho council should leave things as they were for the winter. Mr. T. Blood worth and -Mr. F. W. Brinsden supported Mr. Phelan, the former saying that if these high-priced artists wanted to use the people's hall on the people's night they should be prepared to do so at the people's prices. The council, however, decided to make no change in the existing arrangements.