LONDON MUSICAL FESTIVAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIV, Issue 20966, 19 February 1938, Page 16

LONDON MUSICAL FESTIVAL

SUCCESS OF PLANNING TWO-FOLD IDEA OF FUNCTION The summer of 1939 will see a London Musical Festival, the result of a movement set on foot about thr?e months ago to co-ordinate the efforts of the principal music-making organisations, states the "Daily Telegraph.” It is planned that for five weeks, beginning on April 23, 1939. there shall be a series of concerts of orchestral, choral and chamber music, opera performances and special choral services

in the principal London churches, which should focus upon London the attention of the musical world. The collaboration of Covent Garden and of Sadler’s Wells is assured, as :s also that of the London Philharmonic and London Symphony orchestras, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the principal schools of music, the leading concert agents, and the owners of the West End concert halls. Sir Hugh Allen has accepted the chairmanship; Mr Bruce Ottley, of Covent Garden, ?s vice-chairman. Mr Owen Mase. of the British Broadcasting Corporation, has been appointed director of the festival.

The idea of the festival is two-fold—-in the first place to enrich the already great amount of music regularly provided in the London season, and in the second, to co-ordinate the publicity by a central organisation, which will see that the world is duly informed of the wealth of musical experiences London provides in May. As things are. though the range and quality of the music to be heard in London are hardly to be matched anywhere in Europe, the various enterprises are organised without relation one to another. The co-ordination of publicity will, in itself, make a new and stimulating impression.