CIVIC ORCHESTRA

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 72, 27 March 1933, Page 6

CIVIC ORCHESTRA

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —As a subscribing member of the Wellington Symphony Orchestra, I, along with others, am naturally interested in tho proposal o£ Mr. H. Tombs to amalgamate this, the Philharmonic, and Concert Orchestra at 2YA into one orchestra, under immicipnl control. I should, with your permission, like to bring up a few facts, which apparently have not been considered by Mr. Tombs and his supporters, but which interest Symphony Orchestra members. Have they forgotten that through the formation in November, 1928, through Mr. Leon de Mauny's encouragement, we have in the city today a fine orchestra run by an executive of keen .musical and business men, and that it has a very large subscribing list free to any person wishing, to subscribe; I, myself as a member and music-lover, am quite satisfied that' the orchestra* is in quite capable enough hands without any other control than that existing. The result, so far as I can see, of municipal control will be the undoing of all the work that Mr. de Mauny and his helpers have so carefully performed. The unsuccessful way in which the City Organ recitals were run is proof enough of how a Civic Orchestra will be run, and I do not think that any one of our present City councillors is quite as capable musically ns any single member o£ the present orchestra executive. It'is evident too that there is not sufficient support for two orchestras, ,and if the Philharmonic is unable to carry on, why not come to some agreement with the Symphony Orchestra, or gracefully retire and leave the good work to those who began it eighteen months prior to the formation of tho Philharmonic?

Has Mr. Tombs any knowledge of the fatal results in working the London Symphony Orchestra under guest conductorship three or four years ago? Are other musical societies—the Royal Choral Union, Harmonic Society, or Repertory Society—seeking municipal aid to carry oh? Why then has the Symphony Orchestra been singled out for treatment?

Before any further steps are taken m the matter, I would urge the secretary of the Symphony Orchestra to call a meeting of all subscribers to protest most strongly against any further action in the matter, and I think that after further discussion members would unanimously agree that our executive and our conductor, Mr. Leon de Mauny, are quite as capable as anyone else in providing the city of Wellington with first-class 'orchestral anisic, which has been commended by such authorities as Josef Szigeti and Mr/ and Mrs. Michael Martin Harvey.—l am, etc.,

A..E. STOCK.