BRITISH OPERA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 23 November 1927, Page 5

BRITISH OPERA

SIR T. BEECHAM’S SCHEME APPEAL FOR FUNDS DISAPPOINTING RESPONSE.

[By Cable — Preu Assn. — Copyright.) (Received 28, 12.50 p.m.) London, Nov. 22. ‘‘l have only received 220,000 out of the £300,000 required for the establishment of permanent British opera, says Sir Thomas Beecham. ‘‘Thg London and Sottish response was satisfactory, but Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, aad Leede were disappointing. If they do not improve they will be replaced by other towns.”—(A. and NZ.) Sir Thomas Beecham unfolded in September detail! of a new scheme whereby he hopes to establish British opera on a permanent basis. He estimated that there are 150,000 people in this country to whom his «chem| would directly appeal and he calculates that an opera season such as ha would like to give would inevitably mean the lots of £60,000. This sum would be provided if the 150,000 pe» eons would subscribe 8« a year o* only 2d per week. Subscribers to the enterprise would be given perferentiaj treatment in regard to seats. Th* opera would be provided in London and in some of the great provincial centres with the finest material available in the Empire. The personnel of his operatic company would be #5 peg cent. British. He added: “I leave | per cent, open because* it is quite pos> sible that for some little time 1 may have to call upon foreigners in departments in which British artist* producers, and so on, have little or nt experience.”