NATIONAL OPERA

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 612, 14 March 1929, Page 14

NATIONAL OPERA

SIR THOMAS BEECHAM’S SCHEME Sir Thomas Beecham. addressing a rally of members of the Imperial League of Opera at the Albert Hall recently. announced that if the growing support continued, the league could start activities next year, and opera would be produced within twelve months.

When the league came intc existence a year ago it went off with a delightful whizz-bang, he said, according to “The Times.” and 10,000 members were enrol 3d within a week. Enthusiasm lasted for several weeks, and then followed melancholy stagnation for six months. During the last three months, however, there had been a general rejuvenation of the league, he added, and, if it continues at the rate it was going, they would have opera in the next twelve months or so. The average weekly revenue by way of subscriptions has been over £I,OOO. That gum does not include generous donations given by liberal-minded in-

dividuals. The league was in a sound and healthy condition, he declared. He appealed to those present to do their best to increase subscribers and remarked that in London they required 10,000 to 12,000 more members. “The league,” he said, "did not propose to enter upony any ambitious scheme of building at the present time, but before the end of five years it hoped to enlarge greatly the demand for opera throughout the country and then secure funds for the erection of a building adapted suitably for opera. Covent Garden was celebrated as an opera house, but its reputation for acoustics was not what it had been, and it could seat no more than 1,900 people. When the league began operations there probably would be some .30,000 members in London alone, and they would require a great national theatre.”