LATE ARRIVALS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 427, 29 August 1947, Page 5

LATE ARRIVALS

Sir,-Under the above heading recently appeared an article apparently designed to scarify a considerable proportion of the music-lovers who attended the recent Boyd: Neel concerts at the Wellington Town Hall. According to the writer of that article; the fact that numbers: of patrons were late in arriving was 4 most reprehensible act; he made no allowance at all for the delays and hold-ups almost inevitable when a large concourse of persons converges upon a single point; nor did he consider the human element which by long custom has acquired a certain latitude in the observance of punctuality. There are those who deem it a fault on the part of concert-givers to be too punctual in commencing ,their programmes, and in my opinion during

the whole of his tour of New Zealand Mr. Boyd Neel was unduly. and quite unnecessarily precise in this respect. Other artists have shown, and cone tinue rightly to show, a kindlier tolerance towards those patrons whose tardiness may be due to no fault of their own: afd who, moreover, having paid for their seats, are entitled to occupy them before the music begins, This business of shutting people out and compelling them to kick their heels. in draughty passage-ways during the pleasure of the conductor, savours too much of autocracy and dictatorship: while to expect such unfortunates to remain mute in their exile adds insult to injury. There is a poirit at which strict punctuality becomes an, offence, and in my opinion Mr, Boyd Neel was guilty of it on several occasions. ~ 4

L. D.

AUSTIN

(Wellington),