INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 427, 29 August 1947, Page 13

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Gamblers in Culture Win at Edinburgh N Britain this week all roads lead to Edinburgh. While this article is being printed, thousands of visitors are assembling from overseas for an international festival of music and drama opening at Edinburgh. The Travel Agency, ma London reports that the re-| : has exceeded all expectations | and} the festival is already an assured | success. So great is the demarid for accommodation that a list of private householders who have volunteered to billet visitors to the extent of a bed is drawn up even at this early date. Parties of young people are going to youth hostels, and for weeks the branches of travel agencies all over the world have been answering’ questions about this unique artistic event. It will be the largest and finest festival of its kind, and is setting a precedent which may well become a tradition. In fact, plans are now being made for next year with the best of the world’s music and drama again being offered in Edinburgh’s spacious and beautiful setting. It may well mark the beginning of another chapter in the city’s long and illustrious history, and set q new cultural standard. A wide range of almost every kind of music is promised and the connoisseur will have the choice of 95 performances of ballets, plays and concerts. The festival is truly international with artists from 20 different nations taking part. Highlights of the programme are being transmitted by the BBC on their Ooverseas service. Many Overseas Visitors Overseas visitors have already bought a fifth of the seats so far sold. Of the available. 165,000 tickets, more than 100,000 have been bought, representing sales to the value of £50,000. , Householders, living outside the city, who are entertaining visitors, are being given a special allowance of petrol to transport their guests to and from performances. Extra air services between Britain and Europe are being run. Organisers have won one of the most exciting artistic gambles ever made, since the public response to a wenture of high.cultural appeal must always be unpfedictable. Edinburgh, in fact, may well become the symbol for courageous attistic enterprise in a world where such ventures are not over-mumerous, ; Broadcast Plans Two broadcasts from the Edinburgh festival are’ scheduled in BBC. OverOP ies Service programmes next week: At =4.30 p.m. on September 5 (on GSF, * 15.14 m/c’s, 19.82 metres, and GSD, 341.75 m/cs, 25.53 metres) the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent) will be heard in "The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra" by Britten, and Walton’s Viola Concerto (with William Primrose as soloist). On September 6 at 5.0 p.m. a proamme of Brahms lieder, with Lotte : ann and Bruno Walter taking part, will be broadcast. This will be heard through GSD, and also through GRY (9.60 m/c’s, 31.25 metres).