CURTAIN UP FOR THE PROMS.

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 656, 1 February 1952, Page 6

CURTAIN UP FOR THE PROMS.

enade concerts in Wellington next week will ring up the curtain on the activities of the National Orchestra for 1952. The "proms," which have proved to be an excellent idea elsewhere, are an experimental venture on the part of the NZBS and their success depends largely on public support. Michael BowjJes, conductor of the , National Orchestra, has stated that "if the support warrants, the idea may be extended next year." Beginning on February 7, the "proms" will feature programmes of wide popular appeal, very low admission prices and an informal atmosphere. Dress circle seats at 5/-, and ground floor seats at 2/6, are still available for single performances, but the sale of season tickets has already closed. Though "proms" in other countries have included performances where the audience stood rather than sat, seating will be available in the Wellington Town Hall. Mr. Bowles explained that the programmes have been designed to involve "less labour" on tne part of the audience, but substantial works will not be completely lacking, there being one such included in each performance. Soloists are also a feature of the Wellington "proms," those appearing being Bessie Pollard and Ormi Reid, two pianos (the Saint-Saens "Carnival of the Animals"); Ken Smith, trumpet (Haydn’s Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E Flat Major); Eric Law- \ PROGRAMME of five prom-

son, violin (Mozart’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A Major, K.219); Sybil Phillipps, soprano (Mozart’s "Hours of Joy," "In What Abysses" and "Cruel Heart"; and "Softly Sighing," by Weber; Hilde Cohn, piano (Beethoven Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 1, in C Major, Op. 15); Peter Gien, French horn (Mozart-Paumgartner Concert Rondo for French Horn and Orchestra in E Flat Major, K.371); Vincent Aspey,

violin (Max Bruch’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in G Minor); Shirley Carter, piano (Saint-Saens’ Concerto No, 2 in G Minor). The next appearance of the National Orchestra, early in March, will be in Auckland, where they will present the first two subscription concerts of the year. In view of the success in Wellington of ‘the subscription series, it was decided to extend these facilities to Auckland and Christchurch, where, as in Wellington, eight such concerts will. be presented during the year. In these three centres the price of season tickets to the eight subscription concerts wil represent approximately the cost of: only six, two concerts being offered frée to subscribers! Details will be announced shortly of the programmes for the $ubscription series in Wellington, the first of which will take place on the Orchestra’s return from a concert tour of Greymouth, Hokitika and Nelson. Recently Mr. Bowles pointed out that in fulfilling their engagements for tine subscription concerts, the orchestra’s itinerary would coincide with the Royal Tour and no doubt would form part of the scheduled festivities. Last year the National Occhestra gave a total of eighty-six concerts as against seventy-four the previous year, and it is probable that an even greater number will be presented in 1952. Most of the centres visited last year will be included in this year’s schedule, atid in addition concerts will be given on the West Coast of the South Island.