The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life ...

proved unworkable,17 with the result that these centres suffered through
18
minimal orchestral activity for a number of years.
What was thus established on a national scale was what New
Zealand was suffering on an international scale -
cultural exodus.
85
the vicious circle of
Because opportunities were not available, and because
the best (at least the most technically proficient) teachers were also
not available in the regional areas, promising musicians were forced, in
order to further their skills and employment opportunities, to gravitate
towards the central body of orchestral musicians in Wellington.
Once
established there, there was little to attract them back to the regions.
What was needed to break, or at least weaken the circle, was the
existence of both a surplus of national class orchestral players and
competent individuals in the regions to make best use of this surplus by
f orm~ng
· new ore h estras. 19
17 Owen Jense~ NZBC Symphony Orchestra Wellington, A.H. and A.W. Reed,
1966:44. This arrangement was terminated in 1950 at the instigation
of the Musician's Union. From 1951 members of the orchestra " ••• were
to consider themselves as domiciled in Wellington".
18 For a detailed account of orchestral activity in New Zealand at this
time see WALSH, David B. A survey of orchestral activity in New
Zealand. Unpublished MA thesis, Victoria University of Wellington,
1967.
19 Auckland, in 1941, had formed the. Auckland String Players, initially
under Owen Jensen, and then under Ramsay Howie. In 1947 they were
forced to go into recess (the first year of the National Symphony
Orchestra's existence), but were reformed in 1948 under the baton of
Georg Tintner. They remained officially a string orchestra, though
with more and more co-option of other instruments for particular
performances until the 1963-4 season when, with a change of name to
the Symphonia of Auckland, they officially became a full (small)
orchestra.
In Christchurch, the pattern was much the same. In 1958, the John
Ritchie String Orchestra was formed under conductor John Ritchie.
This string orchestra was modelled along the same lines as the successful
Wellington group the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra (formed 1948),
which in turn had been modelled on the Boyd Neel String Orchestra
(which had completed a tour of the Dominion in 1947), Although in
effect the John Ritchie String Orchestra was an amateur group, Ritchie
stressed the importance of a professional approach, and insisted,
wherever possible, that his musicians be paid no matter how small the
sum. As it became more established, the group co-opted other, nonstring,
instruments to allow for divergence of repertoire, until, in
1962, with a change of name to the Christchurch Civic Orchestra, it
became a full orchestra.
1966 was the date for the establishment of the Dunedin civic
Orchestra, which had evolved from the King Edward Technical College
Orchestra. The latter orchestra was the result of an experiment in
school musiceducationinitiatedby·Vernon Griffiths, and expanded by
Bill Walden-Mills. (David B. Walsh, op.cit.)