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The Voice of Music in Christchurch

A Submission to the Draft Annual Christchurch City Plan 2012 – 2013 Christchurch Otautahi

Summary

The Voice of Music requests that the Christchurch City Council adopt:

The retention of the existing Town Hall complex and the refurbishment according to needs identified before the earthquakes as well as need resulting from damage caused by the earthquakes.

A Music Precinct for Christchurch as a hub for music activities and music education in the city, and urges the Council both to assist the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Music Centre of Christchurch to find accommodation within this Precinct.

The area around Victoria Square as a potential Music Precinct – an “arts plaza” that includes an outdoor performance area or amphitheatre.

Background to this Submission

This submission which represents the “Voice of Music” in Christchurch, has emerged from a series of meetings initiated by the Christchurch Civic Music Council with an intention to speak as one. The Voice of Music fully concurs with and endorses the statement that “the Council recognises the arts are a key driver in the regeneration of urban areas, stimulating new business and creating vibrant creative spaces.”

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Music in Christchurch

Christchurch has a proud record of musical excellence. For much of New Zealand’s history the city has stood tall as the country’s cultural capital, with a particular strength in music. The Christchurch City Choir can trace its lineage back to 1860; other musical groups still in existence were also established in the nineteenth century. The first professional orchestra in New Zealand was assembled in Christchurch and New Zealand’s foremost composer, Douglas Lilburn, after whom the Douglas Lilburn Auditorium of the Christchurch Town Hall is named, wrote many of his finest works on the banks of the River Avon where the complex stands. School chamber music groups and choirs consistently outperform their counterparts from other centres in national music competitions. The quality of the musical education here is second to none. Brass bands win national and international awards and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra consistently performs with distinction. We have more choirs, more orchestras, more brass bands and more chamber groups per capita than anywhere else in the country. Participation in music is a part of the heritage of our city; a love of music is in the blood of many who live here. Such accomplishments would not have occurred without the presence of strong-willed visionary individuals fuelled by a passion for their art. Needless to say, wherever you have strength of purpose you will have dispute, and Christchurch is known as much for its exceptional musical talent as for its periodic differences of opinion over musical matters. Mindful of this, the Minister for the Arts, Culture and Heritage, the Hon Chris Finlayson, earlier this year addressed the Christchurch musical community with the challenge: “If you can find a way to speak as one voice, we will listen.” The musicians and musical organisations of Christchurch have responded to this challenge. We are speaking as one voice and we trust, in turn, that the decision makers in local and central governments will listen and respond as one.

We lament the loss of the many beautiful buildings we used to fill with our sounds. We are left with few facilities for music performance in the city that could be regarded as adequate for the purpose. We are desperately short of venues. We recognise that funds available for reconstruction are limited. We have contained our vision to projects that are affordable and achievable. These are projects that will enhance not only our working environment, but also the quality of living for all who reside in, or visit Christchurch, Otautahi, our city.

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Christchurch Town Hall

The Voice of Music endorses the City Council’s Preferred option 1 for restoration of the Town Hall, as described in the Draft Annual Plan 2012-13 Summary.

In doing so, the following comments are offered:

The Town Hall Complex

The main focus, and entrance to the Town Hall should be moved to the Victoria Square side of the complex, while retaining vehicular access on Kilmore Street.

The Town Hall Auditorium

The Auditorium is the heart of the Town Hall complex, and the city’s major concert venue. As such, it is imperative that its acoustic quality must be at least equal to any in the world. As part of its restoration, known deficiencies in its acoustics must be remedied and brought up to the standards expected of one of the world’s finest concert halls.

It is observed that the organ completed an important component of the auditorium, not only for the quality of the instrument, but also for its physical presence in respect of ambience and acoustical completeness.

There is a need to upgrade backstage facilities of the auditorium, which over the years have fallen behind those now expected by the world’s top musicians.

Disability access at both front-of-house and back stage have fallen behind modern standards. We ask that this be rectified.

The James Hay Theatre

While it is recognised that the James Hay Theatre is a more multi-purpose venue, the current situation provides an opportunity to make good its known acoustical deficiencies.

Disability access for audience is especially awkward, and we ask that this be improved by installing a lift on the James Hay Theatre side of the foyer, and improving access for the disabled into the theatre itself.

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The Isaac Theatre Royal

The Voice of Music endorses the City Council’s commitment to restore the Isaac Theatre Royal as a matter of urgency (Central City Recovery Plan Draft 2012-13, p. 91) and recognises the need to bring the Theatre up to standard for short-term use as a concert venue. Restore it as a traditional and much-loved facility for musical theatre, opera, ballet and stage shows in the longer term.

The Music Precinct and Arts Plaza

The Voice of Music advocates for Victoria Square to be transformed into an arts plaza, bordered by concert halls and a new Music Centre. It considers that the Town Hall Auditorium and James Hay Theatre should be supplemented by smaller venues, with arts tuition,rehearsal and performance facilities, to create a vibrant community environment.

In support of this initiative we make the following comments:

Victoria Square is well located to become a precinct for the performing arts: it is bounded by commercial enterprises such as the Convention Centre, and in the vicinity of the library, art gallery and museum.

The Town Hall complex, when renovated, will allow an architectural linkage to Victoria Square.

The Citadel should become a rehearsal / recital room with administrative offices for the CSO and allied groups, as recommended in the city plan and mooted prior to the earthquakes.

The City Library could be extended to Victoria Square to include a Music Resource repository of performance materials and instruments.

The Music Centre should be prominently positioned in the Precinct, as it will be the community music work-place. It is envisaged as a comprehensive centre of rehearsal and performance activity, with teaching studios, administrative offices and recreational facilities where those engaged in musical activities mix with others who benefit from the communal life that music brings.

The Provincial Council Chambers may be restored, retaining heritage, attracting tourism, and converted to a performance venue suitable for musical and dramatic use.

The River Banks allow for the creation of an amphitheatre for outdoor drama and music, busking festivals, etc, and could become a key staging point for the strolling and boating made possible by a concurrently developed city river-park.

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Commercial opportunities would exist for retail, and particularly for restaurants and cafes at street level. Prudent planning would avoid blocking natural sunlight, provide shelter, ensure imaginative lighting, fountains, sculptures etc, transforming the area into a compelling daytime and evening performance precinct.

Hotels and Apartments could be encouraged, but they should be constrained by cohesive design requirements.

Imaginative Planning should allow for staged development, if necessary.

Music Organisations in Christchurch

The presenters of this submission represent more than 100 music organisations in the city of Christchurch. At a meeting held on Tuesday 8th May 2012, the representative music organisations in attendance were in agreement with the proposals and plans presented in this submission.

The writers of this submission

This submission was written by Margaret Austin, Philip Norman, David Sell, Graeme Wallis, Don Whelan on behalf of the Voice for Music in Christchurch 12 May 2012

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Appendix 1

A Music Precinct

There are many international examples example of arts precincts throughout the world. Here are some comments of the proven benefits of the Civic and Cultural Precinct in the city of Newcastle in the UK. http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/5602/ccp_strategic_intent_st.pdf

The development of a cultural precinct provides a focal point for cultural activity and offers a range

of opportunities for cultural experiences in one location for both the local community and visitors.

Cultural precincts stimulate and promote development of ancillary and commercial activities within the precinct.

Concentration of cultural activities within one precinct permits cross promotion leading to increased utilisation and patronage of cultural infrastructure.

Costly duplication of facilities is avoided and opportunities for joint occupation and use arise. This can lead to reduced service delivery cost thereby making cultural experiences accessible to the wider community.

It is a powerful vehicle for Council to take a leadership role within the arts sector.

For Christchurch, an arts precinct of this kind would serve as a focal point for all involved in musical activity, for encouraging the development of our performers, offering stimulating performance venues and setting an exciting cultural ambiance for the city.

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Appendix 2

Prospective “music” users of the facillities of the Precinct

Addington Workshops Brass Band Aeolian Choir African Plus Songs Afternoon Delights Alec Burtenshaw Apollo Musicum Arts Centre of Christchurch Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music Belinda Bunn - Alexander Technique Burnside High School Cantabile Choir Canterbury Brass Canterbury Accordion Association Canterbury Folk Festival Canterbury Musical Parenting Associaition Canterbury Theatre Organ Society Canterbury Philharmonia Canterbury Plainsmen Canterbury Singers Canterbury University Canterbury Westland Secondary Teachers Association CANTOS Canterbury Theatre Organ Society Cashmere Music Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Cecilian Singers Chamber Music N.Z. (Chch) Christchurch Arts Festival Christ Church Cathedral Choir Christchurch City Choir

Chch Chorus of Sweet Adelines Inc Christchurch Clef Music Club Christchurch Community Arts Council Christchurch Competitions Society Christchurch Folk Club Christchurch Liedertafel Christchurch Organists’ Association Christchurch School of Music Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival Inc. Christchurch Symphony Orchestra Christopher Classics Clef ClubCPIT Jazz School 50s Up Brass Band Friends of the Symphony Friends of the Town Hall Organ Trust Garden City Symphony Galyna Zelinska Gerald Oliver Global Voices Guitar Society Hagley Singers Harmony Singers I.R.M.T. of NZ (Chch) Jubilate Singers Keith Sayers Kiwi Able MAINZ Polytech Mark Hobson Mark Walton

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Music Centre of Christchurch Music Education Canterbury Musica Balkanica Musicians’ Club (Christchurch) National Concerto Competition Neerlandia Choir N.Z. Choral Federation (Cant/West Ct) NZ Youth Choir Overlanders Country Music Club Pandemonium Percussion Performance Recitals for emerging artists Peter Fleming Preschool Music Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Risingholme Orchestra Risingholme Singers Russian Cultural Centre Concert Schola Cantorum Scottish Society Showbiz Christchurch

Silencio Ensemble Skillwise South Brighton Choral Society Southern Ballet Southern Opera St Andrews’ College STANZA (Christchurch) Sunday Classics Inc Tenchi Collective The Guitar Academy The Muse Contemporary Music Trust The Orion Powerhouse Gallery, Akaroa. Tim Driver Tiny Tots Monthly pre school music Trinity Guilhall Examinations University of Canterbury School of Music Waimakariri Community Arts Council Wendy Hayes Woolston Brass Yoomi Sim 175 East

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