User:Gregwgtnz/Chamber Music New Zealand

Chamber Music New Zealand (CMNZ) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to presenting, advocating and developing chamber music in New Zealand. CMNZ presents chamber music concerts in ten cities: Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. CMNZ provides touring artists for affiliated regional music societies. CMNZ also administers the annual secondary school Chamber Music Contest, established in 1965.

Chamber Music New Zealand is the contemporary name for an organisation formed in 1950 that was initially known as the New Zealand Federation of Chamber Music Societies. The organisation was renamed The Chamber Music Federation of New Zealand in the early 1960s, The Music Federation of New Zealand in 1972, and Chamber Music New Zealand in 1992.

Early history
In his 1985 book Into A New Key: The Origins and History of The Music Federation of New Zealand 1950-1982, John Mansfield Thomson wrote: The early history of chamber music in New Zealand is not a spectacular, but a sustained one, with occasional peaks such as Alfred Hill's concerts in the 1890s, his tours with Michael Balling, usually playing his viola-alto ... and with Maughan Barnett, an English-born organist, choirmaster and composer. In this setting the rare visits from European ensembles exerted untold influence as did that of the Cherniavsky Trio ... who toured in 1908, 1915 and 1924. In 1920 the Verbrugghen Quartet ... gave New Zealand audiences a taste of the quality that had enlivened Sydney's musical life.

There were long gaps between these New Zealand tours - pianists and singers were favoured much more than string quartets, so much so, that when the Budapest Quartet were engaged by the [New Zealand] Broadcasting Service for a national tour in 1937, it proved to be, in the words of John Gray ...'a quite extraordinary affair ... When [the Broadcasting Service] realized the Budapest - then at the height of their powers - would play three quartets one after the other, they decided the programme needed vocal interludes. They engaged Mary Pratt, the number one contralto in the country, with Noel Newson, a splendid Christchurch pianist. They made sure that in between the quartets she sang groups of songs by Wolf, Brahms or Dvorák.' ... This episode shows the low tolerance of string quartets expected by the broadcasting service and the mixed type of programmes in vogue at the time.

Prior to the Federation, independent regional music societies presented touring artists. Prominent amongst these were the Auckland Chamber Music Society, formed in 1929, and the Wellington Chamber Music Society, formed in 1945.

In 1947, Wellington Chamber Music Society secretary Ray Weston offered a proposal for a chamber music cooperative. With a view towards pooling resources to enable more visits from international artists, the idea of a Federation was increasingly discussed and supported during the late 1940s. The idea was avidly promoted by Fred Turnovsky (1916-1994), an émigré from Czechoslovakia who had fled from Prague with his wife Liselotte (Lotte) following the German occupation in 1939. Prior to sailing to their new home in New Zealand, Turnovsky had been disabused of New Zealand's musical culture by a noted NZ parliamentarian and author, Ormond Wilson. 'He shattered every illusion I might have had' said Turnovsky. 'I had fully expected that there would be a professional orchestra, a professional opera of some sort ... but I was unprepared for the total absence of anything.'

Almost all European refugees had been raised in families where the arts, music in particular, were greatly appreciated. Many emigrated to New Zealand, Australia and America and immediately became active in supporting the arts. Some were accomplished and gifted musicians, such as Richard Goldner, an Austrian who fled to Australia and was the driving force behind the inception of Musica Viva. Such support and involvement aided the nascent Wellington Chamber Music Society. In Prague, Turnovsky had been part of the Czech Society for Chamber Music, a closed society that offered subscription tickets to concerts performed by some of the leading quartets of the 1930s, such as the Busch, Amar and Kolisch. In Wellington, Turnovsky advocated the same concept of a society with a subscription list and a fixed number of annual concerts. A public meeting was held on 6 March 1945 at Nimmo's small concert hall on Willis Street. Fittingly, the meeting started with a performance of Dvorák and Haydn quartets by Vincent Aspey, May Hyam, Frank Hoffey and Molly Wright - playing under the moniker 'NBS String Quartet'. The individuals responsible for this pivotal meeting included J. C. Beaglehole, Spencer Digby, W. B. Harris, R. S. Parker, E. C. Simpson, C. R. Straubel and Fred Turnovsky. The formation of the society was moved by Beaglehole and seconded by Simpson. The initiating committee ... had not expected such a warm reception nor that within a few weeks they would have 500 members. The system of selling a whole season in advance was strictly enforced. 'From then on people started fighting for seats' said Turnovsky 'and that was a wonderful way because we had no money worries at all'. In time the idea of a closed led to the feeling that the Wellington Chamber Music Society was run for an elite - an impression reinforced by the high proportion of Europeans who made up the audiences. It was a question which later had to be considered seriously. Eventually, as circumstances changed it was abandoned, but without it neither the Society nor the Federation might have been successfully launched - or survived the early years.

An elected committee, with Simpson as its founding President, met on 15 March to allocate duties. The Wellington Chamber Music Society's first concert was held on 1 May 1945 and featured violinist Maurice Clare and pianist Frederick Page. The programme included Douglas Liburn's Sonata for violin and piano in C. The Dominion review described Clare as 'perhaps the most polished violinist in the country' and Lilburn as 'New Zealand's most promising and provocative composer.

Over 1945-1950, artists engaged by the Wellington Chamber Music Society included Lili Kraus, the Ellwood Quartet, the Vincent Aspey String Quartet, the Wellington Chamber Orchestra and the Dorothy Davies Trio - the latter an ensemble championed by Beaglehole. The arrival of Kraus, whose musical roots connected her to Kodály and Bartók, aroused a furore throughout the country, as she was the first international pianist to reach New Zealand after the Second World War. She was eventually given NZ citizenship.

The announcement that the Wellington Chamber Music Society had engaged the Queensland State String Quartet for a tour in 1948 proved to be something of a catalyst in the Christchurch Press newspaper, where an editorial compared the efforts of local music societies with that of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service: Chamber music had suffered in cities like Christchurch since the formation of the National Orchestra, which had drawn away many good instrumentalists, or greatly affected their participation. The Laurian Club, which thrived in the 1930s, had to let its plans for revival lapse. 'The chance of organising good groups for steady work in trios, quartets and quintets is less than ever'. The NZBS String Quartet had done nothing to reverse this trend: ' A skinflint, opportunist policy can snatch up occasional performances; it cannot build programmes or develop the strong chamber music groups to sustain them and set the performance standard high'. [This] tour should remind the NZBS 'that since it introduced the superb Budapest String Quartet to New Zealand audiences years ago, it has neglected chamber music, both in arranging overseas artists' tours and in cultivating performances by New Zealand artists.'

A meeting was held in Wellington on 28 October 1950 to debate forming a Federation. Turnovsky had concerns that the rivalry between the Auckland and Wellington societies would derail cooperation, but these did not eventuate. The inaugural meeting of the New Zealand Federation of Chamber Music Societies was held in Wellington and included representatives from six societies: Auckland, Hamilton, the Hutt Valley, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch. A prominent Auckland lawyer, Julius Hogben, was elected President, with Turnovsky Vice-President, plus four executive committee members. The following day the executive met again at Turnovsky's residence to plan the 1952 season. Other societies were subsequently approached and offered associate membership for the 1951 season, with the promise of outstanding overseas players over 1952 and 1953. Turnovsky succeeded Hogben as President and held that position for the rest of the 1950s.

The 1950 season was the last organised solely by the Wellington Chamber Music Society. Artists featured included the Robert Masters Quartet from London, and from Australia the Musica Viva Chamber Players with pianist Maureen Jones. NZ ensemble the Lindsay String Orchestra opened the season on 27 April performing works by Vivaldi and Purcell, and Schubert's 'Trout Quintet' (for CMNZ's 60th anniversary celebrations in 2010, the 'Trout' was performed in the Wellington Town Hall on 28 October, the date of the organisation's formative meeting).

CMNZ's historic and on-going relationship with its Australian counterpart, Musica Viva, dates back to the Wellington Chamber Music Society's 1948 tour by the Musica Viva ensemble. The group, featuring Richard Goldner on viola, gave 43 concerts and received excellent reviews. They were invited back by the Wellington Chamber Music Society for the 1948, 1949 and 1950 seasons. The pressure of extensively touring both Australia and New Zealand strained the ensemble and Goldner proposed that an overseas group be contracted to add variety and alleviate the tour demands. This proposal was rejected and Musica Viva went into recess. During this period, Kenneth Tribe joined Goldner on the committee.

1950-1959
For the Federation, the 1950s was a decade of growing confidence and solidifying both the organisation's reputation and finances. Compared to orchestras or opera, the portability of chamber music ensembles helped the genre to thrive. Turnovsky recalled that 'You could achieve excellence in chamber music with reasonable financial constraints that you couldn't do in any other form. I give this as the reason why chamber music took on in such a big way, because you could be sure that you would get the very best. The difficulty was always air fares, that was the big problem'.

Due to the costs involved in flying to New Zealand, the Federation's close links with Musica Viva and Indonesia's Kunstkringsbond were critical in enabling tours by European and American ensembles. In 1953, on a visit to Sydney, Turnovsky met with Tribe, Goldner and Charles Berg (another committee member), and pressed them to join with their New Zealand peers to take on a more entrepreneurial role and engage overseas artists. Thomson recorded Turnovksy's recollection of events: 'I got wind of some money that was lying about in Paris, belonging to the New Zealand Government. It was something to do with Lend-Lease during the war, a few thousand pounds, not a great deal, but it was earmarked for promoting cultural exchanges with New Zealand …About that time I went to Sydney … and I told the Musica Viva Society (then in recess); "We're in great straits because the Dutch in Indonesia are on their last legs and there's nothing in Australia. How about we let you chisel in on this £1,000 … and provide you with the Pascal String Quartet at no cost to you as far as overseas fares are concerned, but on condition that you start Musica Viva again." And believe it or not it worked. From that moment Musica Viva never looked back.' When C. J. Berg, the Honorary Secretary of Musica Viva, addressed the Annual General Meeting of the Chamber Music Federation in 1957 he acknowledged the debt: 'We owe a great deal to the encouragement and support which the New Zealand Federation has given us in bringing our Society out of recess …"

The early days of trans-Tasman cooperation were negotiated by Turnovsky, Tribe, Berg and Sydney Manager Regina Ridge. Thomson cites Kenneth Tribe's assessment: 'Certainly until 1958-59, I think in a way, the initiative was largely with New Zealand. Then from around 1958 onwards - partly because of a larger market - there was a tendency to go our separate ways, with more independence of action. It was coordination, but not complete, not by any reason of discord or misunderstanding, but because of the different markets the two countries represented. We had greater freedom of action, we were not a federation but a central organisation. While we did depend on branches ... we were able to act very quickly without having to consult anyone else. From 1959-60 onwards collaboration has been there continually, but with a very different emphasis, probably because of Australia's greater economic strength, perhaps because we could engage larger groups and take greater risks.'

During the 1950s chamber music concert programmes encompassed everything from chamber orchestra through to solo piano. French bass-baritone Gérard Souzay toured for the first time in 1959 and audience favourite pianist Lili Kraus also performed twice during the Federation's first decade (1957, 1959). Chamber orchestras often featured, some made up of players from the National Orchestra. Pioneering violinist Alex Lindsay appeared regularly alongside other prominent national musicians. New Zealand composers including Douglas Lilburn also began to be programmed. The first commissioned work was a Piano Trio by Edwin Carr.

The Federation toured some of the finest ensembles and musicians in the world, often in partnership with Musica Viva. The Griller Quartet, resident quartet at the University of California, Berkeley from 1949-61, opened the 1951 season. They returned in 1953 to perform quintets with Hephzibah Menuhin. The decision to invite the Griller Quartet back to New Zealand was quite a daring financial venture. 'They wanted to come back', recalled Fred Turnovsky. 'They didn't get a great deal out of it, there were some difficulties at various times, but we just managed to get enough revenue to balance the books.'

The Koeckert Quartet from West Germany and Pascal Quartet from France both toured in 1955. In 1956 the American LaSalle Quartet visited; their schedule included a day in a studio performing with school children, a first for a NZ touring ensemble. The Amadeus Quartet made their NZ debut in 1958.

During the 1950s, New Zealand groups and artists predominated, such as the Lindsay String Orchestra (and Quartet), Rosner Chamber Ensemble, Dorothy Davies, Jean McCartney, Janetta McStay, Ruth Pearl and Marie Vandewart. The organisation however saw itself as being far more than just in the business of promoting concerts. The Federation's activities were permeated by a "spirit of newness and exploration" and that they played a vital role in advocacy for better music education. The Federation also strove to create a full-time New Zealand string quartet, a goal that would eventually be realised in the 1980s. It targetted inadequate music criticism in newspapers, advocated for quality pianos and properly-equipped auditoriums.

1960-1969
The Federation's second decade started with the resignation of Turnovsky at the AGM in April 1960. His replacement was Dr R. A. Lucas, a surgeon at Nelson Hospital and amateur musician. Arthur Hilton (born Arthur Hirschbein, 1909-1981), an Austrian émigré who settled in New Zealand in 1939 with his wife Lisl, was elected Vice-President. Performing the functions of President from Nelson became problematic for Lucas and he stepped down as President in April 1961, staying on however as Vice-President for many years. Hilton was elected President.



It was under Hilton's leadership that the Federation extended the organisation's scope by instigating master classes, schools concerts and, in 1965, the School Chamber Music Contest (the contest continues to the present day as the annual Chamber Music Contest). When Hilton became President, the Federation's membership totalled 6,000 (the estimated national population in 1961 was 2,461,300). As the Federation's membership grew its financial security improved. This in turn enabled the organisation to engage more international ensembles to travel to New Zealand. The 1960s included the Allegri Quartet (1961, 1963), Berlin Chamber Orchestra (1961), Quartetto di Roma (1961), Hungarian Quartet (1962, 1964, 1969), Borodin Quartet (1965, 1968), Vlach Quartet (1964), Vienna Octet (1965), Vienna Trio (1966, 1969) and the Jean-François Paillard Chamber Orchestra (1968). The Amadeus returned in 1966 and the Juilliard Quartet made their NZ debut the same season. The same line-up of the famed Budapest String Quartet, who had first visited New Zealand in 1937, returned in 1963. The 1965 visit by the Thelonius Monk Jazz Quartet was an early attempt by the Federation to widen audience parameters.

In 1963 the Federation advertised for a full-time paid Concert Manager. Turnovsky and Hilton appointed Joan Kerr. One of her earliest challenges was the Vlach Quartet tour of 1964: "When she met them at the airport 'they demanded four different cars and they all hived off in different directions. They wouldn't ever travel together in the same car and they never spoke to each other off the stage. They seemed to hate each other personally. How they ever played together I never knew.'"

The Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, later to become Creative New Zealand - Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, was established on 1 April 1964. The perception by Federation members that the ruling National Party government had appointed too many 'businessmen' to the council led to a heated AGM on 18 April. A motion of censure, supported by Turnovsky, was rejected, and Turnovsky's resignation from the Executive Committee was accepted on 13 June.

The QEII Arts Council was at the centre of another dispute in 1965 when it indicated that funding for the Federation would be conditional upon its vetting of future programmes. Hilton responded, stating that it was "a most insidious suggestion. Who is going to define chamber music for the Federation? …I hope you will all support me in saying we will not do it - nor will we accept recommendations from the Arts Council that future grants be given for specific tours subject to their approval." After this episode, the Arts Council did not try to influence Federation policy, or choice of artists or programmes.

Hilton was the major proponent behind the establishment of an annual chamber music contest for secondary (high school/college) students. The first contest was held on 6 August 1965, when from over 300 entrants, finalist ensembles from Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch played to members of the Vienna Octet, the contest's inaugural adjudicators. The winning group, the Bear Trio from Wellington College, included Miles Golding (violin), Mark Jackson (cello) and Christopher Beckett (piano). They performed Haydn's 'Gypsy Rondo'.

Following-on from successive profitable seasons and the launch of the new secondary school contest, Hilton endeavoured to direct the Federation towards advocacy for a project he dubbed a 'National Music Centre', an umbrella collective of all national music organisations. He also increasingly turned his mind to funding. At the 1967 AGM, his speech, titled 'Municipalities and the Arts', compared San Francisco to NZ cities: After looking at Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin he turned to his chief object of scorn - Wellington. 'On a per capita basis, the contribution to the activities of the arts works out in San Francisco at 9/7d a citizen a year, and in Wellington 1/3d …One wonders why Wellington Citizens leave so little money in the form of bequests to the city - but is it really surprising? If our City Fathers were to foster the arts and set an example, the response of our citizens might be different. What is the sum of £100 for the Wellington Youth Orchestra - to me it smells of patronising charity. And where is the support for Wellington's Lindsay String Quartet or Downstage, a unique organisation which provides Wellington with excellent theatre almost every day of the year?'

At the 1969 AGM, Hilton spoke about the need for the Federation to diversify its activities: 'To think that we have fulfilled our task by organising a few concerts or performances for adults and the Box Office is wrong. If we do not attract young audiences today, we must suffer tomorrow .... it is our duty as the benefactors of public money to plough income and effort back into youth and their education in the field of arts and culture.'

In June 1969, driven by frustration with the QEII Arts Council, 50 representatives from arts organisations and individuals agreed to band together as a pressure group. Hilton proposed that the group, to be called the National Arts Federation, would be an organisation 'to reach the grass roots and small but essential local organisations throughout the country'. Regional conferences began planning for Arts Conference 70, a national symposium.

Cooperation between the Federation and Musica Viva continued through the 1960s. Occasionally, however, the relationship became tense between Musica Viva's Regina Ridge and the Federation's Joan Kerr, two equally strong-willed individuals. This situation continued with Elisabeth Airey, who joined the Federation as Administrator in 1971. Later appointed General Manager, Airey summed up the relationship between the two organisations in 1985: 'The difference that now exists ... simply reflects differences in our societies. The Music Federation cannot be directed from the centre as can Musica Viva. And all the other factors come into it such as population, economic wealth and the cosmopolitan nature of Australian cities. So inevitably the nature of the relationship has changed ...I would like to think it remains at the political level Roosevelt and Churchill had - a special relationship.'

Australia decimalised its currency on 14 February 1966 and New Zealand followed suit on 10 July 1967. The change adversely affected the Federation. 'I doubt if any other arts organisation has been so hard hit' said Hilton at the 1968 AGM. 'It will cost the Federation approximately $8,000 to carry the increase costs resulting from devaluation for our societies in 1968.' The Federation subsidised its societies and the QEII Arts Council provided an additional grant of $3,000. In 1969 the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (formerly the NZBS) increased its payment for relay fees. Hilton's financial acumen greatly benefited the Federation: Because of the sliding scale which determined the concert fee payable to the Federation, according to the number of members in a society, instead of paying the full cost per seat, which a society of 200 members would have to do, the actual cost would be $1.55 per subscriber, the concert having cost $310 instead of $763, a saving of $453 ...If subscribers had had to meet the actual costs of their concerts, subscriptions would have to double. And he pointed out that most work was still being done on a voluntary basis, that all activities were non-profit making and any surplus went into reserves. 'Just imagine what it would cost to present these concerts on a commercial basis ... I hope these thoughts will make you realise what good value you are getting for your subscription - and perhaps encourage some of you to contribute a little more positively to the activities of your society.'

The decade ended with the resignation of Joan Kerr. Her replacement, John Peacock, held the position for 12 months.

1970-1979
The third decade of the Federation was one of increased development and experimentation. At the AGM on 21 March 1970, Hilton spoke of the Federation's development over 20 years from the few foundation societies to 20 and a membership of 7,000. He acknowledged the international recognition that the organisation receives, its broadened scope of activities, and its input into music in schools. Despite these achievements, Hilton's style was to push the organisation further. He turned to the year's programmes and regretted that they were 'more standard, even more conservative, than I like. It is even more of a disappointment to look through the list of programmes chosen and see that many societies still plump for the most conservative of those offered. One could sum up the situation by saying that concerts today give the more or less middle-aged, more or less cultivated middle class, the more or less familiar classics they have heard and want to hear again ...We lack the sense of adventure, of controversial art in the form of new works ...Art is not concerned with conformity but, on the contrary with new forms, new vistas, new techniques. We must be alive to them if we want to experience their riches.'

Arts Conference 70, held over 10-12 April 1970 at Victoria University in Wellington and attended by over 250 people from across New Zealand, brought together international and local speakers to debate arts policy for the new decade. Guest speakers included Lord Goodman, Chairman of the Arts Council of Great Britain; Dr H. C. Combes, Chairman of the Australian Council of Arts; and James Donville from the Canada Council.

An on-going concern of the organisation was its name. Joan Kerr and Arthur Hilton felt that it was 'offputting' and did not reflect the Federation's full activities: ... (Hilton) put forward four possible names: Musica Viva New Zealand, Pan Musica, Musica Perpetua and Pro Musica, the last of these being at that stage the most popular. Eventualy the choice moved to 'The Music Federation of New Zealand Inc.' which was ratified in 1972. It was probably the best choice at the time - Musica Viva is indissolubly connected with Australia and if the same name had been used in New Zealand it would have appeared to the outside world to be merely a branch of the former. But it is not a perfect name. The present administration frequently has to explain what it means.

The 1974 tour by the Alban Berg Quartet started in Wellington. Arriving direct from Vienna, their mid-winter visit coincided with bitterly cold southerly conditions and a nationwide fuel crisis. The local City Council had not turned on the heating in the venue, resulting in a near ice-cold auditorium (around three degrees centigrade). The group, who had refused to play in such conditions, were persuaded to perform by Arthur Hilton.

Other touring artists in the 1970s included the Amati Ensemble (1970), Czech Quartet (1970, 1971), Bartok Quartet (1970, 1973, 1977), German Touring Opera Company of Berlin (1971), Zagreb Quartet (1971, 1979), Paillard Chamber Orchestra (1972), Amadeus Quartet (1972, 1977), The King's Singers (1972, 1975, 1979), Michael Houstoun (1972, 1973), The Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (1974), Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (1975, 1978), London Sinfonietta (1976), Beaux Arts Trio (1977), Academy of Ancient Music (1977), Melos Quartet (1978), Julian Bream (1979) and Chilingirian Quartet (1979).

The 25th AGM of the Federation was held on 3 May 1975. Hilton listed the notable achievements of the organisation in its first quarter century:
 * 1) Combining a network of societies run on a voluntary basis with a professional central administration to give an efficient yet responsive structure combining local dedication and enthusiasm with sound business-like management on a national level.
 * 2) Establishing a liaison with Musica Viva Australia which enables us to share and consequently reduce the costs of tours by overseas artists.
 * 3) Establishing direct relations with Foreign Governments who subsidise tours of their artists touring for the Federation. These subsidies are sometimes quite considerable and may on occasions be greater than grants received within New Zealand. I would in particular like to mention the generosity of the governments of Czechoslovakia in our earlier years, lately that of Britain through the British Council, this year Japan, and of France and Germany over a long period.
 * 4) Introduction of the School Music and Design Contest and subsequently that for Original Composition in secondary schools.
 * 5) Ever increasing demand for school concerts.
 * 6) Ever stronger ties with radio.
 * 7) The ever widening scope of the music presented, symbolised by the change in our name.
 * 8) And since 1972 a vast extension of our regional network (the new Arts Council Bill was passed in late 1974).
 * 9) Two extensive tours by our administrators; the first by Joan Kerr and only last year Elisabeth went overseas and visited Australia, Switzerland, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Germany, France, England and the USA. This was a strenuous exercise for her but of immense value for the Federation. She established new contacts and renovated old ones, with artists, agencies, and Foreign Government Departments - contacts which are vital for the Federation. (I would like to thank her on this occasion not only for her tour de force but for her devoted work for us all.)

In August 1975 Hilton was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Arts and Science, First Class, from the Austrian Amabassador. In his acceptance speech, Hilton said it was a culmination of his life's work: '... of all my spiritual loves - on which I spent much of my life - my time, my energy and my limited talents, music was and is, my greatest love. Indeed it was the music of Vienna which started my interest from the moment I was old enough to enjoy and appreciate its language. It was through the music of Vienna that my life was enriched and from those early beginnings has been a treasured companion on my life's journey and led me from the centre of Europe to Wellington, New Zealand - and to this highlight in my life. If I had my wish in my youth I would have become a performing artist. But as I was not good enough - or as the Austrians would say - 'ein verpatzter Musiker' - I have endeavoured in the last 36 years to work in my hospitable and wonderful new homeland for the advancement and expansion of its musical life.'

At the 1978 AGM, Hilton reiterated the Federations's aims and duties: 'To maintain the highest possible standards of performance. To serve the community as widely as possible; to serve the public at large. To do our utmost to protect and perpetuate the best of our musical heritage. To help in the development of new and experimebtal works. To help an increasing number of New Zealand musicians and composers. To be involved in educational programmes. To provide opportunities for new talent'.

1980-1989
The 1980s for the Music Federation of New Zealand was a decade of both consolidation and change, building upon the previous successes and developing the organisation's presentation and out-reach capabilities. Touring artists included the Beaux Arts Trio (1980, 1985, 1989), Melos Quartet ((1981, 1985), Muzsikas Hungarian Folk Ensemble (1981), New Swingle Singers (1981), Suzanne Court & poet Sam Hunt (1981), La Sale Quartet (1982), Michael Houstoun (1982, 1984-1987), Andras Schiff (1983), Borodin Quartet (1983, 1987), Endellion Quartet (1983), Choir of King's College, Cambridge (1983, 1989), Tokyo Quartet (1983), Chilingirian Quartet (1985, 1988), Takacs Quartet (1985, 1988) and Julian Bream (1989). The nascent New Zealand String Quartet undertook their debut tour for the Federation in 1988, the first of what would become an annual undertaking that continues to the present time. Many local musicians shared the limelight including Richard Mapp, Rae de Lisle, Maurice Till, Diedre Irons, Katherine Austin, Peter Scholes and Gary Brain.

1982 started with the sudden death of Arthur Hilton on 27 February. The valedictory address at his funeral was given by R. W. Lithgow: " Musicians of the world came to know him personally; young New Zealanders were motivated by the goals he presented and many have attained great heights because of him. If you play the numbers game, there must be thousands of music lovers who have enjoyed what he brought to them, in places too small to attract an audience and at prices below that charged in home countries 13,000 miles away".

Hilton left behind an organisation resilient enough to carry on his challenging spirit of adventure. Elisabeth Airey, Manager of the Federation since 1971, was appointed General Manager. Two honorary executive appointments were made: Margaret Nielsen - Musical Adviser and Rick Christie - Finance & Marketing Adviser. Murray Hercus, the Federation's new President and its Vice-President for 12 years, served until 1984. David Wylie served as President in 1985, with Rick Christie taking the helm from 1986-1988, and Basil Stanton in 1989. From 1985-1991 June Clifford served as Vice-President.