SCUNA history » IVs and Minifests hosted by SCUNA to 1988 » 1977 IV » Winding up (including IV Record)
True to form, this convenor is scraping the paint off yet another deadline. I was in Bundanoon yesterday afternoon, winding up some business, and while pausing in the Hotel Lounge, was gripped by flashbacks - too recent to be nostalgia, but long enough to be a little hazy. One of the strongest memories was of an evening over a year ago when a small war party spent an evening there hatching plans. Gad, how time flies! If I'd had time I would have written this "report" on the spot, with the rich carpet, the stain glass, the atmospheric smell of yellowbox smoke and, later when I dropped in again, the red fire itself.
Well, I guess there are some things you'd all like to know, and some things of interest to future IVCF planners. I'11 leave the later (latter?) to another time and place. What does one report?
We can report that, once all outstanding accounts have been wrapped up, we expect to have a nominal profit in the low hundreds, to pass on to future IV's.
Communication: We certainly sustain criticism in the communication department. Advance liaison was poor. Fortunately I'm the only one you can blame for that because for long periods there was no IV secretary.
Music: No IVCF can have everything. I mean, well, life wasn't meant to be easy was it? We abandoned the recent tradition (and a good one too) of commissioning Australian works, and revived an older concept of performance workshops. To most current IV attenders this would seem an innovation. It isn't, but I hope it sticks, because I think the effect of that total small group repertoire being spread around Australia must be great. The audience was small, probably because of the ancient feeling that "if it's free then it can't be good".
The Monteverdi was chosen because music from this period is rarely performed, certainly not by IVs in recent years. It is an 'economy size' spectacular, and the audience of 900 was excellent by Canberra standards.
Social events: Another area plagued by committee turnover. Robin Bennett handled the situation well. We took a leaf out of Hobart's "soft sell" book. I remember crawling one night (I forget which) from one homely Hobart pub to another, in the wee hours, thinking "What can Canberra offer hoards of hedonistic choristers?". Fortunately, [continued below]
the 15 months intervening saw a relative boom in nightlife here in Canberra (g' stuffed Sydney and Melbourne). Social events were not highly organised, and if you think they should have been let Bazza know. If only more Scunae had houses! I hope woolshed dances become a tradition.
Camp: Our time in Bundanoon was too short. (You can say that again - I only had one day! Ed.) The class bedding, a la Rosemary M, was worth it - but the cost shortened our stay to five days. If planning another I would go all out for two more days. Catering sublime, labour intensive. A tactful full-time labour organiser would have been a blessing.
Finance: We scraped home. No huge audiences, no gov grant except the ANU Chancelry. You lot actually cost nearer $65 each than $45 (students outnumbered wage earners 3 to 1), but we feel the Heavies should subsidise the undergraduates to encourage them. Full timers paid as much as part timers, because organising part timers was at least as much hassle.
Apparently the Brisbane Courier Mail ran a headline re the IV that read "SOCIALISM RAMPANT IN PERMISSIVE ART SET", while Truth said "HONEST WORKERS CHARGED SIN TAX". (sintax? sing tax?)
Canberra: Most Scunae are not natives,and few had houses - but we TRIED!
Publicity: We employed a gimmick or two (Flying WHAT?), but mainly bludged free advertising from local media. Publicity sing on ABC-TV was terrible. Our march on Parliament House was prevented by the rain. We even got paid for these publicity sings by shop proprietors, the Dept of Capital Territory, and the Trade Union Arts Program.
On the whole? We counted on people being able to enjoy themselves musically without being told how,and we hope you each gave some, and took some at 28th IVCF. I did.
Rik Allen Ex-Convenor
[Graphic on right: neum-like note from early Vespers score]
- From Erato 27 of February 1978, pp10-11.
The handwritten original of this report is held in the Manuscripts section of the National Library of Australia.
| Patrons: | Sir John Crawford | CANBERRA: | 20th August | |
| Dr H.C. Coombs | 3rd September 1977 | |||
| Bruce Hall, ANU, P.O. Box 827, Canberra City, A.C.T. 2601. Australia |
P.O. Box 10, Lyneham, A.C.T. |
Dear UMS/UCS people,
I hope to see you all in Brisbane next year at IV. It looks like being a really good IV, and a warm one into the bargain. Anyway, I'm not writing to plug IV 79 (number 30, and over the hill we go, although it does look like being a good one, but I am writing to remind some of you that you have not yet paid for your IV records from last year's IV, held in Canberra. I have sent them to some of you, but you haven't sent me the money.
All these people owe me (or rather, IV,) $6.
| PUCS - | Patricia H_____ Peter F_____ Lawrie H_____ Sue P______ |
| N.B. | PUCS were supposed to have paid Meredith L___. If they have, good; but if they haven't, could they please send their $6 direct to me, and inform Meredith. If they have paid Meredith, could Meredith please send the appropriate $6 to me. |
| MUCS - | Debbie B______, do you still want your record? If so, please send me your address, so that I can send you the records. |
| FUCS - | Nicky B____ |
| Ex-SCUNA - | Fiona S____, do you still want your records? If so, please send me your address, so that I can send you the records. |
This money is important to me, both as SCUNA Treasurer, and as IV Treasurer, because IV owes SCUNA money. I don't want to have to write letters to myself apologizing to myself for not having repaid the loan. Seriously, though, IV77 admin is almost finished, and I would appreciate finishing it as soon as possible.
Speaking of IV, the IV77 convenor, Rik Allen, is going to South Australia to live. A good state to be in.
So, all people concerned, please do send me your money (and address if necessary)---before the end of October if possible, but as quickly as possible in any case.
Rosemary Mattingley
Bruce Hall, ANU,
P.O. Box 827
Canberra City,
A.C.T. 2601.
Australia
Rosemary Mattingley (IV77 Treasurer)
[signed]
- From Erato 29 of October 1978, p9.
The graphics are based on the final poster (view on 1977 IV Posters page) and feature, in a thin red border, a reproduction of part of an early score of the Vespers, with white neum-like notes on a yellow background. Superimposed, in the centre, is a pair of angel wings, printed in purple. To the right is a large red neum-like note.
Almost all the text for the sleeve notes is lifted straight from the programme. Links are provided, except in the case of the list of participants. There are differences between it and the list in the programme, so the list on the record is reproduced in full below. A separate page comparing the two lists is also available.
with the combined festival choir, orchestra and soloists
Programme notes on the Vespers
Names of Soloists, Musical Director and Orchestra
Auditorium, Canberra School of Music,
8 pm Saturday 3rd September 1977
Words to the Vespers: from the Intonation to the Antiphon Quo abiit dilectus tuus
Words to the Vespers: from Psalm 126 Nisi Dominus to the Antiphon Sancta Maria, succurre miseris
Words to the Vespers: Magnificat
List of Participants [continued]:
See also participants as listed in the programme, and the page comparing the two lists.
- Brian Hingerty lent me his copy of the 1977 IV record so that I could scan the cover and the sleeve notes.
- In ~2005, Rodney Reynolds gave me a CD of the 1977 IV record, which made up for the fact that I never received the copy I paid for (with considerable difficulty!) in 1977.
- My name is missing from the list of SCUNAe who sang, but I was definitely there!