Cape Town Orchestra
The Cape Town Orchestra (also known as the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra) (1914-1969)
Contents
Founding and early history
The Cape Town Orchestra (also written as Capetown Orchestra, and also known as the Cape Municipal Orchestra or the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra (CMO) was the first professional orchestra in South Africa and was formed by the Cape Town Council in 1914 under the conductorship of Theo Wendt with a strength of 30 players.
The opening concert took place in the City Hall, Cape Town, on February 28, 1914, and marked the dawn of a new era in music in South Africa.
This potent influence on music was felt not only in Cape Town but all over South Africa as the public had the opportunity of listening to the orchestral works of the great composers for the first time.
The Orchestra received financial support from the Cape Town Municipality throughout its existence.
Change in management and touring
From March 1921, the Orchestra was under the management of the Cape Peninsula Publicity Association whose first decision after assuming control was to increase the personnel from 32 to 38 players, in order to enable the Orchestra to extend its repertoire.
The orchestra toured to Johannesburg during the first semester of 1924 and to England from May to July 1925, which included a concert at Buckingham Palace attended by King George V and Queen Mary, Princess Beatrice and Lady May Cambridge. However, on 26 June 1925, the orchestra was recalled to South Africa and the rest of the concerts cancelled due to the tour's financial loss. In the light of the continuing financial difficulties of the orchestra and because of his poor health (he had trouble with asthma), conductor Heward resigned on 11 February 1927.
A one-month tour was undertaken by the Orchestra in 1929 to Kimberley, Burgersdorp, Graaff Reinet, Cradock, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, East London, King William’s Town, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay, Worcester and Paarl.
In October 1936, the orchestra visited Johannesburg.
It was thought the repertoire might well be the envy of the orchestras of many larger European towns as it represented every school and every period of music, from Bach, Handel, etc., to R Strauss and Stravinsky.
It also included, apart from a great amount of light music, about 100 symphonies and symphonic works, 70 suites, 70 overtures and 100 miscellaneous concert works.
The most important of the Orchestra's Concerts in Cape Town were their famous Thursday Evening Subscriptions Concerts and Saturday Evening Popular Concerts.
Wartime
WWII did not affect the CMO schedule. Attendance, as did subscription, actually increased steadily during the war period. Concerts were viewed as uplifting, a means to draw the atten- tion away from the daily news and reporting of the war. Many soldiers visiting the Union became regular concert attendants, especially on Sunday evenings. Concerts were sometimes held in aid of various relief organisations during the war period.
Royal Command Performance
In 1947, the visit of the Royal Family, their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and their Royal Highnesses Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, was celebrated by a “Royal Festival Symphony Concert” on Thursday evening 20 February. The CTMO had been augmented to 68 players with members of the SABC Studio Orchestra and the Royal Marines Band of the H.M.S. Vanguard.
Collaboration with the SABC
A permanent combination of the CTMO and the SABC's Broadcasting Studio Orchestra was adopted. The first official concert in which the CTMO was augmented with members of the Broadcasting Studio Orchestra was held on 14 March 1948. The SABC was always acknowledged in the advertisements of concerts. These read: “Cape Town Municipal Orchestra augmented by members of the Studio Orchestra, by kind permission of the S.A. Broadcasting Corporation”.
Following Jorda's departure in 1953, the Orchestra's role in the Cape Town community was again redefined. Under the leadership of Dunn, the emphasis was on educating audiences of all ages. With the introduction of the guest conductor system at the end of 1955, however, this once again changed as the management wished to attract wider audiences through the engagement of international artists.
Touring
From 28 August to 15 September 1955 the orchestra toured to Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Queenstown, East London, King Williamstown, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, George, Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn.
1960s
During the 1960s political policies implemented by the South African Government had serious effects on the Orchestra's development and its role in the Cape Town Community. Audiences were segregated and the Orchestra was no longer accessible to all members of the community. Although many international artists refused to perform in Cape Town due to the cultural boycott, the effects of this were not completely negative as the Orchestra became a platform for local musicians to display their talents.
Change in name
In an effort to revitalize the orchestra, the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra changed its name to the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra (CTSO) in 1969.
For the history of the orchestra after 1969, see Cape Town Symphony Orchestra.
Permanant conductors
The permanent conductors of the orchestra were as follows:
- Theo Wendt (from 28 February 1914 to 30 September 1924).
- Leslie Heward (from 17 July 1924 to 31 May 1926).
- William Pickerill (from 5 May 1927 to 12 October 1946).
- Geoffrey Miller as Associate Conductor (from 31 October 1946 to 19 February 1948).
- Enrique Jordá (from 19 February 1948 to 31 December 1953).
Performance history in South Africa
Concerts
Concerts of every description were held regularly in Sea Point, Muizenberg, the Pier, the suburban halls, Stellenbosch.
Tours were undertaken in 1914, 1919, 1921, 1922, and 1923 by the Cape Town Orchestra as a means of spreading the love of good music.
During its travels, the Cape Town Orchestra met with great enthusiasm and approval from the music-loving public.
April 3, 1922 - June 13, 1922. The Cape Town Orchestra toured South Africa, playing at Worcester (April 3), Bloemfontein (April 5-8), Johannesburg and Pretoria (April 9- May 7), Potchefstroom (May 8), Klerksdorp (May 9), Kroonstad (May 10-11), Harrismith (May 12-14), Ladysmith (May 15), Newcastle (May 16), Maritzburg (May 17-21), Queenstown (May 24-25), Cathcart (May 26), East London (May 27-30), King William's Town (May 31), Grahamstown (June 2-3), Port Elizabeth (June 5-10), Oudtshoorn (June 12) and Mossel Bay (June 13). Musical Director and Conductor: Theo Wendt, Leader; J Spink, Assistant Conductor; W J Pickerill, Business Manager; A N Dickson.
Role in supporting Theatre at the Cape
For many years, the orchestra provided significant support in the production of opera, operettas and ballets in Cape Town, and had a strong relationship with the EOAN Group. Productions in which the orchestra performed include:
1922: The Mikado (Cape Town Amateur Operatic Society)
1929: Le Barbier de Seville with South African College of Music
1929: Pagliacci
1930: Don Pasquale with South African College of Music
1930: Old King Cole
1932: San Maratto
1934: La Bohème
1938: Cavalleria rusticana
1943: The Bartered Bride (African Consolidated Theatres, the University of Cape Town, the National Opera Company)
1943: Madame Butterfly (African Consolidated Theatres, the University of Cape Town, the National Opera Company)
1943: Rigoletto (African Consolidated Theatres, the University of Cape Town, the National Opera Company)
1948: Madama Butterfly
1949: A Slave in Araby ((EOAN Group))
1949: Acis and Galatea
1949: Rigoletto, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci (all for the Labia Grand Opera Company)
1953: Carmen (Labia Grand Opera Company)
1953: Il Trovatore (Labia Grand Opera Company)
1954: Magyar Melody (EOAN Group)
1956: La Traviata (EOAN Group)
1958: Rose Marie, Cavalleria rusticana (both for the EOAN Group)
1959: The Nutcracker (UCT Ballet Company)
1960: Il Seraglio (UCT Opera Company), La boheme (EOAN Group)
1962: Madame Butterfly (EOAN Group)
1965: Il Trovatore (EOAN Group). At the performance in the Cape Town City Hall on 18 March 1965, the races were seated separately. It was the first time that audiences had been segregated in the Orchestra's history. There was a great deal of tension and resentment at the concert because Whites sat on one side of the City Hall and other races on the other.
1967: La Traviata (EOAN Group)
1968: Carmen (CAPAB Opera)
1968: Martha (CAPAB Opera)
1969: Le Barbier de Seville (EOAN Group)
Sources
Souvenir Programme, 1922 Tour. No. IV
Roger Bridger theatre programme, 1923.
Sjoerd Alkema. 2012. "Conductors of the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, 1914-1965: a historical perspective". University of Cape Town. Unpublished PhD thesis.
Hilde Roos. 2010. 'Opera Production in the Western Cape: Strategies in Search of Indigenisation'. Unpublished PhD thesis. Stellenbosch University.
Ingrid Gollom. 2000. The History of the Cape Town Orchestra, Unpublished Masters Dissertation, UNISA.
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