A New Centre for Music (1949)

Abstract

Abstract For a long time London has suffered from the over-centralisation of her art and entertainment. The destruction of Queen’s Hall by the enemy during the war certainly hastened a most welcome spreading of musical activities throughout the capital, and there is no reason why this diversity should cease when London has at last a new central concert hall. In this movement Chelsea has played a most notable part. For long a centre of art, it was only perhaps to be expected that music would establish itself sometime. What has in fact happened is both significant and encouraging. The admirable series of concerts under the auspices of Boyd Neel have maintained the high standard set by his own orchestra over the years and have introduced many unfamiliar works to Chelsea, as well as providing superb performances of music in the standard repertory. I was happy to conduct the Boyd Neel Orchestra at the Town Hall recently. Again, when Norman del Mar formed his orchestra of students and amateurs for the performance of symphonic music outside the normal curriculum of study he chose to play in Chelsea, where he has revived much neglected music and given a number of important first performances. It was to Chelsea that the reconstituted Philharmonic String Quartet came, as have many other distinguished consorts, while only recently that fine artist Flora Nielsen gave the first public entertainment in the newly opened Chenil Galleries.