The Wagner Society - 20 Years On

Richard King

Through the wonderful synchronicity of life, a chance remark opens doors and creates a new realm of experience. Dr Leonard Hansen, making his first visit to Bayreuth in 1980, asked the Lufthansa staff if they knew of other Aussies making the pilgrimage, preferably someone who had been there before. My friends at the airline mention Murray Smith and me as regular visitors, although we were not booked for that year. We already knew Leonard through our work, but we were unaware of his interest in Wagner. During his visit to our gallery, we discussed starting a Society in Australia with the principle aims of promoting Wagner's work, of encouraging singers and musicians, and of demonstrating to our friends at the (then) Australian Opera that there was an audience for Wagner's music dramas.
I had been a member of the British Wagner Society since 1966, but I had failed to obtain any Bayreuth tickets through them. A chance remark at dinner one evening with a friend from Lufthansa enabled me to obtain tickets by flying with that airline. I suggested to Leonard that he obtain a copy of the British Society's constitution and talk with the "Friends of Bayreuth" people during his visit to Europe. We would launch our society on his return.

Newsletter No. 2, April 1981

The first public function of the Wagner Society - the film evening on March 9th - was an unqualified success, with a capacity crowd filling the A.M.P. Theatrette to watch the documentaries covering the Bayreuth and "Ring" centenary. Unfortunately, a few people could not be accommodated in the full house, or could not attend that night, and the Secretary would like to hear from those so inconvenienced. Of those who did attend, many became member of the Society and most made a welcome donation towards the cost of the evening. The Committee extends a hearty welcome to the new members and thanks all members for their patience in waiting for their membership card - here it is!

Newsletter No.1 5th February 1981

Dear Music Lover,

Since our first public meeting on 26th October 1980, the steering committee has been working steadily on the many small details of administration and organisation, and we are now established as an unincorporated society, with our own constitution. At the same time, it has been possible to devise a most interesting program for the coming year.

The Formation of the Wagner Society in New South Wales

It was always our ambition to go to Bayreuth. Numerous inquiries about obtaining tickets were always met with negative replies. Our friend, Richard King, the owner of the Print Room Gallery, had attended Bayreuth numerous times by travelling with Lufthansa German Airlines and obtaining extra tickets by standing patiently outside the Festspielhaus waving a little banner. It was not until our friend Jenny made us aware of the Henebery Personal Tours (Opera and Music Festival Holidays) in Oxford that our hopes were raised. In 1980 we were allotted three tickets through them to three Wagner operas. By coincidence Jenny also recommended that her friend Len Hansen should contact Oxford and when he was successful suggested that he travel with us. This he did.

Thoughts were bandied around between Reg and myself about a Wagner Society in Sydney. There had been a society previously which had folded, so we felt we needed some support to get the scheme going. We talked of this in Bayreuth and asked Len if he would be president if a society were formed. He agreed. Also in Bayreuth at the same time were Clare and Margaret Hennessy, Joan Klein and Sue Kelly - who were all equally enthusiastic about the formation of a society.