Sir, - Perhaps next Christmas, Robin Hilliard (Comment Box, December 17th) will bless us with a break from what is fast becoming his less than welcome tune. He could instead join a choir and discover that the production of music can depend on what an audience wants.
As a member of the choir that staged four of those undesirable performances of Messiah at the National Concert Hall which sold out weeks before, I never noticed anything but satisfied audiences enjoying a Christmas tradition.
Furthermore, the profits from these performances will allow us to take on other works during the year - works of great beauty, but of less interest to the public and consequently in themselves loss-making ventures.
Notwithstanding its "sparkling" nature, four consecutive performances of Britten's Ceremony of Carols would not attract an audience, fill the concert hall and (in our case) pay for the two concerts of Puccini, Rossini and Dvorak during the year. I hope Mr Hilliard will change his tune.- Yours, etc.,
Niall Mullally, Errigal Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12.