Page "English National Opera" Paragraph 21

The company continued to leave Rosebery Avenue for summer tours to British cities and towns.

The Arts Council ( successor to CEMA ) was sensitive to the charge that since 1945 far fewer opera performances had been given in the provinces.

The small Carl Rosa Opera Company toured constantly, but the Covent Garden company visited only those few cities with theatres big enough to accommodate it.

In the mid-1950s renewed calls were made for a reorganisation of Britain's opera companies.

There were proposals for a new home for Sadler's Wells on the South Bank of the Thames near the Royal Festival Hall, but these fell through because the government was unwilling to fund the building.

Once again there was serious talk of merging Covent Garden and Sadler's Wells.

The Sadler's Wells board countered by proposing a closer working arrangement with Carl Rosa.

When it became clear that this would require the Sadler's Wells company to tour for 30 weeks every year, and practically destroy its presence on the London opera scene, Tucker, his deputy Stephen Arlen, and his musical director Alexander Gibson resigned.

The proposals were modified, and the three withdrew their resignations.

In 1960, the Carl Rosa Company was wound up ; Sadler's Wells took over some of its members and many of its touring dates, setting up " two interchangeable companies of equal standing ", one of which played at Sadler's Wells theatre while the other was on the road.