Initially we performed in halls with capacities of 1,000.
If the (British) Arts Council give you money, they also tell you how to spend it.
I think the quality of something like the Beveridge, for instance, will have a life of its own.
Most Beethoven symphonies require 80 or more instruments, and the late romantics even more.
If we perform the romantic repertoire we need more musicians.
Taste is changing, style is changing, and players abilities are changing.