WINTER HARMONY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 121, 25 May 1942, Page 4

WINTER HARMONY

AUCKLAND'S ORGANS

BUSY TIME FOR TUNERS

Unobserved by the thousands who enjoy the sweet strains of organ music, those entrusted with the highly-skilled task of keeping scores of costly instruments in smooth and efficient harmony carry on their work in war as in peace, but to-day they are compelled to make the most of materials held in stock, for importations are almost impossible. The leather of the type required, which is the wearing part of organs, was obtained chiefly from France, and supplies have been cut off since that country was overrun by the Germans nearly two years ago. The two leading organ experts in Auckland, Mr. George Croft and Mr. D. S. Osborne, like those in other parts of the Dominion, have therefore been carefully conserving their materials. They are confident, however, that if the war is not too prolonged they will be able to cope with the emergency. Fortunately, they say, there has been a minimum of large overhaul and replacement work, which involves the heaviest demands on materials. "There will be a lot of work to do on the organs before many more years have passed, but that stage has not been reached yet," said Mr. Croft to-day. He explained that a considerable number of the instruments in the churches had been built forty or more years ago and the effects of wear would soon begin to show. Meanwhile, however, upkeep was not expensive. Mr. Croft stated that the worst troubles of those responsible for the care of organs were experienced in times of sudden seasonal changes. Humid condition? were also troublesome, and he recalled a ho'; and humid summer in the last war which was the worst in his memory. Summer of last year, by contrast, was an organ tuner's delight. Occasional light rain during the long, dry spell provided just the amount of moisture needed for the organs. This year the summer was not so satisfactory. It was too dry. When the temperature suddenly fell after a warm autumn the pitch of all organs became somewhat flat, continued Mr. Croft, and at least a quarter of a tone could be lost. Hence there would be a good deal of adjusting of the reeds to be attended to over the next few weeks. Mr. Osborne declared that recent conditions had presented no special problems, but the onset of winter would increase the work to be done. A difference between Auckland and the south was that here there was little heating of organs or of the churches. Further south a much greater effort was made to counteract the effects of winter's cold.