THE LATE CONCERT.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 66, 14 October 1875, Page 6

THE LATE CONCERT.

(To the Editor of Clutha Leader.) Mb Editor,—ln your issue of the 30th ult. there is a lengthy local from a correspondent— "A Presbyterian—on the late concert. I have no notion who he is; but it matters not. You

know him, and I would infer from his own words that be lives in or very near to Balelutha. I would advise him to ask you or any whether his production shows taste or intelligence. It contains not a few terms and.statemeats indicating a mind but little informed, but low in taste, but big with self-importance. I was there that night amongst the crowd hearing the performance. The Rev. Mr Bannerman was called upon to make seme remarks at the close, which he did with, as I think, becoming taste. He said indeed that he enjoyed the first part of " the concert better than the second, and that as : far as his own feelings were concerned, he thought •' he would have enjoyed the second part bettor were "there no ihstrunientil accompaniment. '. Your ( ; frien& may deem it bad taste to have so. said. "Would your friend have called it bad teste had Mr Bannerman said the reverse of what he'did?

Tastes, Mr Editor, differ; and I have heard some 7 of the Balelutha folks, and in the township there •" is' neither male nor female more competent to 1 judge, 6dy!that "Presbyterian" is entirely wrong; •that neither in ion« nor term was there any- '- ' thing in Mr Bannerm&n's remarks out of taste or '•'out of place. "Clerical ears." —What is" there •so.special in their structure that your friend 'thinks he should box them even in public? Bah! it is not the structure of the clerical ears; it |ia bile in the bowels of "Presbyterian." As to the poor miserable American organ, your ! humble servant and many others are surprised to hear that there is a misunderstanding about it. "-■ Your friend says he has been informed it was y. brought there at Mr Reid's request. Really, ; T3ir r there are whispers to the effect that there "■neem. to be two Mr Reids. Some body I fear "VHI need to justify this. But if the real Mr ' ISeid did request yon {whining thing to be brought there, and that too after practising on it fit with it several times, there were persons not a - few there, and some of them as good judges of " nraaic as any within the Clutha, who humbly ; think and would quietly say, "Wedoa't think \ Wuch of Mr Reid's judgment or taste in the ,' matter." Had he never been practising on it or With'it, he might have taken it to be a moderately rood one; whereas we believe everybody present having either taste or judgment has never called it else than a miserable whining thing. Was it wise or in taste to intrude it on a class or choir

that bad never been accustomed to it, and that to©.publicly? Why,. Sir, it was whispered all 'through the audience'that night that the thing . wis spoiling the singing. Your humble servant heard one of the best local singers say on leaving theTianj. " What in the world induced Mr Reid to brinrf %he horrible thing there; it grated on my ear*',' It was repeatedly told Mr Reid ere he left the ball that ni|ht that the latter part of the frogramnie was spoiled by the harmonium, and believe Kb admitted it. There is a gentleman whoi3 ah organist in a church in Balelutha, and who is well skilled in music, let "Presbyterian" ask that gentleman what he thinks of the church instrument versus sinking, and what he thought of the thing in tne concert that evening. Who then would say that the solo "Too Late," rendered well by a young lady, was not spoiled by the instrument being played at the same time. Were there any that thought otherwise/ they' must have known little about real singing, or if so must have been some antedeluyian inhabitants. Would your friend, Mr Editor, enlighten us, for he seems to presume to know, to what age of human development does the organ belong ? Is it a modern or ancient invention-? Probably he will be able to tell us it was invented since Noah's days. Mr Editor, have you rearl history ? Is it the party of progress or the mediaeval party that try the organ and, as an able article lately in your paper called it, its parody, the harmonium ? and who think that the chine of. an organ pipe is aristocratic worship. Buti Mr Editor, give mc the accented voice uttering its song, and a fig for the monotonous drawl and drudgery of the wind-pipe. Is it not a miserable excrescence on divine worship, nearly as ugly as a| wart on a man's nose—an addition, but no edification. Four friend talks of a red rag. Well now, the enraged bull that night was " Presbyterian." Had Mr B. thought such a beast was so near him, he would have kept the rag clean out of sight. Then there comes a regular fling at hymns. T have read something on that subject, and from he says infer that your friend is'in blissful ignorance of the able arguments that have been given forth on that question. So we "won't bother you with any remarks on.it.—l am, &c,

One op the Audienoe.