A TALK ABOUT ORGANS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 452, 10 March 1909, Page 9

A TALK ABOUT ORGANS.

0 - THE MUSIC OF WELLINGTON. PERMANENT ORGANIST SHOULD BE ENGAGED. It speaks well for tho musical taste of Now Zealand people, especially their tasto for orgau-music, when a firm like Messrs. Norman and Heard, Ltd., who built the Town Hall organ, find it advisable to extend their business operations in tho Dominion. With this object, Mr. G. A. W. lleard, managing director, is paying a visit to Wellington. Yesterday ho was approached by a Dominion reporter, with a request that lie should "say something" in regard to organs, and organ music. Naturally, tho first matter touched upon was tho series of recitals which has just been concluded by Mr. Maughan Harnett, under tho auspices of the City Council. "I think the council is very fortunate," said Mr. Beard, "in being able to securo tho services of such an artist as Mr. Maughan Burnett." Mr. Barnett, ho said, had set himself to discover tho almost illimitable possibilities of the organ, and evidently delighted in unearthing some delicate effects which lio had not previously discovered. Mr. Beard thought it desirable than a permanent, a man as Mr. Maughan Barnett —should bo engaged by tho corporation, for it was hardly reasonable to expect an occasional organist to do cither himself or the organ full justice, with limited opportunities for practice, ctc., besides which a concert organ of this description should be under tho eye of a professional mail, responsible to the corporation for its satisfactory upkeep. "Given a good stable and good horses, remarked Mr. Beard, "you may as well have a good man to look after them."

Mr. Beard spoko very highly of tho appreciation which the public of Wellington show for good music. • He was present at the organ recital on Saturday night, the third anniversary of tho opening, and thought the attendance compared most favourably (tho size of tho town taken into consideration) with that at, similar performances in Engalnd, while the attention with which those present followed tho recital indicated their appreciation. "The citizens," ho said, "are beginning to realise that it is a pleasure to folloiv tlic course of a series of recitals. Then the request programmes givo them the opportunity of expressing their opinion and hearing again any item which they like particularly. Organists have pieces which they aro specially suited to render, and by degrees the people find these out, and ask for them. This is tho same with singers and all performers. Madame Clara Butt is often requested to sing 'Abide with Mo, 1 and though she may do so until she. is weary of the song, tho audiences never tire of it."

Regarding the principle of establishing professional orchestras, Mr. Beard thought that a place like Wellington should possess some permanent orchestral body. It was convenient whenever the • services of such a body were required for production of an oratorio for thorn to be available. "Not one for the whole of tho Dominion," he lidded, "but one for each of the largo centres. If thore wcro one which was decidedly superior to tho rest, the position would become somewhat liko tho position of professional football in England— one team playing and all the rest looking on—which is undesirable." Such, a state of affairs obtained to a certain extent in England, for though most of the large towns had their own orchestras for ordinary concerts, when any special festival performances were being arranged an orchestra was frequently brought from London. A professional orchestra, however, possessed an additional advantage from tho fact of its being permanent, that it could attain a state of greater proficiency than any collection of performers got together for a special occasion. "Of course," ho remarked, "you cannot hope to got anything liko the orchestras on tlitiContinent, whero specialisation .. .is , quite the usual thing." The reporter referred to tho trouble which had arisen amongst instrumentalists, owing to'the variation of pitch. Mr. Beard replied that tho pitch was what is known as the French Normal C 522 vibrations, which had been adopted as the standard European pitch. Tho troublo would be rectified when it became necessary for the performers to purchase new instruments. It affected tho bassoons, clarinets, oboes ,and (lutes, which instruments had to bo mado to tho new pitch. "I have been given to understand," added Mr. Beard, "that in most similar cases the orchestral societies have themselves contributed largely to the expense involved." By the way, remarked the interviewer, what position does the Wellington organ occupy' in regard to size? "Well," was the answer, "that is rather hard to say olf-liand, for whenever a big organ is built in England, the Americans endeavour to 'go one better,' but though they build large instruments in the United States they are not, according to such authorities as Mr. Lomare, equal to English in point of. tone." Very few English organs go to America, bccause of tho tariff, but, on tho other hand, without the tariff barrier, very few American instruments (pipe organs, that is) aro sent to England. Do you intend to start organ-building in New Zealand? was the next question put. "Certainly not," replied Mr. Beard, "tho labour conditions here aro prohibitive. Tho position is that wo liavo erected a number of organs in the Dominion, as at Wellington, Dunedin, Invercargill, Napier, etc., and tho work of attending to theso and rebuilding and improving others has become too much for our representative, Mr. H. Tustin, to copo with, so a small branch will be started in Wellington, with Mr. Tustin as manager, and this branch will attend to all our New Zealand work." Mr. Tustin was sent out to New Zealand in chargc of tho Town Hall organ in 1906, and not ouly enjoys the entire confidence of his firm, but has won the approval and respect of those with" whom he has been brought ill contact. Mr. Beard, has recently arrived from Australia, whero he lias arranged important business for his firm, including the new organ for Brisbane Cathedral, and the first Carnegie organ in the Commonwealth for the Presbyterian Church at Parramatta; he lias several engagements in the North and South Islands, and sails for London in the Corinthic 011 April 22.