ORGAN RECITAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1414, 15 April 1912, Page 6

ORGAN RECITAL.

A good audience attended the weekly organ recital given by Mr. Maughan Barnett (city organist) in the Town Hall on Saturday evening. Quite a delectable programme of classical and semi-classical works were played by Mr. Burnett in his uniformly. musicianly maimer. His long acquaintance with tho city organ reveals itself in the original combinations that occur hero and there, and his work is marked by a smoothness and precision only to be found in 01-ganists of high capacity. On Saturday the programme opened with Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C minor, a florid work which extends the grand organ to its greatest capacity and power, notably in the great crescendo in the fugue, which increases until the pedals thunder forth tho subject with impressivo effect. Another charming and important work for the organ was the "Allegro Cantabile" and "Topata" from Widor's Fifth Symphony, a composition of much melodious charm and distinction. The overture to "Tannhauser" (Wagner) is as popular with Wellington audiences as the prelude to the third act of that onera. The chant of the pilgrims, one of the lending motifs of the opera, is the dominating subjcct of the overture, and in its advancement nnd recession one is able to realise the weirdly beautiful spirit of the work. In lighter vein. Mr. Barnott played Mailly's "IVnies Flenries," a Rubinstein "Romance," nnd Pierne's "Serenr.de." The assisting vocalist was Mr. C. H. Stephens, who is the possessor of a light cultured tenor, and sines with taste. He introduced the fascinating "f-.'eal Songs" from Dora Fright's "Tunirle Book"—(a) "Night Kong in the Jungle." (b) "Sea Lullaby." and (c) "The Mother Seal's Song" —quaintly melodious trifles in the sphere of song. His other contributions were C. Fnsrelhardt's "Autumn" and "Springtime" two emrngim.' season songs that should be heard again. Another recital will be given on Saturday evening next.