ORGAN RECITAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1852, 11 September 1913, Page 3

ORGAN RECITAL.

BY MR. B. F. PAGE.

Mr. Bernard F. Page, the new City Organist, gave his second recital at the 'i'bwn Hall last evening before a fairly largo' audieiico, ono that would liavo been larger but for tlio boisterous weather. Thoso who did faco the.galo and rain were richly rewarded, though on tlio whole the programmo was scarcely so interesting as that of tho opening recital. By special request tho Schumann "Fugue, on tho Name of Bach" was included, and, as at the first recital, it was the number of outstanding interest, both as a composition of arresting power and beauty, and as an exposition of the organist's resourcefulness at tho manuals. Another vqrjt- beautiful number, new to Wellington, was the Saint-Saens' "Rhapsodic" (No. 3), a string of melodic gems, strung on a recurring theme of haunting charm. Of a rnoro flamboyant character was Salome's florid "Marcho Gothiquo," a clamorous march with a Titanic crescendo. Any work by Edwin Lemare is worth listening to, and is of more than passing interest, owing to that artist's association with the opening of tlio city organ. Mr. Pago's programme also included five of his "Summer Sketches" — "Dawn," "The Bee," "Cuckoo," "Twilight," and "Evening." Though nothing disturbing from a musical point of view, they are attractive in the atmosphere they convey v and as something expressive of some of Nature's familiar moods, aro sure to be popular. "Dawn" is quite a little gem in the picture it paints. The first faint beam of light is conveyed by a single tremulous but insistent note, with a soft languorous accompaniment suggestive of sleep. Then intrudes a sombre rumbling on the bass . pedals—the passing away of night. Birds cheep and coo in tho sharpening light, and Nature's chorus carols a preludo to an impressive crescendo, terminating in a crashing chord,' symbolising tho rise of the sun above tiio horizon. "Twilight" was another of the skotclies that told with tho audience. Tlio programme also included tlio exhilarating "Toccata in G," of Dubois, played with fluency and spirit, Faulk's "Overture in F," and Rachmaninoff's charming "Melodic," which Mr. Pago treated with pleasing delicacy and restraint.