ST. JOHN'S CHURCH CHOIR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4085, 25 August 1884, Page 2

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH CHOIR.

[To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph. J Sir, —'' Pewholder,'' in your correspondent's column in Saturday's issue, accuses mo of hostility towards St. John's choir because I do not approve of its present arrangement. I still maintain that the boys have had a fair trial, and have proved a miserable failure, and because I A-oto against a repetition of this infliction I am told that my re- __, marks are ill-timed. I do know that we had good music with the mixed choir, but perhaps some of the lady singers haA*e offended " Pewholder," or it may be that he is ambitious to be the competent and . painstaking instructor. " PcAvholder's" )" long-Avindcd twaddle about the natural ' voices of Napier boys, Avith the prospect of their becoming qualified for Christy Minstrels—and as to Avhethcr or no "Pewholder" Avas among the boys avlio Avere freely caned for inattention in his day, arc matters Avhich I fancy require no comment. —I am, &c, Music. August 25, 18S4.

[To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sir,—l have noticed lately several letters in your paper Avith reference to the .singing of St. John's choir, in AA'hich the relative merits of ladies' aud boys' voices aa-ouH seem to be discussed. Looking at tho question from purely an artistic point of vieAV I Avould suggest that any boys Avho may remain he requested to retire Avithout delay, and that an effort be made to induco the ladies to resume their old scats. I attended tho evening service at St. John's Church on Sunday evening some months ago, and my aesthetic sensibilities then received such a shock that I have not yet mustered up sufficient hardihood to again. Anything more hideous to a refined

musical ear and taste one could scarcely imagine-the majority of the voices rough and unmusical, and some of them halt an octave flat. I admit that a boy s voice, it of good quality and well is of singular beaut/, and in church music very effective and appropriate, but where the; c points are lacking tho choir is better without them; moreover, by the .mot youngster has become a good and rehab c singer, his yoice probably cracks so that it would be necessary aljvaptohvejoang boys in training to take the places of tho elder ones as they are compelled to fall out and this, taking into account the limited number of boys with shiging voices m a pkee of a small population, would ba matter of great difficulty. I think the sooner the soprano and contralto parts are a«-ain taken by the sweet voices of the laclies the better for the congregation. When this change is effected I can answer for one individual Avho will never miss a service.—l am, kc, Melody. August 25, 1381.

" [To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sir,—A correspondent writing under the vom de plume "Pewholder," in your Saturday's issue, endeavors to criticise the remarks" of your correspondents "Music' and "Churchman." " Pewholder' first of all ventures to think that the letters of "Music" and "Churchman" Avere written in a spirit of hostility to St. John's choir. Speaking for myself, as the Avnter of the letter under the signature of <' Churchman," I most emphatically repudiate any such charge, and I may further add that I am just as anxious as "Pewholder" himself appears to be, to see St. John's choir attain a degree of efficiency second to none iv this province or even in the colony. While admitting the poverty of St. John's choir for some time past, your correspondent says " Avhen an earnest effort has been put forth to bring about a bettor state of things, the time they ("Music" and " Churchman") have chosen tomakc these remarks must bo considered ill-chosen." I candidly admit that I am unable to see this point in the same light as " PeAvholder.' I have ahvays been of opinion, aud am still, that when a body Avas being organised V or re-organised, that is the most fitting time to make and receive suggestions, so us to enable those appointed to undertake the management of affairs to bring their efforts to a successful issue. That Avas my sole motive for Avriting on this subject and it is to be hoped that the committee of management will accept any outside suggestions that are tendered Avith a vieAv to improve the choir in question in a more liberal spirit than that shcAvn by your correspondent "Pewholder." In speaking of the reintroduction of ladies into the choir "PeAvholder " refers to the scandalous Avant of punctuality that too frequently occurred in the past, Avhen tho ladies used to take their respective places " at all times, _ and very often after the service had begun." I think, Sir, with proper management, such a state of affairs need never be repeated if ladies should bo induced to join the choir under discussion, and if that is the only objection "Pewholder" has to tho ladies, then I say it is a very Aveak one, and one that can be easily oAercome. In reference to the "boys," " Pewholder " says "if a boy is thoroughly impressed Avith the great privilege he enjoys from a seat in the choir, and is determined to learn and cultivate his voice, there is in reality nothing to prevent a choir being formed here equal in every respect to Avhat is found in the best churches in England." Granted, but tho serious question arises, "how have avc to impress the boys with these lofty ideas ? ' Has it to be left entirely to the choir master, or have the parents to take upon themselves some share of responsibility in this important matter P The experience of the last three years has taught us that, hoAvcvcr wishful the choir master may have been to train the choir aright, he has not met Avith the success he merited nor have the boys during that time been impressed with the great privilege tbey have doubtless enjoyed from v seat in the choir, for they have one by one deserted the i-iliiks, until the committee of management have had their eyes open to the fact that the choir Avas indeed Aveak and stood in great need of reorganisation. Until tho parents of the boys forming the choir are determined to strengthen the hands of tho choir master, and tho boj-s themselves are imbued with a clearer idea of "duty" than has been up to the present apparent among them, Aye need never hope to get an efficient choir from out their ranks. I therefore maintain that tho " boys " having proved a failure, after a fair trial under tAvo proficient choir masters, their services ought to be dispensed with, and their places taken by ladies, many of whom can be found in Napier having the required amount of knoAvlcdge of music and the quality of voice necessary for the position. If, in the meantime, a sufficient number of boys can be trained to a degree of efficiency beyond criticism, by all means let it bo done, but let the undertaking be apart from the Sunday Avorship, so that the congregation may escape a further infliction of discordancy. Fearing my letter will occupy too much of your valuable space, I -will conclude, —I am, kc, Churchman. Napier, 23rd August, ISB4.