ST. JOHN'S CHURCH CHOIR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4087, 27 August 1884, Page 3

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH CHOIR.

[To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sir, —':Pewholder" in last evening's Telegraph, would have the public believe that I am laboring under a false impression respecting the reorganisation of St. Jahn's choir. 1 beg to take exception to this voluntary assertion. In attempting to remove thcHurjposcd/ff/.ve impression, your correspondent makes thefollowingremarks, "The present effort for the improvement of the choir owes its origin to tho desire of certain members of the congregation that a choir master should be appointed for the instruction of the hoys." Now, Sir, I, and many others/ have always been given to understand .that'when the present organist was engaged if was distinctly understood that he°sh"ould fill the joint position of organist and choirmaster, at a given salary guaranteed by certain- members of St. John's congrcr/ation. Perhaps this fact has conveniently escaped tho memory of •' Pewholder'' at this time '' Pewholder'' must know however, that the present organist having been also appointed choir master, it wis his duty in the latter capacity to train the "boys," and to see that they attended the practices regularly. Your correspondent admits that for some time past there has existed unwarrantable laxity, and to use " Pewholder's" own words "the members of the choir did just as they liked, aiid both practices and church services were' neglected as pleasure, indifference, or idleness dictated, .... and in the absence of all discipline it was no wonder that the boys learned little or nothing." A bright stato of affairs truly. The question might fairly be asked at this juncture, who is to blame for the wretched sinking- that has so lorijj characterised St. John's°choir ? Another point I should like "Pewholder" to explain, how does it happen that, having obtained the services of a proficient choir master from England, a. re-organisation of the choir (he is supposed to have und«jr his control) should at present bo found necessary, and that by special request a member of the congregation should kindly undertake the duties of choirmaster? I trust "Pewholder," who appears to have the confidence of the committee of management, will not fail to elucidate these matters at his earliest convenience.' I think lam re-echoing the hope of a large number of St. John's congregation in saying that tho committee of management will see the advisability of reintroducing ladies into the choir. Until steps are taken to accomplish this, we may safely depend on having periodical repetitions of our present difficulty.—l am, kc, Churchman. Napier, 27th August, 1884.