ORGAN RECITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 89, 12 October 1932, Page 8

ORGAN RECITAL

UPHILL PULL '//

PUBLIC LITTLE INTERESTED

It is jiist three months sine© th« City Council discussed the unhappy;! position of the organ recital account, in -which., items on the expenses side far outbalance the very thin returns'! from recitals, and it is, probable that the question will be reopened at tit meeting of the council to-morrow eve»| ing. The understanding * -was thalij three months' trial should be *■ given I of week-night and midday recitals, and a suggestion was also made that *' trial should be made of mixed pro«; grammes, vocal, and possibly other ia»' strumental items being added to. at"! tract those who, though. ■■ appreciating' organ music, yet find a full programmaf rather too much. The City Organist^ however, urged that the trial should b$ confined to mid-week "and daytime ie* citals of organ music only. Though the figures are not available in detail, it is quite clear that there' must be a very substantial deficit on,' j the recitals given during the three, months* trial period. When the first midday and week night programmes were given there was sorhe evidence o£ Teal interest—the first midday recital j for instance, brought'in £3 I 5 toward the Mayor's Fund for the relief of distress—but then interest faded_ sharply.. The attendance at evening recitals (ttia returns from which go to' the organ! recital account, not to the Mayor'Si Fund) has fluctuated a good deal, but, never has there been ..an audience which was not tragically small. Last night there were again only a very; few people in the hall, the^ receipt* being only 12s. . ■•-•:■•

Though the majority of the public may have little interest in the typa of organ music offered them,' there- is no question that those who regularly attend the recitals are deeply concerned over the poor attendances. One "Wellington lady has continued a steady; worker in the interests of the con* tinuance of the recitals,/and as "A! "Well-wisher" Tegularly sends in. sub* stantial -contributions and purchased more tickets than she and her immedi* ate friends can possibly use. Her en« thusiasm is very real, indeed, but uii«' happily there are too few such enthusiasts to make it likely that the deficit can be turned to a credit.

Whether much, greater success would have followed the adoption of the sug-, gestion of mixed programmes, is a ques«] tion upon which, there is considerable' difference of opinion, but it seems that1 the organist to-day has a very stiffi uphill pull to Ibid the interest of thaj public. "Wellington people are not; peculiar in their lack of interest in, organ music, for precisely the same, apathy has been shown in many cities, i In Auckland the City Council despaired long ago of ever making recitals payjtheir way, and in. Sydney no variatioal of plans and programmes appears t« have had any very pleasing effect upon' door Teturns.