HAHOVER STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 20057, 24 December 1928, Page 2

HAHOVER STREET BAPTIST CHURCH

A Christmas musical service of high quality was held last evening : ; the [lnnever Street Baptist Church, when selections from Handel’s ‘ Messiah ’ were rendered by the choir, augmented and assisted by members of the Dunedin Choral Societv. The Rev. E. S. Tuckwell, 8.A., presided, and gave a brief account of Handel, the author of the famous and ever-popular oratorio. He was born in Germany 243 years ago. As a boy lie evidenced a tremendous passion for music, a passion which was consistently discouraged by his father. At the ago of forty-one he became a naturalised English subject, because lie believed lie had found larger opportunities and greater appreciation in England than in Germany. The practical sense of his music and its close alliance with the Bible joined with its lofty imaginativeness made their appeal to the English. Up to the age of lifty-two he composed only operas, but then he began to tread a far nobler path, and composed the oratorios to which the greatness of his fame were due. His greatest works were ‘ Israel in Egypt ' am ‘ The Messiah.’ These works established his fame, and made his name immortal. ' The Messiah 1 was composed when lie was fifty-six, and was completed in twenty-four days. From the very first it found favour with the English people, and had retained. -rtiT popularity for 187 years. Beethoven said Handel was the unapproachable master of masters. When lie came to compose the magnificent ‘ Hallelujah Chorus ’ he seemed, like Isaiah the prophet, to have had a vision. He said: “ 1 did see all heaven open before me,. .and the great God llimself.” Dir Tuckwell then expressed the warm appreciation' of himself and his people of tho kindness of the members of the Choral Society in assisting the church choir in providing a splendid feast of song for Christmas Sunday. The choir then rendered, under the able conductorship of Dir H. P. Desmoulins, wij’.i Dir Upton Harvey at the organ, and Dliss Partridge at tho piano, some seventeen selections from the world-famous oratorio. Dir L. E. Dudley sang ‘ Comfort Ye ’; Mr F. C. Cooper ‘Every Valley Shall Be Exalted,’ Dliss Netta Wilkie ‘ 0, Thou That Tellest Good Tidings,’ Dlaster T\ Davidson ‘ There Were Shepherds ’ and ‘ Rejoico Greatly, 0 Daughter of Zion,’ Dliss Mary Pratt ‘ He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd ’ and ‘ He Was Despised.’ All sang with fine feeling and expressiveness, and interpreted the pieces allotted to them with artistic accuracy. The choir sang the massive and magnificent choruses with vigour and precision. ‘ And the Glory of the Lord,’ ‘ For Unto Us a Child is Born,’ ‘ Glory to God,’ ‘ Lift Up Your Heads, 0 Ye Gates,’ ‘ The Hallelujah Chorus,’ and ‘ Worthy is the Land) ’ were ail sung with enthusiasm, and were much appreciated by the large congregation. t The devotional atmosphere was main-* tained throughout tho rendition of the oratorio. Dir Desmoulins, the choirmaster, is to be complimented on the undoubted .excellence of tho performance of his augmented choir.