SUDDEN DEATH OF MR W. MARR

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 134, 17 June 1901, Page 3

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR W. MARR

THE CHOIRMASTER EXPIRES IN CHURCH.

A sad sensation was caused yesterday by the sudden death of Mr William Marr, the much esteemed choir master of Holj Trinity Church, that gentleman expiring suddenly while the service was proceeding. He was a man of cheerful disposi tion, and yesterday morning he » “ his usual good spirits, and to all outward appearance he was a man whoso good for many years to come. 1 1 • Canon AVcbb was as usual conduct n the service, and was preaching rom beautiful text, “How amiable are lny dwellings, Thou Lord of Hosts, prior to the sermon the choir had ably the congregation in the singing o joyful hymn, of which the first xers ■was:—

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds In a believer’s ear ! _ It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear. The sermon had regretful reference t( the poor attendance at churches now-a days, and the preacher was pointing oul that this was not singular in New Zealand, but that from facts which he had recently been reading he knew that there was the same complaint in the Old Country. He was giving a quotation bearing on the subject when a movement was heard in the choir. The choirmaster had been sitting in a place he usually occupied near the organ, and was facing the congregation ; he was noticed to lurch over in an awkward way, uttering a gutteral sound, and those beside him thought ho had fainted. Mr 11. Armstrong caught Mr Marr by tho head and prevented the head from striking the seat as ho went backwards ; he had gently overbalanced to the corner of tho the seat, with his arm overhanging as lie usually held it. Messrs AV. Hamblett and Taylor (tho organist) quickly assisted, and Mr E. D. Smith stopped across from tho choir scats on the opposite side. The others thought it was a faint, but Mr Smith, who is a chomist by profession, and who had known that Mr Marr’s heart was affected, was aware that such a faint meant almost certain death to Mr Marr, and within about three minutes’tho heart had stopped boating. Messrs Hamblott and Armstrong had sot out for medical assistance, while, when the serious nature of the trouble was known, Miss Bright thoughtfully went to Mrs Marr’s house, so that the dreadful nows would not come to tho widow abruptly, but would be softly broken. Everything was done so quietly, and with so littlo commotion, that tho congregation would not have known what a dreadful thing had happened wero it not that Air Marr had boon sitting within full view of them. Indeed, Canon AVcbb proceeded with and concluded his sermon, not being aware till tho Had nows was whispered to him that the kindly choirmaster had peacefully crossed tho "Border. The Canon preached on for a low minutes after the first rustle ; ho hoard the noise, but thought that it was an ordinary faint. AVhon ho hoard of tho seriousness of the affair ho closed tho service by pronouncing tho Benediction. Captain Ecrris, tho incumbent’s warden, Mr Foster, and Air King stepped up from among tho congregation, and with a slight groan that could hardly be hoard, tho prostrate man’s life had llown. Dr AVilliams arrived on tho scone, and also Dr Colo, the luttor having been summoned from a Gospel meeting. They pronounced that life was extinct. Mr Dcsßurrcs’ brake was brought into tho churchyard, and sadly and tenderly Messrs Foster, Smith, King, Chrisp, Shcllard, Captain Ferris, and Sergeant Siddolls, conveyed from the church to tho brake tho remains of ono who had a couple of hours before entered tho church, and who had beforo tho sorvico been heard joyfully hummi ig tho morning hymns. Airs Marr had como up to the church, where in her deep distress sho was soothed by Airs Smith and Aliss Bright, and was gently led away again from tho sorrowful scene. Tho beroavod boro the trial bravely. Tho de-

ceased was takon to his home in Grey street —that homo which ho had loft in such happy spirits to take part in tho Sunday's devotions. Tho first hymn, No. 151, bears tho quotation, “ Lot us therefore como boldly unto tho throne of grace, that wo may obtain mercy, and find graco to holp in time of need,” the versos boing :

Father of Iloavon, Whose love profound A ransom for our souls hath found,

Before Thy Throne wo sinners bend, To ns Thy pardoning love extend. Almighty Son, Incarnate Word, j Our Prophet, Priest, Itedoemcr, Lord, Boforo Thy Throne we sinners bond, To us Thy saving grace extend. Etornnl Spirit, by Whoso breath

The soul is raised from sin and death,

Bcforo Thy Throne we sinners bend, To us Thy quickening power extend. Thrico Holy! lather, Spirit, Son ; Mysterious Godhead, Three in One, Before Thy Throne we sinners bend, Greco, pardon, life to us extend.

Tho last hymn sung—“ Unto you tbore fore which boliovc ho is precious,” and which commences “ How sweet tho namo of Jesus sounds,” concludes : Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought; But when I see Thee ns Thou art, I’ll praise Thee as I ought. Till then I would Thy love proclaim, With every fleeting breath ; And may the mur.c of Thy Namo llofrosh my soul in death. Yes, wo may al' woll believo that tho gonial, the kindly, tho mueh-cstcemed choirmastor has had his soul refreshed by tho sublime music which greets the bciiovov’s oar. Mr Marr himself know that the end might conic any day, that he was, as it were, over on the brink of eternity, but little would tho casual observer havo thought that tho robust-looking man was subject to an affection of the heart that might carry him off at any moment. About twclvo months ago lio had been warned by liis medical adviser, Dr Cole, that tho aortic valvo of tho heart was affected, and that oxcitomcnt or undue exertion of any kind would bo very dangerous to him. Mr Marr had then been suffering from what lie thought to be indigestion, but otherwise he enjoyed good hoalth, and though a member of the Foresters’ Lodge, ho had not thought it necessary to consult tho medical adviser. Indoed, ho seemed, to enjoy tho host of health, and tho affection of tho heart —a hindrance of the flow of blood through the aortic valve—was of a kind that it would not be detected from the beating of the pulse. . . Tho late Mr Marr received his musical education at Home, being for a considerable time a chorister in Salisbury Cathedral. After coming to the colonies ho was for a time carrying on farming pursuits at Fatutahi, but this proving an uncongenial occupation ho removed to Gisborne in 1886 to follow his more natural bent and profession as teacher of music. His first local appointment was, after the retirement of Mr Spackman, conductor of the Gisborne Orchestral Society, a position he held up to the time of his death, proving a capable and painstaking conductor, as shown by the several artistic and enjoyable orchestral concerts given under his direction. For a time Mr Marr held the conductorship of the City Band, which made rapid strides under his baton, but his failing health compellod him to relinquish this post. As a composer Mr Marr was endowed with a rare ■ T ift of melody. His compositions, although never published, revealed nevertheless the work of a musician’s hand. Concert goers will recollect his songs, “When Love is Kind,” -‘Lullaby ” (composed for and sung by Mrs Howie), “ Edward Gray, a vocal duet, and a caprice and fanfare for the Orchestra. Ho also composed an admirable setting for “ Onward Christian Soldiers.” A widow and little son are left to mourn their loss, and the deepest sympathy will be felt for them. It is not likely that an inquest will be deemed necessary, and the funeral will ■ probably take place to-morrow afternoon.

IN THE CHURCHES. | In most of the churches last night reference was made to the sudden death.; There was a large congregation at Holy Trinity Church. The main choral portions of the service, excepting the hymns, were dispensed with. The hymns chosen were; "GgiJ Moves ia a Mysterious

Wav,” “ Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past,” and'” Book of Ages." The Bev. Canon Webb conducted the service. His text was taken from Proverbs xxvii, l* 13oast not thyself of to-morrow, for fcnou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Me My dear friends, —It is impossible for me to stand up to preach in this pulpit this evening, without making some reference to the sad event which closed our

• morning service. At the same time I feel, l and you will all of you understand that [ what I say must be very brief. God i Himself taught us this morning the lesson that is embodied in the words of my text —that we must in the highest and best sense live in the present, and not reckon on length of days. And I must endeavor very briefly to enforce it. But first I must make one or two observations that suggest themselves to me as I think of what has taken place. To many minds it seem strange that God should permit such events to happen. That a soul should be hurried in a moment from this life into the next, with scarcely time as we may perhaps think to realize the solemn change that is taking place. It seems strange again that a useful life, useful, to the community, as well as dear to the im-

mediate relatives and Mends, should untimely be cut off in the midst of its working power. It seems strange also that God should see fit to permit that a family should thus suddenly be deprived- of its head —a child left fatherless, the wife a sorrowing widow to struggle through the hard battle of life alone. It does iudeed seem.strange to us that the loving Father and omnipotent Head of the universe should suffer things so to be. But there are a few words of our Lord Jesus Christ which He spoke on a memorable occasion to His disciples, whose meaning reaches far beyond that particular occasion, and to my niind supplies a solvent for all the difficulties which surround the strange problems of human existence. These are the words of Christ to which I refer: “ What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt kuow hereaftor.” We cannot understand these difficulties now, but the time will couie when we shall know that nothing happens by chance, nothing happens without God, nothing that happens is beyond His control, and since God, who is at the head of all, is of infinite wisdom, power and love, faith grasps the idea that all things that occur, the dark and sorrowful events as well as the bright and joyous ones, arc made part of a great plan, which is always being carried out, and is always working for good and not for evil. In the meanwhile human feeling must often suffer, sorrow must have its day, tears fill many eyes, perhaps fears fill many hearts, but at last faith triumphs and looks up to God and says : Thou art at the head; Thou art the Supreme Ruler ; Christ’s Cross still speaks of atonement; Christ’s voice still pleads for mercy and forgiveness ; the Spirit still is the Lord of Life ; Thou art love, all must ho well;

all is well.” And as [regards tho mother and tho child, “ A Father of tho fatherloss and a Judge of tho widows, is God in His holy habitation.” But now we that are alive and remain hero on earth, and who many of us -witnessed that sudden departure, must take to ourselves the lesson that God teaches us by it, “ Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Though the final issue of all events is with God, and He can over-rule all for ultimate good, yet in the meantime Ho allows us ffberty to govern our lives according to our own free will. We may use our lives for worthy purposes—we may waste them, or wo may even make them vile by sin and wickedness —and great issues in tho coming life depend upon the use we now make of this life. “.Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Lot the old men as well as the young men remember that there is a Day of Judgment. Let the women remember it as well as tho men. Let none of us presume on the probability of length of days, and indulge ourselves in sin or live carelessly, thinking that "we may safely defer repentance and amendment of life to some far-off day in a remote future. “ Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for wo know not what a day may bring forth.” And let us not be careless as to working the works of God while it is day, fpr the night cometh when no man can work. And now I must conclude with one little word about our friend who is taken from us. We valued his work among us highly ; we shall miss him greatly. He worked most faithfully and unceasingly in the office ho hold in this church, oftentimes when weary and distressed by illhealth. Ho.v he rests from the toils and difficulties of this weary world. It is interesting to us to recall now that he is gone what wore the last words which crossed his lips hero on earth, for wo know them. He had chosen for tho hymn before the sermon this morning tho well-known hymn, “ How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear 1 ” and, as usual, he sang tho hymn through earnestly, and so wo know that the last words of that hymn are the last words that he over uttered upon earth, and they are these : “ And may tho music of Thy name Refresh my soul in death.” Those wero his last words —words which embody tho most earnest and appropriate prayer. And who can tell how graciously that prayer may have been answered by One unseen to us but close to Him when he passed hence through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. At St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church last evening, the Rev.' Mr Paterson made feeling reference to the sudden death of Mr W. Mart - , and expressed deep sympathy with his widow in her bereavement. He prayed that the God who promised to be a husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless would comfort and support her.