ORGAN RECITAL AT LYTTELTON.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1413, 26 August 1878, Page 3

ORGAN RECITAL AT LYTTELTON.

It will be remembered that on the 25th July a full account was given of an organ at the Lyttelton Orphanage, the property of the late master, Mr E. Giraud, who left Lyttelton by the s.s. Arawata on Saturday, rn route for Europe. The organ is very large and of great power, and its owner determined to please his friends by having a recital before leaving Canterbury. Accordingly on Friday night a large party gathered by invitation at the Orphanage to hear the instrument, a special train having been secured for the Christchurch contingent. The organ, as already recorded, has been building for many months, and indeed for more than a twelvemonth has been used for church service at the Orphanage. _ It was built in a recess of the new girls’ schoolroom at the Orphanage, one of the finest rooms of its dimensions in Canterbury, but too limited to admit of an organ possessing the great power this instrument does, being heard to full advantage. The i’oom was crowded closely at the appointed hour, and Mr R. Searell commenced by giving an andante of Chimners, some offertories, and an andante of Batiste’s, “The March of the Israelites,” offertories of Chimners and Wehli, concluding with flute concerto by Rinck. It is needless to say that the whole of these airs were rendered most ably. Mr Morsehead then played some selections from Weber’s Mass in G, and the chorus “Lift up your heads,” from the Messiah. Miss Funston, who plays the organ at St. John’s, followed with selections bert, an organ solo of Sir H. Bishop s, and the “Et Resurrexit” from Mozart’s 12th Mass. The various works recited were listened to with much attention, and served to illustrate the great power and fine mellow tones of the instrument. . The stops most admired were the vioilncello, keraulophon, hautbois, and gamba, but the organ is not yet finished, the trumpet, flute, piccolo, and claribella stops having still to be fitted. Even without these, however, it was the unanimous verdict of those present that the organ was a magnificent instrument. The whole of the mechanism worked capitally, and the reversed action, of which a full account was formerly given, caused general attention and admiration. Mr Giraud, at the conclusion of the recital, addressed his guests. He regretted that the instrument was not quite completed in time for the recital, several stops having yet to be

fitted, though quite ready to be placed in the organ. Owing to his leaving for England next morning, it was impossible for him to postpone the opening. He would like to say a few words respecting the organ. Many there would remember that when the former girls’ schoolroom had been burnt down, and with it the old organ, h# had represented the case to the Government, hoping they would help towards procuring another for the use of the institution. However they refused, so he resolved to build an organ himself and knowing the peculiar ability of Mr E. H. Jenkins, of Kaiapoi, as an organ builder, ho had placed the matter in his hands, the result being the erection of the instrument they had heard played that evening. A sum of twelve pounds had been subscribed by some of his friends towards the building of the organ, and as he was about leaving Now Zealand, and wished to dispose of the instrument, he wanted to hand back the twelve pounds subscribed. He thought the amount could not be better applied than by handing it over to the Orphanage in aid of the library fund, which was in great want of augmentation. [Hear, hear.] In building the room, the Government had provided an organ chamber, and he was sorry that the institution would be left without an instrument to place there to bo used at the church services. Had he remained he should, of course, have kept the organ there, and he only hoped that at some future date the Government would see their way to build one for the use of the institution. He was sorry the organ was not quite completed, but they had had an opportunity of judging of its capabilities and of knowing that an organ could be built in New Zealand equal in every way to an imported instrument. He thought the reversed action a great improvement and of immense advantage to the person performing on the instrument He thanked Miss Funston and Messrs R. Searell and Morsehead for their attendance there, and for the manner in which they had exhibited the beauties of the instrument. He also thanked his friends for coming there that evening. Mr Searell then played some variations on “ God save the Queen,” arranged by Rinck, and the company separated.