OPENING OF ST. PAUL’S ORGAN.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1446, 4 October 1878, Page 3

OPENING OF ST. PAUL’S ORGAN.

A grand sacred concert and organ recital took place last evening at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Cashel street. Although the organ has been in use for some months, no formal opening of it had been made, owing to its being in an incomplete state from the absence of many of the most important pipes. These recently arrived by the ship Palala, and were placed in the instrument by Mr G. A. Jenkins, organ builder of Kaiapoi. The decorative part of the organ was entrusted to Mr B. Button, and its handsome appearance last night spoke volumes for the taste exhibited by the decorator, The organ, as now

completed at a cost of between £6OO and £7OO, is one of the handsomest as well as most powerful in the colony. The proceedings were commenced with prayer, after which the choir and congregation sang the “ Old Hundreth Psalm,” and then the chairman delivered a brief opening address, in which he deprecated the occupation of the time of the large numbers of auditors assembled to hear the sweet music provided for them, as well as to listen to the addresses which would be subsequently delivered by the reverend gentlemen who had promised to speak. He touched upon the exhilirating effect of sacred music as an adjunct to public worship, and of its elevating influences in stimulating devotional feelings. He then called on the conductor and organist to commence the celebration. The opening anthem, “ Salvation unto our God,” an original composition of great merit by Mr H. F. Towle, was then sung by the combined choirs of St. Paul’s and Durham street Wesleyan Church. The anthem was scored for soprano and baritone recitatives, solo and duet for soprano voices and chorale. This was followed by Batiste’s offertoire in D, performed by Mr R. T. Searell on the organ in masterly style, the composition affording great scope for displaying the powers of the organist and the capabilities of the splendid instrument on which it was played. The solo was succeeded by the recitative and air, “ Thy Rebuke,” sang in excellent style by Mr Appleby, who was in good voice. This gentleman's sympathic style, as well as the quality of his voice, are both admirably adapted to the requirements of sacred music. The Chairman then called upon the Rev. C. Fraser to deliver an address to the audience.

Mr Fraser commenced by saying that on such an occasion as the present a Presbyterian clergyman could scarcely be expected to refrain from touching on the vexed question of the introduction of the organ into the Church. Before going into that he would first congratulate the congregation on the possession of such a splendid instrument as they had gathered together formally to open, and at the same time pay a deserved compliment to both organist and conductor, who had both labored zealously to make the present celebration a success. The speaker then touched upon the origin of instrumental music in the service of public worship, and reviewed the arguments for and against its adoption, being personally in favor of it, when it tended to give an otherwise unattainable precision and harmony to the choir and stimulate higher devotional feeling in the worship of God. At the conclusion of Mr Fraser’s remarks the choir sang Goss’s anthem, •* Oh taste and see.” This was followed by the fugue “ He trusted in God ” on the organ by Mr Searell, the intricacies of the piece being mastered and its beauties developed with marked ability, Mr J. W. Marshall next sang the fine descriptive scena, “ The Prodigal Son,” his rich powerful voice filling the church with telling effect. This was undoubtedly one of the gems of the evening. The next item on the programme was the anthem “Blessed be the God and Father,” sung by the choir, and followed by Clinmer’s andante in A flat, played on the organ by Mr Searell. This most exquisitely p’aintive air, with an underlying current of tender rippling melody, was listened to with almost breathless silence, which showed how highly it was appreciated. The Chairman then called on the Rev. H. C. M. Watson to address the audience, and the reverend gentleman responded by a congratulatory speech on the church’s possession of so fine an organ, and also on the advance in excellence which the aid of the instrument would enable them to attain in their church music. He was not in favor of that which would tend to impair the simplicity of the gospel, but he did not think that that could be the effect of anything that added brightness and fervour to their public worship. He thought it was justifiable to introduce anything into the worship of God that would tend to make that worship brighter and more attractive, without impairing its purity or simplicity. On the conclusion of Mr Watson’s remarks, Mr F. Hobbs sang Gounod’s devotional air “Nazareth” in his best style. A grand march on the organ, “ Schiller,” terminated the purely instrumental portion of the programme, and this was done full justice to by Mr Searell, who, by his playing throughout the evening, proved himself to be beyond doubt one of the most accomplished masters of the instrument in the colony. Mr H. P. Towle concluded the concert by singing the air “When this scene of trouble closes.” As encores and applause would have been out of place, and were therefore prohibited, no audible manifestations of approbation were indulged in, but had this not been the case, Mr Towle’s solo, as well as many items which preceded it, would doubtless have been redemanded.

The Rev. Mr ‘Morice, of Hokitika, on the invitation of the chairman, made some appropriate remarks, especially complimentary to the organist, conductor, and the ladies and gentlemen who had taken part in the musical celebration, and asked those present to pass a vote of thanks, which, on being put, was cirried by acclamation. A similar vote was proposed by the Rev. Mr Elmslie to the several gentlemen who had addressed the meeting, as well as to those who had interested themselves so successfully in organising the entertainment. This vote was also cordially responded to. The chairman then announced that the Rev, Mr Copeland, the newly-arrived missionary from the New Hebrides, would preach next Sunday—in the morning at St. Andrew’s church, and in the evening at St. Paul’s. The “ Hallelujah Chorus,” splendidly sang by the choir, brought one of the most successful sacred concerts for a long time given in Christchurch to a conclusion.