FIRST CHURCH ORGAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 32

FIRST CHURCH ORGAN.

RECITAL BY MR J. MAUGHAN BARNETT.

First Church could not very well have held more people than there were aseemb!«d in it on February 27 to hear Mr J. Maughan, Barnett's performance on the nevr organ, which has recently been installed, wheni an opportunity was afforded of hearing what could be produced from it by a capable and experienced organist like Mt Barneit, of Wellington. There could be only one verdict--nothing could have been finer. The instrument is handsome in appearance, and, whaft is much better, is undoubtedly capable, in proper hands, of interpreting organ music in an altogether superior manner. Its tone is magnificently full end rich, and is yet devoid of the harshness- and strident quality not infrequently met with even in good instruments. With an elaborate supply of stops the most exquisite effects can be produced, aa was quite conclusively proved by Mr Barnett on more than one occasion last evening. Any organist might well be proud of the possession of such an instrurruen*, and Mr Jesse Timson, the church organist, will unquestionably appreciate his good fortune- irt having the control of an organ the like of which, is not usually met- with, in the Dominion of New Zealand. The leaflet placed! in the hands of the audience was something mow elaborate than the customary programme issued,- as it contained some wellexecuted illustrations of the new instrument," and also an interesting description concerning it. After a few introductory bars payed in the softest possible manner, the organist entered upon his evening's work, opening with a toccata and fugue in Ui minor of great beauty by Bach. Mr Barnett's performance of it was excellent. Th« words, "rolling and reckless," used in the programme, described the composition accurately, and its performance wa.3 marked by, skill, and was both brilliant and effective. In listening to it, and more particularly tcj subsequent solos, it became evident that Mr Barnett does not belong to the , boisterous order of organ players, but «hat his treatment of music is of a refined and dehcat* character. This fact was particularly noticeable in such compositions as Gounod's "Le Soir " and Wolfram's romance in " Tannhauser,' both of which were admirably! treated. In the former the vox human* stop was used with much effect, and was again; brought into requisition in Wolfram's song, the eir of which was taken somewhat faster than is customary. The latter solo quit* raised the enthusiasm of the audience, whichf adopted the unusual course, «s far as organ recitals are concerned, of making a request for a repetition; with which Mr Barnett readily complied. Perhaps the finest effect of the evening was achieved in. the playing of some of the music of "Lohengrin," descriptive of the festivities following the marriage of Lohengrin and Els*. It was brilliantly and most effectively rendered, and in it Mr Barnett was heard at his best. The four movements of Mendelssohn's Sonata No. 1 was another instance in which. Mr Barnett was signally successful. His other selections were " Variations in G," by Beethoven, *' Am Meer," by Schubert, and a composition by himself, Schubert's work being especially acceptable. Of vessels built, those turned out from British dockyards usually form 20 or 29 per cent, of the total.