MR T. C. WEBB'S ORGAN RECITAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9666, 3 December 1909, Page 5

MR T. C. WEBB'S ORGAN RECITAL.

One of tiie finest musical treats offered to Masterlon lovers of music was given at the Knox Church, last evening, by Mr P. C. Webb. Assoc. Mus. Trinity College, London, in the presence of a large and appreciative audience. Mr Webb is a musician with a large English reputation as an organist "andj examiner, and his concert last evening was a very enjoyable one, and one that will long be remembered by those who were fortunate to be preFent last evening. It mattered not whether the organist played classical or popular pieces he was perfectly at home at his instrument, and he brought forth many telling effects, a'id in the full power passages hs drew from his instrument a full volume of tone. Mr Webb was ably aesis'e:! by Miss P. Cameron (violiniste), Miss J. McGregor and Mr R.J. lioung (vocalists), and the Church choir. The opening number on the programme was Barnby' ever popular anthem "0 Lord, How Manifold," which was sung in spirited manner by the choir. Mr Webb's first contribution was a pretty composition by Dudley Buch, one of America's leading organists, and was one of the gems of the evening. A march mili taire by Beethoven was in contrast to the preceeding item, and the organist displayed the full power of the organ to advantage. The piece under notice opens in a thoroughly military character, and is followed by- a movement in Hungarian style in a change of key. It closes in the same military character as it commenced. Miss J. McGregor next sang a song, by Hartwell Jones, "The Refuge of the Soul." Miss McGregor, who has improved since her last appearance in public, possesses a sweet voice well under control, and she gave a pleasing rendering of this composition. A grand off>rtoire, composed by the celebrated French organist, Mons. Edouard x ßatiste, was an enjoyable item. Batiste wrote many compositions in the light and popular style, at.d No. 4 of the s-ries is one of the most popular at recitals. Mr Webb thoroughly entered into the spirit of the composition, a d gave a brilliant performance. Miss Phyllis Cimeron, a young player of promise, contributed Raffs ever welcome "Cavatina" in a manner pleasing j t> the audience. The choir's best contribution was a fine composition by Maunder—"Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem." The choir was probably never heard to better advantage than in the rendering of this anthem last evening. An andante taken from Haydn's sonata Ultima, was a pretty movement, opening in the minor key with a change to its relative major, and closing again in the minor key. Liddle's "Abide With Me" was feelingly sung by Miss J. McGregor, and proved a very acceptable item. The gem of the evening, a prayer and cradles song, composed by that eminent French orgai ist, Mons. Guilmaht, followed, Mr Webb gave an expressive rendering of this charming composition, ths delicate toned stops of the organ being effectively used. Mr R. J. You g's singing of Gray's "Dnfln of Paradise" was also a pleasing tern. The fin »1 number on f;e pr"gramme, "March? Triumphal?," is one of the best of Sir Michael Costa'n compositions. .It first appeared in the oratorio "Naaman." Mr Webb played this in an orchestral style, and it was one of the gems of the louder compositions rendered last evening. Mr Purcell Webb, the Church organist, rendered thb accompaniments in a thoroughly musicianly manner. At the ccnclutior. of the programme the liev. A. T. Thompson stated that the audience were very glad to have been enabled to hear an organist o; -Mr Webb's reputation, aid it was with great pleasure that he acted as the mouthpiece of the audience in conveying the delight with which he and the audience had listened to the very enjoyable recital rendered by Mr Webb, and those ladies and gentlemen who assisted him. He hoped that Mr Webb would give another recital at a future date. A recital of a very enjoyable character concluded with the singing of the Doxology.