HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1027, 20 March 1882, Page 2

HARVEST THANKSGIVING SERVICE.

. t A special thanksgiving service was held in St Matthew's Church, Masterton, yesterday. As we intimated in our last issue the decorations appropriate to tho event were very beautiful. Over the chancel was an inscription " Tho earth is tho Lords' and iho fulness (horoof," and under it wore thveo ornamental aichos, across which ran in illinninalod letter.--, " Praise yeiho Lord". Tho pillars and capitals of these urchos wo-n dressed in dark »ivui> foliage and set oil' with small hunches of corn, red holly berries, and fruits and Dowers. The various hues harmonised woll together, and were very generally admiied, We understand that tin; Kciu'ral dosisn i.f Hie decorations was ilii(.|,i Mr li'aniiin's arlistie laslc, :u.d tint it was well canictl out under the superintendence of the Incumbent. It was expected that tho preparations which were in progress for the service, coupled with the fact of the introduction of the now Mason and Hamlin organ into. tho church, and (the presence of that skilful and accomplished organist Mr Parker, would attract largo congregations. Theso anticipations worn more than realized. At the moriiiiifr S ervico every seat was filled, and at the evening one, after a number of oxtra seats had been provided many visitors had to ton away from the door. In the morning oveo two hundred' persons were present, and in the evening there were about three hundred, the largest number which has yet been at ono time in the little church'. Tho Eop, Mr Paige officiated at both sorvices, taking for his text in the forenoon Psalm 104. 24, and dwelling on the manifold blessings enjoyed during tho past season in the plenteous supply of rain and sunshine which had brought about a bountiful barvost. In the evening the text was chosen irom Psalms Gfichap., 9 verse, tho preacher taking up and continuing the subject matter of his address in the forenoon and making a special reference to ' tho lato providential escape of the Quoen. Tho musical portion ol the service was a great treat. The new organ is a grand little instrument with fifteen steps and two knee swells one of which movos tho whole of tho steps, and the other producing merely the ordinary swell, The congregations had a very favorable opportunity of judging of its power and sweetness, ns tho organist of St. Pauls with his usual good nature playod several voluntaries, both during tho morning and oveuing services. Amongst others ho rendered tho "Hallelujah chorus." At the morning service the special feature of the musical portion of tho service was the Harvest Anthem " Thou visitest the earth" the solo part of it being taken with great efficiency by a member of the choir. The hymns sang wore from the ancient and modern book No 382 and 383 and the Psalms were 05 and 104, and the canticles the Venito, ;To Deum and Jubilate. In tho evouing the anthem was taken from Psalms 104, and 24th verso, " 0 Lord how manifold aro thy works, in wisdom has thou uiado them, all, tho earth is full of thy riches,'! and was rendered by the choir with groat precision and expression. Tho choir master deserves great credit for tho high standard to which the choral services werp brought on this occasion. Tho choir is woll supplied with voices, tho only marked deficiency being the coutralle element. The offertory for tho day amounted to £'B. Not a very largo sum considering tho numbers presont, hut it was, nevertheless, a greater amount than had ever boon collected on any previous occasion.