FIJI NATIVE CHOIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 255, 28 October 1929, Page 17

FIJI NATIVE CHOIR.

SINGING TO THE WORLD.

CHURCH SERVICE BROADCAST

A MEMORABLE OCCASION.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SUVA, October 20.

This morning will be long remembered by friends of Fiji and by many residents. For the first time in history a church service was transmitted by wire and air to Australia, New Zealand, and to Pittsburg, U.S.A., by arrangement with the Amalgamated Wireless (Anst.), Ltd.

At 11 o'clock (Suva time) a large congregation gathered at the Jubilee Church "(Methodist Mission) to hear a- service conducted by the Rev. R. L. McDonald, chairman of the Methodist Mission, and singing by the now famous Jubilee Choir of native Fijians.

There were fully 500 present. It was ' a most impressive scene, that large | assemblage chiefly of natives, their faces . showing expectancy. Something new, something they barely understood, was about to begin. A strange man sat beside the pulpit with a box and wires ; beside him, while the minister had a funny little box in front of him, which he turned to face the audience when the choir or congregation sang. "Like a Human Organ." Every native was quite evidently keyed up, and when someone coughed or a child became restless there was a. palpable "hush" from quite a number. The singing was beautiful. One does not know how it sounded far away ayont the sea, but in the old church it sounded, as Mr. McDonald said, "like a human organ." The opening invocatory hymn, "The Lord is in His Holy Temple," was fine. The children's voices, blended beautifully as they sang "When He Cometh to Make Up- His Jewels." A particularly fine effort was "Rock of Ages," sung in Fijian, and then the choir made glorious music in an adaptation of "Hail, Smiling Morn," sung in perfect harmony. A native minister, Rev. Nathaniel Naca (a Fiji chief), told a children's story of how Stephen had escaped from a shark when fishing for trocas shell off the coast of Mathuata, and the tale was translated into English by Mr. McDonald. Mr. McDonald told in his sennonette of how the first news of the Gospel came to Fiji from Vavau, in Tonga, when the Revs. Cross and Cargill landed on asmall island, just on the ISOth parallel, in 1835. They came in the schooner Blackbird, and after securing permission from the King of Lakeriba, landed and made good. He paid a touching tribute to the pioneers, such as Cross and Cargill, to Hunt, whose remains lie alone on the island of Viwa; to Calvert, who followed Lyth, of medical fame; to Hazlewood, who gave us the dictionary; to Thomas Williams, who gave us the earlv history of the church; to Lorimcr,

to Fison, and Carey and Watsford, and Dr, Largham and godly Arthur J. Small, -who, after 4 years of toil and loving service, had, just about four years ago, entered into his rest. He also took the opportunity to give due praise to the native spiritual giants who had done such great work for God, including Alsea Seseleka, who was martyred with the Rev. Mr. Baker. Mr. McDonald said there were some 90,000 natives in the group, and of these some 78,000 belonged to the Methodist Mission. There were also 70,000 Indians, who so far did not know Jesus, but he would leave, their story until a later occasion.

Feeling of Conjecture. The final hymn, just lately translated into Fijian, was a tine musical effort and the Recessional hymn, sung before the large congregation separated, was reallv beautiful, the male voices sounding like a peal of a beautiful organ and the women's voices sounding most harmoniously throughout. Over all was the feeling of wondering conjecture as to how the peoples away over the sea—the papilagi—were listening in, and hearing, although no one in Suva could see them. It was a wonder, new and strange, but—well it was just one more of those things which they heard of and believed, because the Misoneri turanga told them it was so, and that must be so.

Then when all was over one could see an air of well pleased assurance in the poise of the choir, as if they knew the •stir they had made among turangas in the big countries tbey had never seen. It was something to be proud of, and we feel sure many Europeans will agree it was so.