ORGAN RECITAL.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7214, 27 November 1888, Page 6

ORGAN RECITAL.

.* As was to have been expected from the ' fepatation of Mr R. T. Searell as an organist, the recital given by him last night at the Durham street "Wesleyan Church was throughout a great musical treat. .The organ itself is a very fine instrument, possessing excellent combinations of stops, and the pieces selected by Mr Searell last night afforded him every opportunity of displacing them to the fullest advantage. His opening pieces were two of very dissimilar character, being Chopin's "Funeral March" and Mendelssohn's bright and festal "Wedding March." The distinctive points in botH compositions were admirably brought out by Mr Searell, and his manipulation of the stops and pedalling was good. Haydn's charming "Adagio, from "Symphony No. 7," was excellently played, as was also the number bracketed with it— Batiste's "Offertoire in F." The three following numbers were without doubt the gems of the evening, viz., two of Mendelssohn's "lieder Ohne Worte" and Rink's "Flute Concerto." The first of the former, a lovely adagio, was played with great delicacy of expression and artistic finish. The flute concerto was well worth going a long way to hear. .The piece itself is full of delicious harmonies, and Mr Searell deserves very greet uredit for the admirable manner in vhich it was interpreted. Altogether tLb instrumental portion of the recital It, entitled to high praise. Miss Randell sang two sol -, Of these, the first, "With verdure c laa," was admirably given. The phrasi' g was good, and Miss Randell s pure vice was heard to great advantage in tfca solo. The second pne, "Hear, ye, Isr.-.e1," from "Elijah," did not suit Miss R adell's voice so welL but it was sung with care. The choir of the church sang several pieces during the evening. The voices were ratber unevenly balanced, the sopranos being evidently by far the strongest, and the basses and tenors were scmewhat weak. This was particulariy nociceablein Baxnby'e anthem, "I will give thanks." The best number rang by vhe choir was Mendelssohn's Testgesang," especially those parts of it which, have teen Incorporated in "Hymns, Ancient and Modern," as a Christmas hymru This went very well indeed. The ** Hitflelqjah Chorus, rather unevenly ■eng, closed the recital.