CIVIC ORGAN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19918, 3 May 1930, Page 19

CIVIC ORGAN.

PRAISE FOR INSTRUMENT.

"The tonal qualities of the Municipal organ are magnificent, and the instrument is immeasurably superior to any Wurlitter. It is an insult to compare it with that type of organ," said Mr Percy Burraston, the new organist for the Civic Theatre, yesterday. Mr Burraston has just arrived in Christchurch after visiting the south, and ho spent yesterday morning trying out the organ. "The instrument will, when completed, be one of the finest in the country, and the acoustics of the theatre are perfect. It would be a pity to play jazz on such an organ, for it is not suited for such work, and I will not spoil it by playing such stuff. «i am not here to play trash, otherwise known as jazz, but neither am I here as what is termed a 'concert organist' in the sense that Dr. Price at Dunedin is k I intend to play good stuff, all classes of light music, the better-known excerpts from the operas, and a considerable amount of the lighter organ music. With an -instrfament possessed of such beautiful tonal qualities only the better class of music should be played.

One or Two Drawbacks. "A drawback to the organ—not a fault of the builders—is the fact that the great organ is not enclosed. All modern organs in the largest cities are enclosed in a 'swell box,' so that they can be softened down or lopdened at the will of the player. In the case of the Civic, the great organ, not being enclosed, is too loud for the size of the hall, with the resultant effect that half the beauty, the volume, and the tonal quality in combination is lost, because it is too Btrong for the people. "Another drawback is the position of the console. In my experience I have found that the people want to Bee the player, but under the present conditions he is out of sight in the pit. He cannot properly hear what he is playing, and cannot be seen, so that the personal contact between the musician and his audience is lost. In conversation this morning concerning the Harmonic Society's performance, Mr Mark Richards stressed to me the fact that the organist could not see the conductress. It is necessary to have the console on a lift or elevator that can be raised or lowered at will. This could easily be arranged, as x all the connexions to the organ are electrical, and with a lift it is only a matter of providing flexible leads."

Mr Burraston was,born at Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey. He received his musical education at - Gloucester Cathedral, under the late bir A. Herbert Brewer. After leaving the Cathedral he entered Lloyds Bank, and was at the same time organist at several churches. He was official organist for the Monmouth Musical Society, and for the Bristol Amateur Operatic Society, and later was organist at the Capitol Theatre in British Columbia. For the past ten years he has travelled over the world playing organß of various types, and for a time specialised in Wurlitzer organs.