Case For An Organ In Town Hall

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 10

Case For An Organ In Town Hall

(Specially written for "The Press” by

B. G. M. BRINSON)

If the average non-musical citizen thinks of organ music at all, he usually associates it in his mind with that anonymous (the organist hides behind velvet curtains) background noise which accompanies his occasional entries and exits from church.

It also provides the appropriate noises at weddings and funerals, and provides a background—albeit too loud, too soft, too high, too low, too fast or too slow—to which he is expected to sing the praises of his Maker.

The fact that the organ is a concert instrument in its own right, has a history and repertoire considerably older than any other keyboard instrument, and is currently enjoying a tremendous renaissance in Europe, America and elsewhere, is quite understandably beyond the ken of our law-abiding, rate-paying average citizen. So when the question of an organ for our new Town Hall arises, there is bound to be a certain amount of controversy as to whether the cost can be justified. It certainly cannot be justified if one is to envisage the new instrument as a counterpart of the monstrous and now obsolete instruments found in other town halls in New Zealand’s main cities. Such instruments are products of a bygone age. when the grand concert organ was synonymous with a one-man-symphony-orchestra - cum - brass - band, complete with snare drums, xylophone, Chinese block and train-whistle, and the traditional Sunday afternoon organ recital programme contained anything from an adaptation of Beethoven’s Fifth to “Moonlight and Roses.” Not Required The cost of such a largescale instrument cannot be justified on the grounds that major works performed by our large choral groups call for a large organ. This they do not. When choral works are performed in the Civic

Theatre the present organ is buried beneath staging. When such works as the Bach “St Matthew Passion” have been presented in Christchurch Cathedral, the great Cathedral organ has not been used at all.

The accompaniment for most works of this period is scored for orchestra, with the continue provided by a harpsichord. Where an organ is called for, this is usually intended to be a small “chamber organ” unknown

in this country, which produces a vastly different tone from that to which we are accustomed. Therefore the uses to which a large organ would be put by our choral societies would be minimal. (Unless of course the Civic Orchestra becomes defunct, in which case the Town Hall organ would assume its one-man-orchestra role again— Heaven forbid.) Solo Instrument The area in which the organ is enjoying its greatest revival overseas is in its rightful role as a solo concert instrument, and this is the field which presents the greatest challenge to Christchurch (and to New Zealand) and to the planners of the new Town Hall.

Instead of adopting the negative attitude that “nobody uses the Civic Theatre organ now, so who would use a new Town Hall organ?” Christchurch has a wonderful opportunity to lead New Zealand in providing a true concert instrument to which renowned international concert artists would be attracted, and which would give a tremendous boost to organ teaching and playing in this City. After all, when we began to provide firstclass concert grand pianos in our concert halls we were able to attract world-class pianists: why not organists too?

Such an instrument need not cost the earth. The generous gift of $lO,OOO which has just been subscribed need not be thought of as a mere drop in the bucket of the $lOO,OOO. which some would have us believe a new organ would cost. For very much less than this hypothetical figure, our new Town

Hall could be equipped with two organs. (And here I expect some of my purist pipe-organ colleagues to throw up their hands in horror.)

Organ number one would be a small but complete concert pipe-organ, delicately voiced on classical lines—with electric action and a separate, movable console, designed to be adequate for the performance of the classical repertoire from most periods of organ composition (including the “romantics”). A thing of beauty, both aurally and visually, this instrument could be largely constructed by New Zealand craftsmen. Massed Singing Organ number two would be a large and comprehensive electronic installation, in every way suitable for entertainment, massed singing, background music for civic occasions, and the host of varied activities that will take place in our Town Hall, and for which an orchestra or a classical concert pipeorgan would be inappropriate. The whole field of organ music—'‘popular" and “classical”—now covers such a broad spectrum that it is impossible to combine all the desired features in a single pipe-organ (except at tremendous cost, and even then the result could be artistically unacceptable), in the same way as the respective attributes of a Rolls Royce and a Cadillac cannot be combined in a ‘single motor-car.

Far from being a white elephant, our new Town Hall’s twin-organ complex could become one of New Zealand’s unique musical attractions, giving pleasure to musicians and musiclovers of all tastes. As for the future of the old Civic Theatre organ, this could be dismantled and the components sold to organ builders for inclusion in several smaller church organs. Such a “break-up” of large organs is not unknown —in fact several church organs in New Zealand came into existence in this way. Whatever happens, those who have the responsibility for determining the expenditure of moneys on amenities for the new Town Hall should not allow themselves to be swayed by commercialism or prejudices. The Town Hall is to be for the people, for this and future generations, and its amenities should give the greatest pleasure to the greatest number.

The writer of this article has been an organist and recitalist for 20 years, and is organist and director of music at the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Oxford Terrace.