SATURDAY NIGHT ORGAN RECITALS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 230, 23 June 1920, Page 7

SATURDAY NIGHT ORGAN RECITALS

Sir,—l noticed in The Dominion of June 21 a paragraph dealing with the subject of the letting of tKo Town Hall Saturday evenings. Alas, has it come to this, that even art must follow this dictates of tho mighty dollar? Surely the .writer of yesterday's paragraph must bo a Rip Van Winkle, who, suddenly awaking, has failed to realise that the' world is ever advancing, and' that art,' which ennobles, inspires, and achieves, has a world-wide recognition cf its educational value.

For' close on seven years our city organist has devoted his untiring energy to tliia education of the jieoplo up to ail that is highest and noblest in the realm of music; and are our City Fathers now

going to fail to lend him some.support m his uphill fight? Wlfy should Wellington follow the example of tho civic auViioritios of Melbourne and Sydney re the letting of the Town Hall on Saturday nights? Wellington can boast of

having the finest organist in Australasia, and if we can show Melbourne and Sydney the lead in one way, why should wo not show them the lead in, other ways as

well? I hope that the City Fathers will maintain a firm stand, and keep the Town Hall for organ recitals on Saturday evenings, and undoubtedly they could do even more than this for music in this city. Wellington suffers great

disadvantages through the want of a first-class violinist and a first-class 'cellist, and without doubt, if we hnd a quartet of artists among ua a great impetus would be given to musical interests. If our City Council are able to send the City. Engineer abroad to atudy the latest developments and improvements in the engineering world, why could they not 6end our city organist abroad to obtain some artists to lead the musical world here? There is no. reason why the capital city of New Zealand should bo any more backward in art than in engineering.—l am, etc., ADVANCE.