LOSS TO MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 22579, 22 February 1937, Page 8

LOSS TO MUSIC

DEATH OF MR ROBERT PARKER AN EMINENT ORGANIST As recorded briefly on Saturday tbe death has occurred at Wellington of Mr Robert Parker, C.M.G., organist of St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral for more than CO years. He was in his ninety-first year. AVhen Mr Parker became organist of St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral in 1878, Wellington was a small town of between 20.000 and 30,000 inhabitants, and musical culture was merely in its rudimentary stages. St Paul’s was the first church to become possessed of an organ of any size or quality and to have its choir well organised. From his church and his choir Mr Parker’s influence radiated, and he can well be described as the mainspring of Wellington’s early musical societies. In course of time, as other churches acquired good organs, other musicians of note came to Wellington to take charge of them—the late Mr Tallis Trimnell to St. Peter’s an the late Mr Magnus Petersen and Mr Maughan Barnett to St. John’s. Mr Parker, however, outstayed them all, and lived to be recognised as the “grand old man” of his profession. It was in the year of Mr Parker’s arrival in Wellington that _ the first Wellington Orchestral Society was formed. Mr Parker was not its first conductor—that office fell to Mr Angelo Forrest—but within a year or two he succeeded Mr Forrest. Under his_ capable hands the orchestra continued through the early ’eighties, and for the exhibition of 1885,. held on the old drillshed site, behind the present State Fire Office Building, the society furnished the principal musical attraction, with Mr Parker at the conductor’s stand. In later years Mr Parker’s was the most powerful and consistent influence in both orchestral and choral developments in the community. About the year 1889 he organised the first musical festival that took place in New Zealand, again* held in the old drillshed, when the principal event was the performance of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s ‘Golden Legend.’ In the early years of his residence in the city, Mr Parker, through his teaching connection, laid the foundations of the musical knowledge of many promising young Wellingtonians, and directed the training of a number of voices, some of which have since been prominent in Dominion music. When the Society of Musicians was formed he was its first president, and ever since he has been one of its mot energetic leaders. Mr Parker was a native of London, where he was born in 1847, and received his early training as a musician as a pupil of W. S, Hoyte and Scotson Clarke. A scholarship took him to Queen’s College, Cambridge. There he became organist and he also had an appointment as professional assistant to Dr W. H. Monk at King’s College. He arrived in New Zealand in 1869, his first colonial position being that of organist to St. Michael’s Church, Christchurch. There he remained until his services were secured for the Wellington Pro-Cathedral in 1878. Though he was only a resident of Christchurch for some eight years, Mr Parker made his presence felt as a conductor, and under his- baton many performances of famous works were given in Christchurch. Mr Parker’s eminence as a musician always received recognition in the Dominion. For many years he was the instructor in music of school teachers under the Wellington Education Board, and also musical instructor in the high schools of the city. His services were frequenlty in request at musical competitions held in other parts of New Zealand. DEATH OF MISS EFFIE YORSTON Through the death of Miss Effie Yorston at her residence, George street, on Thursday, Dunedin has lost one of its most successful music teachers. The youngest d'aughter_ of John and Elizabeth Yorston, of Kirkwall, Orkney, Miss Yorston received her early musical training from her mother and sister, Ida. She later had one term with Mr A. J. Barth, and subsequently studied harmony and the violin with Mrs Levi, a well-known teacher of an earlier generation. She was one of the foundation members of the Society of Musicians of Otago, which is now known as the Otago branch of the Music Teachers’ Association of New Zealand. For many years Miss Yorston was an active mdmber of the council, . and much of the success

of the body was due to her energy. One of the foundation members of the Society of Women Musicians, she occupied the presidential chair for three vcars, and by her wise and careful administration ‘did much in the interests of the society. For many years Miss Yorston was one of the most enthusiastic members of the Music Circle of the Otago Women’s Club, and gave not only of her knowledge and experience, but also of her originality, and was a regular assistant at . the entertainments of topical interest which were presented. As a teacher of music she had few equals, and through her hands have passed many pupils who have later achieved success as a result of her thorough instruction. Her death creates a vacancy in musical circles which it will be difficult to fill.