CHOIR DISPUTE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 51, 30 January 1937, Page 4

CHOIR DISPUTE

ORGANIST’S RETIREMENT. DR. BRADSHAW EXPLAINS. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 29. “The cause of my retirement is simply that the bishop, dean, and chapter have made it impossible for me to carry on as cathedral organist and choirmaster and keep my self-respect. For many years I had a very happy position. The bishop and the dean of those days were heartily in sympathy with my work and in every way assisted the choir to carry out its important function in the service of the cathedral. Under the recent control, however, there has been a change and half-hearted support,- and pinpricks have culminated in a straiglitout refusal to uphold my authority. In the circumstances nothing was left me but to resign from an appointment which for 35 years formed a large part of my life.” These remarks were made in a statement for publication by Dr J. C. Bradshaw commenting on his resignation last month as cathedral organist and choirmaster and on the resignation of 10 out of 14 adult members of the cathedral choir.

Dr Bradshaw said his attention had been drawn to the Press Association message published throughout the Dominion on January 4 about these resignations, and he had found the matter had lie on completely misunderstood by the public. He had been tolfl that some people had even expressed the opinion that the cathedral chapter must have had some serious charge against him or it would never have treated him in the manner it had. In justice to the choir and himself he felt he should give the reasons for his resignation. Dr Bradshaw appends to the statement correspondence between himself and the chapter. His first letter referred to the case of a choir-boy who was frequently a truant from practices and services and was guilty of other offences against the choir rules. After ignoring repeated chances the boy was suspended from the choir, but the chapter, through a sub-committee, asked Dr Bradshaw to give the boy a further trial for three months. This he refused to do as lie considered the boy unsuitable and an undesirable influence in the choir. The chapter, although the offences were admitted, allowed the boy to retain his grammar school scholarship and Dr Bradshaw w-as not permitted to replace the boy in the choir. Another matter dealt with in the correspondence was the allocation at a performance of “The Hymn of Praise” of offertories to the maintenance fund instead of the choir fund, in respect of which Dr Bradshaw and the choir men declare the chapter guilty of a breach of faith. Another difference was on the disciplining of the boys. Dr Bradshaw vas directed not to impose punishments to “infringe on their already limited spare time.” This meant, as Dr Bradshaw states, that he was limited to the use of the strap, which he considered use of the strap, which lie considered intolerable. Dr. Bradshaw refers to other differences on less important matters with the chapter and the headmaster of the Cathedral Grammar School, where the choir boys are educated, ment on Dr. Bradshaw’s statement. Bishop West Watson refused to comMR MATJGHAN BARNETT’S CAREER. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 28. The former city organist at Auckland, Mr J. Mauglian Barnett, who has been appointed organist at Christchurch Cathedral in succession to Dr. J. C. Bradshaw, will take up his apappointment early in April. Born in Warwickshire, Mr Barnett studied piano- playing and composition under Gastav Ernest and organ playing under Francis Spinney. He ivas appointed organist and choirmaster at the Church of King Charles the Martyr, Tunbridge Wells, in 1882, and in 1889 he took up a similar position at St. Mary Magdalen’s, St. Leonards-

on-Sea. 111-healtli induced him to leave England for Tasmania, where lie obtained an appointment as organist to the Hobart Cathedral, and for three years he filled a prominent position, in the musical life of the city, acting for some time as conductor to the Musical Union.

When he came to New Zealand in 1893 he became organist and choirmaster of the Napier Cathedral, and two years later he was appointed to a similar position at St. John’s, the leading Presbyterian Church of Wellington. Undertaking choral work on a, scale previously unknown to the capital city, he founded what became tne Royal Wellington Choral Society aa,d conducted a most successful musical festival. Following the erection of the Wellington Town Hall organ he became the city’s first official organist, until he was appointed to a similar post in Auckland in 1912. Mr Barnett’s recitals, together with

his constant enthusiasm for the development of musical culture in Auck-land,-earned him a wide reputation aud there was general regret when lie retired, in March, 1932. In addition to his work as city organist lie was for a trims conductor .to the Auckland Choral Society a.nd later established the Municipal Choir For some years after his arrival in Auckland he vas organist and choirmaster at St. Marks Church. Remucra.