ORGAN RECITAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18544, 3 May 1922, Page 8

ORGAN RECITAL

Mr E. Heywood, organist of -St. Paul’s Cathedral, is continually finding freeh beauties in the magnificent instrument installed at the Cathedral and introducing them to those who attend the recitals given at intervals by hith. This was the case last night with one of the stops used in vibrato passages, to which it imparted a delightful tone. The programme was, as usual, carefully selected, being varied in character and ranging from Sainf-Saens’a “Le Cygne” (The Swan) to Mendelssohn’s ‘Sonata in D Minor.” The first number played was Batiste's “Grand Offertoire for Easter Day.” Opening with a massive passage for, the full organ, it passed on to lighter treatment of hymn melodies on the solo stops. . Abundant opportunity is given for variation of tone and method of interpretation, and of this Mr Heywood availed himself to the full. Rachmaninoff's “Prelude in C Sharp Minor” followed—a characteristic composition, with at times somewhat weird effects. A tuneful opening led up to a brilliant full organ passage, which was followed by verytuneful -manipulation of the solo stops, with a most effective pedal background. SaintSaens’s “Le Cygne" has been heard on several occasions in Dunedin, but never more artistically played than last night. . It is full of.charming passages, all in the lighter vein, and these were touched off with the delicacy they demanded. The same composer’s ' “Ruapaodie No. 1” is another wellknown composition, but of a different school While it has its softer passages, it has also parts written for the full organ. Mr Heywood did ample justice to both classes of music, and gave an artistic rendering of a meritorious work. Mendelssohn’s Sonata on the choral© “Our Father, Which art in Heaven,” displays the characteristics of that composer throughout. It is in five movements, including a fugue, which Mendelssohn seldom fails to make interesting, and the change from the rolling full harmony of the fugue to the andante movement with which the sonata closed was very finely played, and especially the pianissimo close. •Chopin’s “Nocturne in B Flat” is another well-known composition, which Mr Heywood took in a somewhat, more rapid tempo than that to which we have been accustomed. It was played with artistic feeling. Evry’s “Meditation” is a melodious composition, which will bear repetition. The opening is light, if tuneful, and there is not much in the way of heavy harmony, but the same cannot be said of the second movement, in which full organ effects and rich harmonies play a prominent pert. In one .passage the composer evidently allowed his thoughts to nm riot, and this fact was brought out by the organist in a crisply-played full organ effect, finishing with a paean of joy. The same composer’s “Toccata in C” was brightly played, the characteristic rythm being well brought out. Miss Elfrida Barclay was the soloist. This young lady is possessed of a contralto voice of which the mezzo register is at present wisely the most fully developed. ■ It is a pleasing voice, and was heard to fair advantage in her selections: Gaul's recitative and aria (from “Ruth”), “Now, Go Your ■Ways” and “0 Gracious Lord,” and Dr Stainer’s “Happy Art Thou, Magdalena” (from “St. Mary Magdalen”). Perhaps excerpts that would better stand excision from the context might have been chosen; bnt this, after all, is a matter of taste. Both selections were very feelingly sung.