THE CITY ORGANIST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20905, 20 December 1929, Page 23

THE CITY ORGANIST.

MR PAGET GALE’S CAREER,

Mr W. Paget Gale, wlio was on Wednesday night appointed by the City Council to the position of city organist, is a well-known figure in Dunedin, havmg been a resident here since 1005. Mr Gale was born at Batley (Yorkshire, England). He commenced his musical studies when about five years of age, shortly after which his parents came out to Australia, where his father started the Ballarat Woollen Mills. At the age of about seven he became organist of the Mount Pleasant Chapel, being one of the youngest organists, if not the youngest organist, in the world. After two years his parents returned to and the church people presented him with a gold watch for his services. .Shortly after arriving in Ehgvr.u ' va ß appointed organist of the Methodist Church, Livcrsedge, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and enrolled as a pupil of one of the leading organ- «*»,. , Jl ‘' John Tomlinson, of Batley Parish Church, whom he eventually succeeded. At the age of 14 he took the post of organist and choirmaster of the Wesleyan Chapel, Heckmondwike, where he had a large three-manual organ. At the Whitsuntide Sunday School festival, held in the open, he conducted a choir of 2000 children and a large orchestra—a record for a youth of 14. Whilst he was organist people used to come from far and near “to hear the boy play.” Until the age of 18 he was receiving a thorough musical training in all its branches from the best musicians in Yorkshire, including Dr Hiles (of Sheffield). Dr Spark (of Leeds), and the great organist, W. T. Best (of Liverpool). He passed the Cambridge local examination whilst a pupil 0 f Batley Grammar School. At the age of 18 he went to Edinburgh University to study inidei Sii H, S. Oakley for his degree. Whilst there ho did a great amount of recital work; and acted as organist and choirmaster of St. Augustine Congregational Church, the members of which gave him a gold-mounted white ivorv baton when he left. For health reasons he removed to the west of Scotland, and became organist of Fiowerhill Church (Airdrie), conductor of the Choral Union and of the Select Choir, and music master to the School Board. One of his treasured possessions is a Bible he received from the mission children—it was subscribed for in pennies—as a token of appreciation for services rendered. From Airdrie he went to Uddingston, and there he regularly gave organ recitals on the large organ. He was singing master at two private schools and conductor of the Choral and Operatic Societies. It was whilst there he became known as an organ recitalist, and he played at the various Scottish exhibitions. He also gave recitals at exhibitions held at Bradford and Saltaire. When lie left Uddingston for New Zealand the public presented him with a gold watcli and a purse of sovereigns. Mr Gale came out to New Zealand as organist and choirmaster of Napier Cathedral. The organ there was a very small one, and when Knox Church (Dunedin) offered him the position of organist and choirmaster he accepted, and arrived in Dunedin in July, 1905. Since that time he has given innumerable recitals, including a series of Saturday afternoon popular recitals. Previous to the Great War he organised a Church Choirs’ Union, consisting of a large percentage of the members of the city church choirs, with a view to the improvement in choir and congregational singing. After two years the union disbanded, having fulfilled its object. He has also organised large choirs for visits of evangelists, as well as the Peace Celebrations -Choir (800 voices), the Exhibition Choir, a choir for the visit of H.R.H. the Duke of York, the Soldiers’ Choir, aud the Civic Choir, which last year performed “II Trovatore.” Mr Gale drew up the original specification of the Town Hall organ, which was submitted to many of the organ-builders at Home, all of whom expressed high approval of it. He also drew up the specification for the organ for Knox Church, which received high approbation from Home builders. He was the first to give annotated programmes at recitals in New Zealand. He was for some years conductor of the Choral Society, and for a time of the Philharmonic Society. Mr Gale supervised the erection of the organ now being installed in the Town Hall.