DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGAN FOR ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 653, 4 June 1864, Page 16

DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGAN FOR ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

The following is an account, taken from " Saunders'sNews," of an organ, built for St. Paul's Church. The organ was to be sent by ship "Warwickshire," which was .to leave London on the 31st of March last :— " The Messrs Telford. of St Stephens-green, have built an organ for St Paul's Church, Dunedin, in New Zealand. The instrument was played yesterday in the presence of a numerous assemblage of visitors, at Messrs Telford's workshop, previous to its being taken to pieces, packed in cases, and transmitted to the antipodes. There was no speech-making, but the instrument was made to speak with an eloquence which was telling enough to all who had ears to hear. Before Messrs Telford's day, organ-playing in Dublin was in a very low state. The greatest feat in organplaying of Dr Warren, organist of the College and of the Cathedrals in his day, was a symphony on a flute stop of two octaves in compass. At that time, little more than thirty years ago, organs in Dublin had so pedals, no swell organs worth speaking of, and were, in fact, hardly worthy of the name. When Telford began his career he improved the old instruments, and built fine new ones, which need not now be referred to. As -oon as good organs were to be had, good organists arose. The late Mr John Robinson, who was organist of the cathedrals, introduced organ music of the highest order, and organ-playing of asimilar character. He was followed by White (since dead), Dr Stewart, at present the unsurpassed organist of the cathedrals ; Cherry, Williamson, and others. At present we have several organists of growing ability, three of whom displayed their skill upon the new instrument exhibited yesterday. The organ has two benches, and is one of the be9t specimens of Telford's organs we ever heard. The following is a specification of the benches, stops, pipes, &c. :— Great Organ— CC to G-. — 1. Open diapason, metal, 8 feet. 2. Salcional, metal, 8 feet. 3. Gamba, metal, 8 feet. 4. Stopped diapason, wood, 8 feet. 5. Octave, metal, 4 feet 6. Snabe flute, wood, 4 feet. 7. Twelfth, metal, 3 feet. 8. Fifteenth, metal, 2 feet. 9. Mixture, three ranks, metal, % feet. 10. Cor Anglais, metal, 8 feet. Swell Organ— CC to G.— l. Bourdon, wood, 16 feet. 2. Open diapason, metal, 8 feet, 3. Dulciana, metal, 8 feet. 4. Harmonic flute, metal, 4 feet. 5. Doublette, two ranks, metal, 2 feet. 6. Trumpet, metal, 8 feet. 7. Oboe, metal, 8 feet. 8. Tremulant, metal. Pedal Organ — CCC to F, Thirty Notes,— l. Violone, wood, 16 feet. 2. Violoncello, wood, 8 feet. Coupling Actions. — 1. Swell organ to great manuals, unison. 2. Swell organ to great manuals, sub-octave. 3. Swell organ to pedals. 4. Great organ to pedals. Three Composition Pedals in Great Organ. Great Organ, 648 pipes ; swell organ, 412 pipes ; pedal organ, 60 pipes ; couplers, stops ; 1120 pipes. This organ has richness as well as brilliancy of tone. The pedals are very solid and effective ; the fancy stops and reeds (trumpet and oboe) have much beauty and excellence ; and, considering its dimensions, the instrument is capable of producing great effects both as regards power and refinement. It is enclosed in a handsome open front, with pipes on all sides except the back, those in front being painted. The gentlemen who played yesterday were Mr Tilbury, organist of the Rom&n Catholic Church, Dominick street ; Mr Haughton, deputy organist of Christ Church ; and Mr Clarke, organist of Zion Church, Rathgar. Each played a varied selection, including lighter music, which is the more suited to a general audience, while the more classic and strictly " organ" music of Mendelssohn, Hesse, and other composers, was not omitted— indeed to omit it would be to leave out the part of " Hamlet." We are about to have an Exhibition Palace in Dublin, for which a very large organ will be required for the Grand Concert-room. Without presuming to dictate to the directors, they should certainly be very slow to pass by native manufacture in these days, and overlook the claims ot the Messrs Telford, which have met with so many and so marked acknowledgments in England and elsewhere.

During the calling over of the list of the Grand Jurors in the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, the name of Mr Gr. Lloyd, M.P.C., was called. ■ Mr Lloyd having obtained permission to speak, said that he attended, not in obedience to the summons of the Sheriff, bat as a matter of courtesy to bis Honor, so that, if sufficient jurors had not been summoned, his absence might not cause an interruption of business. He had told the Sheriff that it was highly inconvenient that tie should summon members of the Provincial Council while it was in session ; but he was informed in reply, that the Supreme Court took precedence of the Provincial Council. If his (Mr Lloyd's) absence would not cause an interruption of business he begged to avail himself of the privilege accorded to him by " An Act to amend the Law relating to Juries," passed by the General Assembly on the 14th December last, and the 3rd clause of which he would read for the information of the Sheriff.— Mr Justice Richmond : No, net for the information of the Sheriff, but that of the Court.— Mr Lloyd read as follows : — " No member of a Provincial Council shall be liable to serve as a juror during the session of the Council of which he may be a member." — His Honor said Mr Lloyd would of coarse be excused.

. The Southland " Daily News" states that the Chief Surveyor of Otago, Mr Thomson, has offered to purchase 6000 acres of land in the Province of Southland. This speaks well as to the value of the waste lands of the Province. ,