BROADCASTING ORGAN MUSIC

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 34

BROADCASTING ORGAN MUSIC

DISMAL FAILURE ADMITTED. ■ AUCKLAND, February 4. The dismal failure that has attended the broadcasting of. the Town Hall organ recitals was referred to at a meeting of the Auckland City Council, particularly in. view of the fact that the Town Hall organ is admittedly superior to any other in Auckland. It was stated that organ music of a pleasing nature from the local station had been broadcasted from the Pitt Street Church, the Baptist Tabernacle, and St. Mary’s Church, and that if the Town Hail organ music could be transmitted successfully pleasure would i-~ given to thousands of listeners. In a report on the matter the city organist stated that organs were difficult instruments for broadcasting purposes, and the difficulties were increased when dealing with a spacious hall and an organ of wide range of tone, quality and power. It was evident that the recitals had not been broadcasted to the satisfaction of listenersin, but, as far as he could ascertain, the trouble was' that the softer effects of the organ could not be heard. This suggested a doubt as' to whether it is possible to do justice to both an audience in the Town Hall and the listeners-in. He would not express a definite opinion without having satisfied himself that there was no way of overcoming the present difficulty, and he recommended that the .broadcasting company should be asked to co-operate in experiments, particularly in regard to deciding whicn would be the best place to place a microphone. The organist’s report was adopted.