ABOUT ORGANS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 836, 3 December 1929, Page 16

ABOUT ORGANS

MR. FRED SCHOLL ARRIVES IN AUCKLAND

SOLOIST FOR NEW CIVIC Well-dressed and smiling; delighted with the prospect of seeing New Zealand; big and husky enough to carry an organ about on his broad shoulders, let alone play it . . . Meet Mr. F. Scholl (Fred, to his friends), noted theatre organist, under engagement to the new Civic Theatre, who arrived this morning oh the Maunganui. Mr. Scholl was one of a large party of artists, each of whom will do his or her bit in the forthcoming opening of Auckland’s latest house of entertainment. Fred Scholl journeyed from America to Australia about two years ago and proceeded to delight Sydney with his mastery of the modern organ. He is recognised as having no peer as an allround theatre soloist. PLEASING EVERYONE "I can hardly get off the ship fast enough,” he told The Sun. “I have always wanted to visit this country. “Strangely enough, I was booked to come here 12 years ago with the Chautauqua organisation. At one time 1 arranged its programme in Portland, Oregon.” Mr. Scholl is an American and a believer.in giving the public what it wants in the way of music. “I' am going to try and give them a bit of everything and attempt the impossible by trying to please everyone,” he explained. “I am not going to attempt anything like educating the public. I want to educate myself by finding what the public wants. “The modern theatre organ has vast resources and should not be confused with the church organ of the old type. One is like the other only as a viola is like a violin—the principle is the same, but the methods and possibilities are altogether different.” ORGAN EXPERT Travelling on the Maunganui with the Civic party is Mr. D. E. Dodd, organ expert, who will assemble the great instrument in the new theatre. It arrived this morning, packed in great crates, on board the Port Darwin, a fact that was greeted by Mr. Dodd with intense satisfaction. “I thought it might be delayed,” he said. “Now we shall be able to get on the job right away.” The Civic organ, said Mr. Dodd, will be five times as large as any organ at present in the Dominion; in fact, it is the largest organ exported by the makers from the United States.