ST LUKE'S CHURCH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4857, 23 November 1883, Page 4

ST LUKE'S CHURCH.

DEDICATION 0? THB NBW OBGAN. Last night the new organ at St Luke's Ghuroh was formally dedicated, in the pre- | senoe of a very large congregation. The ser- j vice, which was choral, was conduoted by the Bey S>. A. Liogard, the incumbent, and the Very Bey the Dean, and many other olergymen, with a numerous surplicod ohoir, were in the chancel. The service began with the dedication, intoned by the inoumbent, rod this was buoceeded by evensong, in whioh the lesson was read by the Bey Canon Stanford. At the close of the service Mr N. Ch Barnett gave an organ recital, beginning with Spohr's adagio (from quartette), pretty phrases of whioh repeated with various stops, but for the mostpart*played jtt'ano, served to display the sweetneis of the higher notes of the instrument. Dr Spark's "Concert-Stuck," the next number, opened with great vigour and brillianoy in the first movement ; a second movement was sweet, soft, and plaintive, and a third was full, grand and fugue like. At this stage the Very Bey the Dean delivered a brief discourse, in whioh he referred to the happy coincidence of the ceremony of the evening occurring on the Feaßt of 8t Cecilia, and sketohed the legends attaohed to the Virgin and Martyr's memory. He concluded by exhorting those present to be liberal in their offerings, and expressing a hope that the words of the dedication service might be fulfilled. Mr Barnett then continued his recital, playing an adagio of Mozart, a beautiful devotional air, embellished with a florid aooompaniment. To this succeeded J. S. Bach's " Toccata and. Fugue" in D minor, just the sort of piece to show the capabilities of the instrument and the execution of the player. The next number was an Andante Grazioso, composed by the organist himself, a sweet melody, played with great expression and taste, and rendered the more effeotive by some brilliant variations. The reoital oonoludod with Batiste's offertory, St Oeoilia, the first movement of whioh was brilliant, the second sweet and devotional, the third full of life and sparkle, and the fourth a grand air for full organ. The reoital showed that the new instrument is, what the Dean in his address called it, very superior to the old one. Mr Barnett, in the pieoea he selected, showed the sweetness and evenness of the stops rather than their power, and proved that the organ is thoroughly well adapted for the purposes of aooompaniment to the solemn services of the Church.