ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1198, 20 October 1890, Page 3

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

OPENING OF THE NEW ORGAN: Yesterday 'the solemn blessing and formal opening of the beautiful new '„ organ at St. Mary's' Church took place at the 10.30 a.m. Mass. There was a very large congregation present, but contrary to the usual rule on occasions of • this kind, there was not a large nuaiber ' of members of other congregations pre- '" Bent, the major part of those attending being Catholics from all parts of the .' district, some coming from even as far as ' Bulls and Hawera. •'• ' . ' ■ The : ceremony of ;blessing the organ ' took place' immediately before Mass, the Very Rev. Father Kirk proceeding to the r choir loft Vested- in siirplice and accom-■'-Jpaniedby two acolytes. After the singing of>>tbe- Asperses 'the Mass was 'at once .'commenced; the' music being that of • ; '•■ Mozart's i2th Mass, witbrthe Credo from . .'Hayderi's No. 3 (Imperial).' The choir of the church, assisted byMesßrs W. Foster, '■ LenriaTd, Davidson, 'Kandall,' J. Anderi 'soriV Fergusdn, Mrs '• &bwer, ' Miss. L. ■S i Kitchen! ah'd other friends/rendered the i difficult musio in a most ' creditable. -A manner. • Of-course there were blemishes 7 v ;anffth^ t w'ejikerrpart,Be.ing;that of the tenors j, who .were not ..in, strong form. , ',/H6wever,,* l teken I bn,the wbole,,the perfor- ,.,' mance^on»the,pa't, of tho choir was as '•'. successful' as any. "of .their pievious . ie.ffortß... ii 4t' | thß. closei'pf^ ; the, .sermon, ..' ',', which ,'was listened to- niost, attentively, . . ':, tho, Rey. : Fathers Le Menanfc de Chesnais ; . '.' 'aua Patterson made a collection in aid of, „.', the organ fund, eyeijlipdy,, responding ' most iliberally. .The' collection having, . '„ been taken iip, the Credo, was. sung, after .: which Gpuhod'a.f/AVe.Storia,'' was ren- •,'," dered by. . Mrs. . liloyd, , accompanied J>y . a /".'.Violin -obligato. ' by Miss' O'^rieri.^ljrh'o 'played the b'e>utiful,an.d. difficiilt music in a manner which showed a,', perfect mastery over the king of stringed instru""'""menta". TMrT Ll6y'd'Bang*"'tTiis "favourite wo'rk ; 6f 'GoiinPd's 1 'excellently, her voice being most clear and sweet, every note and ' Byllabl^tieing given their utipost value. The other Boloists during the -'Mass were ; Miss, Coakley, whose, grand soprano voice w'as'heard' at its best, Messrs F.o'ster, Cribb, McCulloch, Randall, : Anderson,' and Russell. The organ was presided • 'dVWbf the' Bey.' Father Patterson,^ who manipulated the 1 instrument in a manner .-.which permitted.' those- wbd/ had riot ' ' before heard him' to endorse thd reputa'- .■ tion. which, the reverend-, gentleman has for years possessed is one of the premier ■•,/ musicians, over, this 'side of tbeline. His I- ;I . execution was faultless; and he exhibited - the powers of the beautiful instrument to' their greatest extent. ■ The- Very .Rer. Father Kirk and his congregatibn.are.to. ■ -.bB congratulated upoa haying git Father Patterson's, kind services .if or what may ./ be considered a red letter day at St. Mary's/ One -striking feature in the reverend -gentleman's playing is the . . wonderful .way .in which- he uses the , pedels, a gift not always' excelled in by organists., i/■ t _ . Y«?y-B«T- Fathe,r,.Le Menant'de ' ' Chesnais asiieiided the pulpit' at; the conclusion of the Gospel and preached, the following eloquent and appropriate ser- . , .m.on pn sacred music,, taking for his text ' Jt PfaWye.th'e Lord with IWtery and harp;, praise Him ,with string instru- '" irients arid organs^.' ' (Psalms' CL.,i3 and 4.) '•" ■'■' Go'dls infinite' arid etprnal'iarmony; • 'made|.to'''the^iinage,.6f ; G|pd, man. is a ■ >' KarmonioUß"fe6iii'^.s'h l arm6ny pleases, de-■';lieh'tß,''-ah'a'ienchanta' him. His feeble '" TOi«e"'b6itfp{ ; to'6 weak -'to express' the sentiments' WHIBL heart, he makes",use,;6f musical instruments to, assist: him" in ' -pfaisirig and glorifying' tfcff-great God who made' 'him; such is the origin' of sacred music. Music is the succession! of •regular * sounds 'so 'niodulated tha^t'they can please the ear. Even savage; tribes are deeply "'moved :by harmony— the Hindoos, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, i .theiMedea, the,Eomana) cultivated music', '" ' 'from the* earliest i tim'e's. < ' Muaician's were' ; i highly .estee'nied 'in '; Egypt, i ln' Asia travelling musicians, from -time imm'enid-' '•rlai 'were wZnt < 'ta|tron|tod ; ngh the cities and villages,- reJatifig ancient heroic, deeds; with sweet and soft instru'm'ontal v. aco/Dmpanimfln.t/ '.syhich< would have' de-, lighted .eTensaimodern artist. After'the , Ttojan, t war, r/ t)ie lyre, the.flute;"and 'pJth'er.Vuißtrument^ : were . taught to . the 'Grecian maidens ''arid youthful warriors';' ■ In the Bible,!in the sixth chapter of the n bflpfc of/. Genesis,- f Jubal >.ia :mentiori^i'd ' aa' ', ..the ujyentpr of the .harp and the organ! , ( .Moses, .by the command ofj,God,j instrttc-' T.., jted the ißraelites, in music aud app.o.Med > ' musical , instruments r to be used in the sacred i ceremonies. (Numbers jX.,'3 10;) Under David, and Solomon th^erewere ■ twenty-four bands; of (musicians, ;who' sue- ' '•cessively 'enlivened' with their harmony ' f - ' the', various' Ba!cred';,cerem6Hea. ' ' After' ■'' ' Josias, a collection of theHebV^w mußic • :-was n made; '"'Ari'ditiß'.'said the .service ' 'of the'Lprd was rirade sm(et' and beautiful ■ ! r with' lallI all ; 'kinds of'riiueical instruments." ' ' '^rh'Sri'the' Hebrew^' rettirried; from "the ' •" 'captivity 'of 'Babylon 1 ' to' Jerusalem' 'thpy were acco'mpauifid by two hundred'musicians to comfort them in their jorirney; J[ > sotdems church'.mneic comfort', us in our pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem, our true and eternal home. The' early Chriatianscultivatedmußic,andwherepossiWe^tife^muSical instruments in their reli 310^8 (Se'remoiiies.'They Bang in alternate cßojr f ,l jSt,'; %>hST;ia the Apocalypse^tehjgtdtKo inhabitants of paradise! sintring ffip Vof .'G^d with harps in. their, Tainaar St^l^iiatius, martyr, third Bishop or?Ant?<fch]j frojnj,£%. Peter's' being wrapt uplm.^ctasyrH^cdijthe holy angels ,s,ingin§We r pTa,JßfS^Ckid in alternate cJtioi^B,, and" he established in bis metropolitan c}iurchthe^sjtme-kiiia of music, which was afteiwardß.adbpfed by Christian churches of 'the east* and 6% the west. 'Are" not these.bejiutif til for us to imitate P. Church- Inrus^c is; an angelical i music — PafaiiiEe- is 'in cit?' of artists, and here below we serve o'uriapprenticeship for it, that: weS'mayi bejfit one day to ;mix our vpfces with, j;l^ose ; pf;tlie heavenly! citizens.; Flavian^ Bishop of Antioch, by the music of innocent children, drew tears from' tab eyes of the Emperor Theodotus and prevailed upon him to forgive the..peoplo ;of Antioch, who had greatly offended him. , „ The .Emperor ,Theojdoßius, : ,the younger, 1 BoSert, King of France^ arid OfflLrlemß gn c, considered it a.priviloge to be admitted as members of 'the church choir. As no choir ia possible without harmony, church • •■:. music reminds ufe'that' we^ must ;all .obey God, our Great Choir-Master, and / each . ;-:perform : our part'as best we raay^'s'o'as • .! -to produce nil together ft celpstialharmody. »■'. i: Sfe'ii Gregory^ v reforriied ■ iand : 'perfecte.d chutfeh 1^ nutate^— "lsidore Archbishop ( pf Seville, contemporary with St. Gregory,' composed the 'first treatise on harmony yet discovered j it is called Senietitiw 'de . . '>«Mi«iea: i: Hucbald,'a monk o'f'Tournay, in .: Belgium, 1 published' in 932 a treatise ;on Harmony' or^'Diaphony. Silvester;, ,ll, Pope, was- deeply^ skilled in iiiiisic, and . i made considerable improyemeirljs on the organ. He founded a school of music at Rome. Guido d' Arrezo, published- a „ most,j scientific book ,on /mpsic .called Sfierpldgus,' and was the ifl^entbrpftta musical scale.the first words of the nyirin of St. John, which was composed by Paul, ( » deacon of the Churph; of Aquileia, in : """the reign of'Charlemagriej suggested 'to him, the names- pf. the ,-nptes of the qua- ! : ' flat. : "'Of. all mrisjeal .instruments the " organ ia the most 'cpiuplete andi perfect; ■•' ' itjis the.iing of inß^umerita— aa a'yjlbliii ■■is'lh'ejkirig of. stting instruments. The ' ' ' 'origin of the-6rgah*,was the Pariean ihito i;l it" was , composed of several" reeds ( pi different sizes fixed on a i frame, wliiol; j ., i being held -in'tho i| hands'was : 'applie'l tc ,ihe lips, 1 arid' ttie performer by blowing i v ' successively the' 1 various pipes' produced a most' pleasing' imtislc. The word orgat (organum) signifies an artistic arrange- . .men^pf .musical, reeds-pr- pipes. ' Organ! ' ' are moaUoned as Being in ex/sterice froa the earliest times of the world, as well as the. harp "arid the^yrej „ Archimedes in- ' ' Vented' aD organ moved by hydraulic Sower. Suetonius informs us that th( ydraulic organ was the favourite instru- '".: inent of the Emperor Nero,, , The instru- ■'/ imenf; used generally jjn, our, churches 'ie '■'r'fh'e organ with' air pressure (Organun; "' pneumatipuifl)'.' .'.The qompve^ped air is forced through the; pipes by means oi ■'ppwerfnl -,'beUojWs. , Bi>. . Augustine ani3 Cits'ss'adorus speak of that instrument at ATtw the,one-used-dri--their-.time.-*"-In the ye'ai 767 the Emperor Constantino Copronymus made a present, of a Pneumatic organ t< ' i ' Xfrijj Pepiri; • Another, muah' larger, was '■'"'• sent'by the '.Emperor Michael to Charle ' •" magrie, who put it'iri tho church of Aix •- lrt-Chapello. In the IX century — Johl 1 '• 'Vlll— theßomanPoritiffapkcdtheßishoj ' 'of Freyoirig' to serid him' bri' an organ anc an organist. From that time largo pneu -'niatic' organs were generally ueed ii

Cathedral churches and convents. 'Xho organ of St. Peter's at Rome has one hundred registers, that of Woirigarten, in Suabia, one hundred and ten. This instrument is a lively image of Divine harmony. It speaks to the soul in strains more sublime than any other instrument. It makes us successively shudder with terror, shed tears of grief for 'our sins, or smile with joy and .happiness at tho prospect of the future bliss of paradise. In listening to itß harmonious notes the afflicted forget their' sufferings, and the coldest hearts are wai-mod into feelings of the most fervent piety. Alas, that it should be sometimes abused for profane purposes, and made an instrument of sin. Mozart was born at' Salzburg in 1756. At sixyears of age he composed small pieces of music; at eight. lie played before tho court of Verseules. , Ho" conducted the choir of' the. Royal' Chapel, ah'd 1 equalled the greatest artists who had Jived before him,. except Palestrina. Ho died in 1791, being 36 years of age. Marcello, born in Venice, in 1786, has composed a Mass full of beauty, and a collection of Pealms for three and four voices. Pergoless, a Napolitan by birth, is celebrated for his " Stabat," which he composed at tho foot of Mount Vesuvius; we have also from him a magnificient Salvo Regina. Paisiello, a disciple of the Jesuits, is famous for his Oratorios, his Psalms, and his Masses; His Miserere and Passion ate known to all Christian artists. Joseph Haydn, the' famous musician, was born in 1732 ; his father was a blacksmith and a harp player. He began by playing a vi ilin, which he had. He was extremely poor most of his life, and lived in the house of a hairdresser. Haydn has composed 16 masses, four offertories,. a Salve Begina, a Stabat;, and the oratorio of the Creation and the Seasons. He died at the age of 77. Allegri, the_ author of the Miserere/ which ia sung in the: Sixtins CBapel in Holy week, and director of the choir of the" Pontifical Chapel, died in 1652.' Cherub'ini' was born in Florence in 1760. His' Requiem Mass in one of his best compositions.' Beethoven was conductor of the Chapel of the elector of Cologne. He died at Vienna in 1827. How many after listening to church music have felt forced,' as • it were, to fall on their knees, adore God,- implore his niercyi'and promise to be ever faithful to Him.' 1 Aptly, therefore, is Christian harmony represented as a 1 beautiful virgin kneeling, looking up to Heaven, and spreading happiness everywhere. The Catholic Church is the friend of harmony; ifc has always encouraged and diffused it. Catholic music is grave, majestic, and, devotional. The church has always dis-' couraged theatrical,' profane, and effirainate music in churches. St. John Cbry: sostom, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, and the illustrious Cardinal Manning have used "their eloquence to banish profane music from the house of God.' Such music may indeed flatter our ears, but never flatter piety. Religious music is one of the brightest ornaments of the •■Catholic Liturgy. . In the days of persecution, music encouraged the martyrs to shed their blood for Christ, St. Paul encouraged the Christians of Ephesus to sing jit home the hymns of the jdiurch ; monks and holy virgins J animated one another, by means of musicj to tho practice of evangelical perfection; music rierveS'tbe Crnsaders to freo tbo Holy places in Palestine ; it softened the savage tribes' of both the Old and the •NewjWorld ; Hanclol,- the great musician, nev,er,saw bis genius more . appreciated than in Ireland, and it was for the Irish people' he composed his 'masterpiece, the oratorio of the Messiah. Tom Moore's Irish melodies are' admired in every land —go to. New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore}' Chicago,' St. Louis ; go to . Sydney, •to Melbourne, to Brisbane, and ; go to Auckland; to St. Patrick's College, WelHngton, and tell me if the love of reli-. gibus music among the Irish is not as 'strong as it was in the days of St. Patrick, St. Columbia, and Brian, the brave. But why go so far ? ' Have you not here in 'Wanganui.a striking proof 1 of' your lovo for religious music in the magnificient organ which you have purchased for your beautiful church,- and the pleasure with which yon listened to the harmonious selections of the Very Rev. Father Patterson, whose musical talent is univer-. sally: admired in this colony. Music is tho 'language* of* Paradise; come and ■learn this heavenly Jorigue in this your own dear church, that one day you may 'be permitted to mingle your voice with' the Celestial choirs. " Praise ye the Lord With psaltery and harp ; praise Him ■with string instruments and organs" (Psalm 'cl., 4 v.), and that-nothing may disturb your joy and' harmony, help dear ■Father ' Kirk, your, devoted and loving pastor, to pay for.' the new instrument .'he has bought for" you; and of which you ■may well' be proud. Amen.'' •v. -./ .' i.■. • . '* 1 1 . •i . '■ . -> ,•