“THE DEAD MARCH."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18016, 3 November 1920, Page 4

“THE DEAD MARCH."

WHY IT WAS PLAYED. THE VICAR EXPLAINS. On Sunday evening at St. Lawrence’s Anglican Church, Aramoho, the “Dead March” was played by the organist at the close of the service, and as there was neither announcement nor explanation regarding it, the parishioners were mildly perplexed, and speculation ranged as to whether it had any connection with the twenty-second Sunday after Trinity, or somebody’s demise which they had not heard of. lAien the rumoitr—and Wanganui is a great place for rumours—went abroad that “The Dead March" had been played out of respect for the late Lord Mayor McSwiney, of Coyk, and possibly with some people the incident began to be viewed from an entirely different angle. It was at this stage a “Chronicle” reporter took up the quest for information, and yesterday located the Vicar of St. Lawrence’s (the Rev. Edward Maxted), in the garden of the new vicarage at Aramoho, engaged in viewing a recently planted seed bed.

The vicar was highly amused at the possible construction that could have been put on the incident, and said that on Sunday he took the service at Westmere. His son, aged 15, was the organist at the service at St. Lawrence’s Church, and after playing two selections he picked up the music of a third to play it, and it merely happened to be “The Dead March.” Later, the youthful organist remarked that it was a beautiful piece of music and it was obvious he did not associate it with any particular current event.

It was not until yesterday that the. vicar was aware that the playing of Handel’s sublime work in St. Lawrence’s Church had occasioned any perturbation of either his parishioners or the public, and that an entirely innocent action had caused any wrong impressions.

“You will see that it was not a Popish plot,” said the vicar, smilingly, as he commenced to renew his interest in the vicarage garden. Possibly the thought of religious tolerance also crossed his mind, but he did not say anything on that point.