Music at St Matthew's

John Hargraves honoured

 At 21 he was told he was too old to be an organ builder; 45 years later he is a world authority.

Timaru man John Hargraves was today named as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to organ restoration.

He was studying music in Auckland when he decided to become an organ builder. New Zealand's main organ building company was based in Auckland, and he approached it to see if he could work there.

"I was told at 21 I was too old.

"I looked around and found out there was a vacancy at a company in Feilding so I went there and did my apprenticeship for four years."

The Feilding operation closed down shortly after he finished his apprenticeship so in 1968 he moved to Timaru to work at the South Island Organ Company.

"After I had been there a year I was made a director on the board and I'm still on it now as the chairman. It has been built up from a local concern to an international one with a lot of work coming from Australia.

"I was absolutely blown away with the honour; I can't imagine who put my name down. I will still be working with organs for a long time to come yet."

His citation from the honours list said he was considered a world authority on the restoration of historic pipe organs from the 19th and 20th centuries.He has helped rebuild more than 150 organs, including organs in 12 cathedrals. Notable restorations include the organ in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch, and the 1906 Norman and Beard organ in the Wellington Town Hall.

Concert marks 100th anniversary of Maxwell Fernie's birth

Maxwell Fernie at the organ of St Mary of the Angels, Wellington

Sunday, 25 April marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary New Zealand organist and choral conductor, Maxwell Fernie.

The Maxwell Fernie Trust - set up to provide an annual scholarship of $10,000 to assist promising young organists - is holding a free memorial concert on 25 April, in St Mary of the Angels, where Maxwell was Director of Music from 1958 until his death in 1999.

Many facets of Max Fernie's contribution to New Zealand music, as choral director, organist, teacher, composer and also his impact on the listener will be touched on in the course of the evening.

The concert, includes items from the St Mary of the Angels Choir, directed by Robert Oliver, Douglas C Mews, Rowena Simpson, current St Mary's organist, Donald Nicholson, a work by composer Helen Bowater, and the recipient of the inaugural Maxwell Fernie Organ Scholarship, to be announced by Minister of the Arts, the Hon Chris Finlayson, during the concert.

The evening will include a filmed interview with celebrated English organist Nicholas Kynaston, a student of Maxwell Fernie when the latter was organist at Westminster Cathedral in London in the 1950s.

More information about the concert, and the Maxwell Fernie Trust

Maxwell Fernie Memorial Concert

St Mary of the Angels, Boulcott Street, Wellington

Sunday, 25 April 2010 at 7 pm

Free admission

Calling all Australians!

In what is now a firmly entrenched annual event, St Matthew's Anglican Church in Masterton is once again presenting its ANZAC Concert to honour New Zealand and Australia's service men and women.

This year there is a strong Australian flavour, acknowledging the filial bond which existed in the battlefields of last century. Forget the Bledisloe Cup; forget the cricket. (Some things are best forgotten!) During the one and a half hour concert we remember our Aussie mates who fought bravely alongside us at Gallipoli and in Europe.

All participants are drawn from the Wairarapa, the common thread drawing them together being the deep respect they hold for all who fought for the freedom that New Zealand enjoys, the freedom bought so dearly with lives – many lives left in tatters and many lives destroyed.

A drummer sets the scene for the start of the concert, providing an atmosphere of anticipation as the last few concert-goers arrive.

Short readings provide snippets of information as well as deeper insights into aspects of wartime history. Naval Captain Terry Herrick will be honoured this year and other items include hymns relevant to the occasion and some favourite songs from wartime, led by the Harmony Ladies and the Savage Club with hearty audience participation. 

.A special treat this year is entertainer Wayne R. Heath, winner of last year's Silver Scroll Award. Wayne, who entertains overseas as well as in New Zealand, has lived in Australia and will be giving a bracket of Australian songs the Wayne R. Heath treatment as only he can.

The Ode and the Last Post bring the concert to a close in a most fitting manner, after which a light supper is served – tea, coffee and Anzac Biscuits!

For those unable to attend the evening concert, the  Matinée the day before may be a suitable option.

ANZAC Concert, St Matthew's Church, Church St, Masterton.

Saturday, April 24th, 7pm, followed by a light supper.

Matinée, Friday, April 23rd, 1.30pm.

Gold coin donation to the RSA Welfare Fund.

Auckland Town Hall organ

The newly restored Auckland Town Hall organ has its own website, full of information for both experienced organists and people wanting to learn about how a pipe organ works.

Here's the link:  Auckland Town Hall Organ website

Goosebumps and Tears at Organ Concert

Michelle Holloway writes -

English 'entertainment' organist Chris Powell delivered the promised high octane performance at St Matthew's Church last Tuesday, 23 March.

For two and a half hours the audience was swept along on a journey from Blackpool Tower Ballroom, through the West End of London, to wartime concert halls and more, finishing in dazzling style at the Royal Albert Hall.

The church's Rodgers organ produced the rich tones of the WurliTzer while the Roland Atelier AT800 provided the sounds of rock 'n' roll bands, big bands, symphony orchestras and choirs.

The audience swayed and tapped as Powell held them in bygone eras, well-remembered by many seniors present.

The organs' keyboards were projected onto a screen, enhancing the concert experience by showing Powell's hands producing the music in seemingly impossible fashion.

Towards the end three standing ovations were given, acknowledging the masterful and exciting skills of Chris Powell as he constantly enthralled the audience.

The climax of this concert was Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No 1 with full orchestra. After the rousing start, the Roland continued on its own (pre-recorded by Chris), as he left that organ, sat at the Rodgers and added the classical organ voices.

For this listener it was so easy to be transported in imagination to the Royal Albert Hall on the last night of the Proms. The percussion crashed, the organ thundered - what a magnificent finale!

..........and he will be back!

Auckland Town Hall organ restoration: Auckland City Council writes

It took two years and 27,000 hours to build, weighs an impressive 40 tonnes, and travelled to the other side of the world and back again. Now the time has come for the restored Auckland Town Hall organ to be heard in its full glory.

Having undergone major rebuilding work by world-renowned organ specialists Orgelbau Klais in Germany, the highly anticipated civic inauguration event on 21 March is a chance for Aucklanders to experience the first free public performance.

The inaugural event features a symphony composed and played by Auckland city organist Dr John Wells, specially commissioned for the occasion by the Lodge of the Liberal Arts No 500 and the Freemasons Roskill Foundation.

The organ was gifted to the city by former Mayor Sir Henry Brett in 1911, when the Auckland Town Hall was officially opened.

Alterations to the organ in the 1970s resulted in a loss of its grand Romantic style and power. Rising concern over the years about its lacklustre sound resulted in a decision to undertake a $35 million restoration of the organ in 2007. 

Auckland City Council committed $3 million to the project and the balance was raised by the Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust.

With over 5300 pipes – the largest being about 10m long and weighing approximately 120kg – the restoration was a significant undertaking.

Mayor John Banks explains, “The restored organ is more than a replica of the original, it’s a 21st century instrument in the tradition of the finest concert hall organs, a combination of the best of old and new technology.

“Auckland City Council is thrilled to see the organ regain the power and splendour it possessed when the Town Hall first opened in 1911 and are pleased to offer Aucklanders the chance to experience this marvellous instrument in a free concert.”

Organ restorer Philip Klais and his team travelled to New Zealand for the grand opening, part of a week-long celebration.

William Dart reviews Official Opening of Auckland Town Hall Organ

The newly-restored Auckland Town Hall organ was officially opened on Saturday, 20 March. William Dart writes:

There was no mistaking a historic occasion when Aucklanders packed the Town Hall to sample its newly restored organ.

He continues:

John Wells launched into Bach's great D minor Toccata and Fugue, the same work that opened the inaugural Town Hall concert a century ago. The organist's immaculate articulation and keen registrations did not disappoint and nor did his virtuoso pedal work.

John Wells was followed by Indra Hughes who

chose subdued registrations to accompany the Brahms Geistliches Lied, ably sung by choristers from Musica Sacra, the Graduate Choir and Viva Voce; after this, conductor John Rosser exhorted singers and organist to soar seemingly to heaven itself, in Parry's Coronation anthem, I was glad.

Pride of place went to John Wells' specially commissioned Organ Symphony.

Read the full review here

Reflections on the Stations of the Cross

Reflections on the Stations of the Cross

Wednesday 31st March, 12.15pm - St Andrews in the City, Palmerston North

Soo Young Park (soprano) and Roy Tankersley (organ)

Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross

Monday, 29 March, 7.30 pm

St Peter's Church, corner Willis and Ghuznee Streets, Wellington

Music by Alan Ridout - and others - for Lent and Passiontide.

Dianne Halliday, Organist

An Organ Restoration Fund event.

Admission $20, concession $15

Tickets available through St Peter's (382-8486)

Door sales on the night

Thomas Trotter with APO marks rebuild of Auckland Town Hall Organ

 

Live broadcast:  The Organ Symphony, featuring the newly-rebuilt Auckland Town Hall organ

Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra with Thomas Trotter

Thursday, 25 March 2010, at 8 pm on the Concert Programme

Concert includes - 

Saint-Saëns, Poulenc
Walton: Crown Imperial and Coronation March 
Poulenc: Organ Concerto 
Saint-Säens: Symphony No.3 (“Organ Symphony”)

Auckland’s Town Hall organ has been rebuilt and will be one of the finest in the southern hemisphere. It receives its first performance with orchestra on this very special evening featuring two of the greatest works for organ and orchestra: Poulenc’s Organ Concerto and Saint-Säens’ famous Organ Symphony.

 At the console is the award-winning City Organist of Birmingham and organist of St Margaret’s Westminster, Thomas Trotter.

Interview with Thomas Trotter

The concert will be reviewed on the Upbeat programme at 1 pm on Friday, 26 March.

Repeat performance

The Organ Symphony concert is being repeated on Saturday, 27 March at 8 pm as the initial performance was booked out.

Thomas Trotter Solo Recital

Thomas Trotter, award-winning City Organist of Birmingham and organist of St Margaret’s Westminster, plays the first solo recital on the rebuilt Klais pipe organ of Auckland Town Hall.

This is a FREE event.