Municipal and Official Handbook of the City of Auckland, New Zealand/The Organ
THE ORGAN.
The fine Organ in the Town Hall was presented to the City by Henry Brett, Esq., who was Mayor of Auckland in 1877–78, and who for many years past has taken a keen interest in the musical welfare of the community. The specification of the organ was drawn up by Mr. Edwin Lemare, the noted English organist, and the instrument was built by Messrs. Norman and Beard, of Norwich and London. It was erected in the Town Hall under the supervision of Mr. H. A. Tustin, the New Zealand manager of the builders, and was opened on December 14, 1911, by Mr. Maughan Barnett, at that time City Organist at Wellington. In 1914 a set of carillons, also the gift of Mr. Henry Brett, was added to the Organ.
The Organ is the largest in New Zealand, and the most modern in Australasia. It is situated at the level of the uppermost tier of the choir platform, and is set in a special chamber, 48ft. by 22ft., provided for its reception.
Specification.
| PEDAL ORGAN (Compass CCC to G, 32 Notes). | ||||
| 1. | Double Open Diapason | 32ft. | ||
| 2. | Double Open Diapason | 32ft. | ||
| 3. | Open Diapason | 16ft., | Wood | |
| 4. | Open Diapason | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 5. | Violone | 16ft., | Wood | |
| 6. | Bourdon | 16ft., | Wood | |
| 7. | Echo Bass | 16ft., | Wood | |
| 8. | Octave Diapason | 8ft., | Wood | |
| 9. | Principal | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 10. | Bass Flute | 8ft., | Wood | |
| 11. | Contra Posaune | 32ft., | Metal | |
| 12. | Trombone | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 13. | Trumpet | 8ft., | Metal | |
| CHOIR ORGAN (Compass CC to C, 64 Pipes). | ||||
| 14. | Lieblich Gedeckt | 8ft., | Wood and Metal | |
| 15. | Echo Dulciana | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 16. | Dolce | 8ft., | Wood and Metal | |
| 17. | Viol d'Orchestre | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 18. | Voix Celeste (2 ranks) | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 19. | Unda Maris | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 20. | Flauto Traverso | 4ft., | Wood | |
| 21. | Harmonic Piccolo | 2ft., | Wood | |
| 22. | Schalmei | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 23. | Orchestral Clarinet | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 24. | Orchestral Oboe | 8ft., | Metal | |
| Tremulant | ||||
| GREAT ORGAN (Compass CC to C, 64 Notes). | ||||
| 25. | Double Open Diapason | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 26. | Open Diapason (large) | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 27. | Open Diapason (medium) | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 28. | Open Diapason (small) | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 29. | Claribel Flute (wood) | 8ft., | Wood | |
| 30. | Corno Flute (metal) | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 31. | Principal | 4ft., | Metal | |
| 32. | Harmonic Flute | 4ft., | Metal | |
| 33. | Twelfth | 2⅔ft., | Metal | |
| 34. | Fifteenth | 2ft., | Metal | |
| 35. | Mixture | 4 ranks | Metal | |
| 36. | Trombone | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 37. | Tromba | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 38. | Harmonic Clarion | 4ft., | Metal | |
| SWELL ORGAN (Compass CC to C, 64 Notes). | ||||
| 39. | Bourdon | 16ft., | Wood | |
| 40. | Diaphonic Diapason | 8ft., | Metal and Wood | |
| 41. | Geigen Principal | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 42. | Lieblich Gedeckt | 8ft., | Wood and Metal | |
| 43. | Salicional | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 44. | Vox Angelica | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 45. | Principal | 4ft., | Metal | |
| 46. | Lieblich Flute | 4ft., | Metal | |
| 47. | Fifteenth | 2ft., | Metal | |
| 48. | Mixture (3 ranks) | Metal | ||
| 49. | Contra Posaune | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 50. | Horn | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 51. | Oboe | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 52. | Vox Humana | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 53. | Harmonic Posaune | 4ft., | Metal | |
| Tremulant. | ||||
| SOLO ORGAN (Compass CC to C, 64 Notes). | ||||
| 54. | Harmonic Claribel | 8ft., | Wood and Metal | |
| 55. | Concert Flute | 4ft., | Metal | |
| 56. | Orchestral Trumpet | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 57. | Bombarde | 16ft., | Metal | |
| 58. | Tuba Mirabilis | 8ft., | Metal | |
| 59. | Tuba Clarion | 4ft., | Metal | |
| Tremulant. | ||||
| 60. | Clarions. | |||
| COUPLERS. | ||||
| Swell Octave | Solo to Great | |||
| Swell Sub Octave | Solo to Choir | |||
| Swell Unison Off | Solo Octave | |||
| Swell to Great | Choir to Pedal | |||
| Swell to Choir | Great to Pedal | |||
| Choir Octave | Swell to Pedal | |||
| Choir Sub Octave | Solo to Pedal | |||
| Choir Unison Off | Great Pistons to Pedal Composition | |||
| Choir to Great | ||||
ORGAN RECITALS.
The installation of the Organ in the Town Hall was followed in due course by the appointment of a City Organist. Mr. Maughan Barnett, to whom the position was offered, gave the first of the regular Saturday evening Recitals on April 5th, 1913.
The scope of the recital scheme has been gradually enlarged by the City Council.
A series of free afternoon Recitals for school children was established towards the end of 1913, and, later on, an Essay scheme was connected with these Recitals. Prizes for the best papers are given by Messrs. Henry Brett and S. Adams.
In 1917 it was decided to engage vocalists for the Recitals, and in 1920 a Municipal Choir was formed.
The attendance at the Saturday evening Recitals has steadily increased year after year. The average attendance is now more than double that of the first year. The audience at the Recitals for school children frequently numbers over 2000.
The Saturday evening Recitals commence in April and continue till the end of November. A Carol Concert is given in December and a special recital is arranged for Christmas night.
A charge of sixpence is made for admission to the evening Recitals, but a short series of free afternoon Recitals is given during the winter months. The Organ is also used at all civic functions which take place in the large Town Hall.
Three hundred and thirty-one public recitals have been given by the City Organist up to the end of 1921, at which 600 different compositions have been played.
MUNICIPAL CHOIR.
The Municipal Choir, the first to be established in New Zealand, gave its first public performance on June 19th, 1920. The Choir consists of about 90 voices, and specialises in unaccompanied choral music. Its repertoire includes early English madrigals, motets for double chorus by Mendelssohn, and a number of works by modern British composers.
The Choir appears at eight or nine of the Saturday evening Recitals each year, and takes a part in the programmes arranged for important civic functions. The Choir is under the direction of the City Organist.
MUSIC IN THE PARKS.
Band performances are given in the various parks on Sundays during six months of the year, from November onwards. The local bands selected for this purpose receive a grant from the City Council.