Sydney and its Organ.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 593, 11 April 1891, Page 3

Sydney and its Organ.

The Sydney correspondent of the Catholic Times writesA few thousands were spent by the Sydney Corporation a little time back in an extra big specimen of the organ class. The organ was got out to Australia, and, after much vexation of spirit and hustling, hoisted up in the Centennial Hall, of which institution it immediately destroyed the architectural respectability. So delighted were the Sydney Aidermen with the new instrument, and so fearful of the paint being rubbed off, that they wouldn’t allow anybody to play her, but invited applications in all parts of the world from persons who were willing to take £5OO a year and serve up classical rpusio such aa "was calculated to harmonise with the beautiful harbor. When they got the tenders in, the City. Clerk passed disdainfully over all the local talent and selected Mr Alfred Wiegand, a famous Belgian organ-operator, for the biljet. The amateur musicians of New South Wales, all of whom understand the business better than any professional, instantaneously started to canvass the merit of Mr Wiegand, and up to latest advices have succeeded in making out that W. in not an 18 carat organist, but pretty tolerable in harping. He has a London reputation but that doesn’t count; the Sydney people will give England a lot of points and beat her. Melbourne also has its organ-ic difficulty. Not long ago, when a man was Wanted to fill.the Ormond chair of music, they got out a young person named Marshall Hall, who fills the ohsjr and a hat too small for him. Marab-.11 has only been on tbe banks of the Yarra for a few months, but has made such good use of his time that he has got the hair of tbe professional population right up perpendicular One of his manias is that people must learn German if they want to take degrees in music. The probability is that Marshall will be fired out at an early date, unless he sobers down,