St. Matthews Anglican Church

St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, 35 Church Street, Masterton, New Zealand (click on Map icon above)

Music @ St Matthew’s

From classics of the great masters, to popular hits, and sounds of the Wurlitzer, the music played in these concerts covers a wide spectrum and caters for a variety of tastes. A special event is held to mark Anzac, with an Anzac Eve Concert.
Some of the world’s very best classical organists have played in concert since the inception of the series in 2004 which followed the installation of the then new Rodgers three manual digital organ and the series now enjoys a loyal following.

Organists both international and NZ based compile music programmes of wide appeal for the concerts.
It is gratifying that the “King of Instruments” can be heard - & seen – for the church offers excellent sight lines to the console. Soft pew cushions & a temperature-controlled church add to the comfort of the audience and the church is fully wheelchair accessible.
I hope that there was something to delight and inspire you in this year’s offerings and that you will come again next year and join what visiting organists often describe as a “warm and enthusiastic audience”.
I've nearly completed the programme for 2010 and there are some exciting organists in store!

April Bamford. Convenor “Music @ St Matthew’s”

Concert Programme and Musical Events 2009

Saturday 21st November 10.30 am -3.30 pm. "Music in the Gardens"
At "Woodchester" 80 Cole Street, Masterton, and at "Ngahuru" 108 Essex Street, Masterton

Come and enjoy a variety of music in these two extensive Masterton gardens surrounding grand historic homes.

Bring a hamper to picnic on the lawns.

Food and drinks available. "Tea & Tiny cakes" at "Ngahuru". Edibles stall at "Woodchester"

There'll also be our (now) famous lemonade!

Safety note. There are swimming pools and open water courses on both properties.No toilets. no dogs, no smoking.
Tickets at the gates.$15 Single $20 Double/Family. Seniors Gold card $10 single, $20 double.

Funds will go towards a new church community hall to be built at “St Andrew’s in the Paddock”. Upper Plain.

Contacts Rev Liz Greville 06 370 8274. Lisa Rossiter 021 996 601

Tuesday November 10th 1.30pm “Sing Christmas” This is an informal hour of Christmas songs and carols. Audience participation is required! Retiring collection.
Guest singers Roy Merriman & Fred Holloway sing 'O Holy Night'
Val Mellish & Michelle Holloway on piano & organ
Robert Gray on saxophone
The Harmony Ladies
Perhaps a Sound Effects story as well

An email list exists for notifying events in “Music @ St Matthew’s”. If you would like to subscribe to this, please contact the Convenor, April Bamford abamford@paradise.net.nz. It's Free!

Go to our website: http://www.stmatthewsparish.org.nz/
Go to our Blog: http://brightwings.typepad.com/music_at_st_matthews/

February 2005:

Lovingly handled by New Zealand's organ master Ron Newton, the 106-yr-old zinc and pewter pipe organ in St Matthew's Church has been carefully dismantled piece by piece and is on the move to St Patrick's basilica in Oamaru. The mission involves dismantling 1100 pipes, which will fill two trucks for the journey south.

When the St Matthew's parish in Masterton's Church Street decided its huge pipe organ was not meeting modern requirements, it went out to tender. The St Matthew's organ is a Hobday organ, one of several around the country, and was the first built by Arthur Adrian Hobday, the son of Arthur Hobday senior. Dr Newton's interest was a godsend and a "happy set of circumstances", according to April Bamford, who has arranged the organ sale.

Dr Newton had played on it 15 years ago in Masterton and knew its history. He also heard it was up for sale and was thrilled with the prospect of it being included in his patch of the South Island, where there are several other Hobday organs in churches. When the Methodist church in Masterton closed and was turned into the Wesley Wing at the Wairarapa Arts Centre, its Hobday organ was sold to a church at Darfield in Canterbury.

Dr Newton, director of the New Zealand Organ Manufactory, based in the historic area of Oamaru, is well-known in his field as an organist, tuner, repairer and restorer of pipe and reed organs.

Trillium 927 (click to enlarge)Mrs Bamford said it was a difficult decision to sell the organ but the reality was it did not match up with church activities today. Good organ acoustics is vital in a church and St Matthew's has been struggling with the organ being built into a side wall of the chancel and not projecting the music appropriately. "We would have people say they could not hear music at all from some parts of the church", Mrs Bamford said. It has been replaced with a Rodgers Trillium 927 digital organ and which plays through a series of speakers within the building. Mrs Bamford is especially excited with the new organ as she is the co-ordinator of Music at St Matthews, a series of public musical events throughout the year.

The old organ was built in 1899 for the Masterton Anglican church on the site where the New World supermarket in Church Street now stands. It was enlarged in 1909 and in 1913 was moved to the brick St Matthews on the present site. The building was extensively damaged in the 1942 earthquake and the pipes were knocked around. In 1958, the existing church was opened and the organ re-established there.

Text taken from this PAGE.

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