Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/128

CHAPTER XVI.

Introduction of Instrumental Music—Memorial in its favour from members and adherents—Vote of the congregation taken—Sanction of Presbytery obtained—Organ Committee appointed—Subscriptions sought—Mr J. Ross purchases organ in England—Its arrival and erection—Mr A. J. Barth appointed organist—Bazaar in aid of Organ Fund—Abstract of accounts—Valuable services of Mr J. Roberts, and of the Organ Committee—The Choir—Mr A. M. Braik—List of Precentors from the outset.

ON December 2, 1879, a memorial was received by the Session from members and adherents of Knox Church with reference to the introduction of instrumental music as an aid to the service of praise. It was decided to invite the Deacons' Court to a conference on the subject. A joint meeting of the office-bearers was accordingly held in January 1880, when it was resolved that a vote of the members and adherents should be taken. The result was that 217 members and 77 adherents voted for, and 147 members and 25 adherents voted against, the introduction of instrumental music. As the resolution of the Synod required that substantial unanimity should be shown in such cases, the Session resolved to let the matter remain in abeyance. At the request of the superintendent and teachers of the Sabbath School, however, the Session in April 1881 sanctioned the use of a harmonium in the school.

The question of instrumental music was again brought under the consideration of the Session in July 1882 by a communication from a committee of members and adherents of the congregation requesting that steps might be taken again to ascertain the mind of the congregation on the subject. The committee stated that in the event of the congregation being favourable to the introduction of instrumental music the committee would undertake the responsibility of defraying the entire cost, so that the ordinary funds of the church should not be interfered with. The question was again submitted to the congregation, when 388 members and 174 adherents voted for, and 99 members and 22 adherents voted against, the proposed change. The Session thereupon appointed a committee of its number to ascertain more fully the feelings of the minority in regard