Invercagill & the Organ 1881

H.M. Lund was appointed organist for St. John's Episcopalian Church in 1881. The appointment was published in the Otago Witness and the Southland Times in December. The date which Lund took up the position is not stated.

According to HM's obituary 'He visited Auckland and Wellington before coming to Christchurch; and although he found this city the most congenial, he was forced to leave on account of severe attacks of rheumatism, and settled in Invercargill. After a time, however, he returned to Christchurch and began the teaching of piano and singing, which he continued to within a year of his death.' (1)

Photo: HM's daughter Kitty - unknown location and date.

Nearly 70 years after his appointment, HM's granddaughter, visiting her grandmother in Christchurch, when she was nine years old (1949), remembers 'porridge in the mornings, deep white frost and getting up early in the morning to play grandfather's organ in the freezing cold (and getting my foot caught in the pedal as it was a pedal organ)'.

(1) The Christchurch Times, Monday 7 March 1932
The Organ and Its Music in German-Jewish Culture: Oxford University Press (abstract)

New Zealand Population 1874 - 1923

Dunedin was the largest city in New Zealand in 1870 with a population of 14,000. By 1878, Dunedin had grown to 22,525 people. There were 18,953 in Wellington, 13,758 in Auckland and 12,370 in Christchurch(1). By the beginning of the 20th century, the North Island had overtaken the South Island as the most populous island.

The city where Hermann last lived in Germany, Hamburg, reached a population of 800,000 in the mid-19th century – 50 years before the entire population of New Zealand would reach this level.

"Germany has supplied us with more immigrants than any other country of continental Europe."(2)

Census Population 1874 - 1921

The table above shows:
- there was a 'steady stream'(3) of German-born residents in New Zealand from 1840 to 1900, peaking in 1881 (during the "Great Migration" 1871-1885);
- Germans maintained their concentration in the pool of foreign-born residents up until 1906 but overall the total number of aliens decreased significantly - due to general population growth, reduced assisted migration, the "Depression" (1885- 1900) and Naturalisation.

Aliens (non-British foreign-born residents) were always able to work in New Zealand although they could not hold public office. In 1870, most of the civil rights of British subjects, including the ability to own property but excluding the ability to vote in parliamentary elections, were granted in the first Aliens Act. In 1917 an Alien's Registration Act was introduced and continued until 1923.

H.M. Lund registered as an Alien in 1917 (Vol.2) and no Naturalisation Record has been found.

(1) (2) (3) From Europe to NZ: an account of our continental settlers by R.A. Lochore. Reed, Wellington, 1951
Current estimate of resident population in New Zealand
German Population

Society of Musicians (est. 1891)

Christchurch was fond of musical organisations(1) but most were short-lived. The Christchurch Musical Society and an organisation focused on the 'advancement of music and musicians' were the exceptions. The centenary history publication(2) on the Canterbury Society of Musicians stated that 'Lund was credited at the time of his death in 1932 (in his mid eighties) as the founder of the Society' and up until the Society's formation 'it was clear that Lund was the leader in any discussions by, or on behalf of, musicians in the city'. This is the newspaper account(3) of the first meeting at which the organisation's constitution was adopted in 1891:-

The first general meeting of the Canterbury Society of Musicians took place at the Girls’ Friendly Society’s rooms on Saturday night [25/07]. There was a good attendance of members, and some visitors were present. The President, Mr. Lund, occupied the chair, and was supported by Messrs Hunt, Normington, Searell, Wallace and Wells, members of the Council, Mr. Searell acting as Secretary. Aplogies were read from Messrs G.F. Tendall and A.J. Merton, and from Mr. Sidney Wolff, of Timaru.

The Chairman welcomed and congratulated members, and state that with few exceptions the best known musicians of the district had joined the Society, which had already enrolled between forty and fifty ladies and gentlemen. He expressed great satisfaction at Mr. Tendall’s taking his seat on the Council. After reviewing the past work of the Council and its successful activity, Mr. Lund said he hoped that the Board of Governors would soon establish the Lectureship in Music as a permanent institution, and also that the Council would finally discuss and adopt at an early date the constitution of the proposed examining body. If there were no other inducements to join this Society, the one paragraph of the constitution which stated that an object was “to befriend any musician who stands in need of help,” should, he said, be sufficient to bind the whole profession strongly together. The conduct of musicians towards each other and towards the public, and other prominent features of the constitution, were also touched upon by the Chairman, who said he trusted the Society would promote orchestral classes under able instructors, and altogether, by their co-operation, put the art of music into a more satisfactory position in Christchurch. He submitted proposals to establish a reading-room and library, to organize concerts for the Society, and also to give an annual concert for charitable objects, and concluded by expressing the hope that the members would look back with pride and satisfaction upon the day when they pledged themselves to work together, honourably and energetically, for the advancement of music and musicians.

On the motion of Mr. Wells, seconded by Mr. R.T. Searell, it was resolved – “That this meeting confirm the constitution of the Society, as drawn up by the Council.”

A vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Lund and the members of the Council, and the meeting closed.

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The Society of Musicians was among the first of its kind in New Zealand. H.M. Lund served as the Society's first President (1891-1894) and a further six years as Secretary-Treasurer (1895-1901). A new name for the organisation was adopted in 1895: the Canterbury Society of Professional Musicians. In 1929 the organisation was absorbed into the New Zealand Society of Professional Teachers of Music Canterbury Division Incorporated (4).

(1) Lyttelton Choral Society (1852-1857); Christchurch Harmonic Society (est.1857); Christchurch St. Cecilia Harmonic Society* (1860-1862); Instrumental Society* (1861 only); Mendelssohn Society*; Orchestral Society*; Christchurch Male Voice Choir, Christchurch Liedertafel (1885-1966+); and the Canterbury Vocal Union (est.1860) later Canterbury Musical Union (1862), Christchurch Harmonic Society (1873) and then Christchurch Musical Society (1881), reverting to Christchurch Musical Union (1894-1913), and finally becoming the Royal Christchurch Musical Society in 1920. Organisations with an asterisk* were merged into the original Canterbury Vocal Union and were largely responsible for the successive name changes. From: A Choral Symphony: A short history of the Royal Christchurch Musical Society by Peter D. Barton. Royal Christchurch Musical Society, Christchurch, New Zealand 1985.
(2 & 4)For the Advancement of Music and Musicians: A short centennial history of societies in Christchurch devoted to the well-being of professional teachers of music by John M. Jennings. The Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand, Christchurch Branch 1991. pp.21 & pp.31-2
(3) Society of Musicians, Lyttelton Times, Monday 27 July 1891