Abstract of Margaret Ida EDMONDSTON, 2019
Item — Box: 27
Identifier: H01780002
Abstract
MARGARET IDA EDMONDSTON
Interviewer: Merren McCallum
Abstracter: Chontelle Syme
Track 1
00.0 Introduction to interview.
00.40 Introduction to Margaret. Piano teacher and organ player at various churches around Invercargill.
00.51 Southland Oral History Project disclaimer.
01.50 Margaret’s birth. Explains.
02.40 Midwife’s role during birth. Explains and discusses.
02.55 Parent’s job: father was an accountant at the Public Trust Building.
03.10 Public Trust is art gallery now.
03.20 Father born in MOERAKI.
03.39 Mother born in NASEBY, mother’s father was SURVEYOR.
04.07 Primary School, NORTH INVERCARGILL SCHOOL. Explains
04.19 Transport to school. Explains.
04.37 School grade system, intermediate schools in Invercargill. Describes.
05.20 She went to SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL in 1945.
05.30 Her time at Southland Girls Highschool: transport, building and books. Explains.
06.30 Library at Southland Girls High School moved.
06.31 MISS MAY was principal. Explains.
07.25 Old Southland Girls High School became offices for the SOUTHLAND EDUCATION BOARD. Describes.
08.05 Margaret’s mother was a piano teacher. Did not teach Margaret.
08.25 Piano techniques. Explains.
09.04 Margaret’s piano teacher, MARIANNE HALLIDAY. Started at the age of nine in the early 1940s. Explains.
09.45 Marianne Halliday was taught by CHARLES GREY, well respected musician and organist at St JOHN’S CHURCH.
10.20 Piano examinations. Explains.
10.55 Margaret’s feelings towards piano playing. Explains
11.10 Piano qualifications. Describes.
11.45 Intended to be a school teacher but started helping her piano teacher.
12.12 Beginning private lessons after helping Miss Halliday for a year. Explains.
12.40 Miss Halliday’s teaching style. Explains.
13.10 Margaret’s pupils and logistics of teaching. Explains.
14.20 Television’s effect on piano pupils. Discusses.
Track 2
00.0 Played the organ for NORTH INVERCARGILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Explains.
00.04 Organ at North Invercargill Presbyterian Church, explains.
02.25 The events Margaret played. Describes.
03.10 HOLY TRINITY, Anglican church wanted Margaret to play with them. Explains.
04.15 Conductor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in 1970 was KATHLEEN SUTTON. Explains.
04.35 Holy Trinity Anglican Church choir. Explains.
04.49 Margaret became conductor and organist for Holy Trinity Anglican Church for two years. Explains.
05.38 Beginning of organ lessons. Explains.
06.35 ELECTRIC ORGANS. Describes.
07.10 Anglican church got a new electric organ. Explains.
08.09 Decided to get organ lessons herself. Explains.
08.16 Electric organs. Describes.
08.40 Took organ lessons with GEORGE LOMAS Explains.
09.40 Had a lesson with George Lomas. At St PAUL’S CHURCH. Explains.
10.30 Told to take the ATCL (organ examination). Explains.
11.11 Timeline of where she played: North Invercargill Presbyterian Church then Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Explains.
12.10 Moved to Presbyterian First Church in 1971 because REV CRAWFORD MADILL and CHRISTINE CUMMING asked her to. Explains.
14.35 RON JAMES took over the organ at Holy Trinity.
Track 3
00.0 Moving to First Church. Explains.
00.39 Acoustics in First Church. Explains.
00.55 Organ at the First Church. Explains.
01.40 Decided not to play anymore. Explains.
02.00 First Church and RUSSELL COWLEY decided to buy a new electric organ. Explains.
03.33 Playing the new organ. Explains.
04.15 First Church got a new organ in 1996. Fundraised. Explains.
06.15 TAY MUSIC TRUST. Trust to foster music in young people. Explains.
06.51 Organ in First Church as of 2019 is old. Explains.
07.40 Playing the organ at First Church now. Explains.
08.05 New organ. Branded RODGERS from the US. Describes.
08.30 ALAN GILBERTSON built a trolley so it could be moved. Explains.
09.01 Margaret responsible for blinds in the Church. Explains the experience of playing without the blinds – sun shines directly onto the organ.
10.30 Minister Richard helped the blinds be put up.
10.50 HYMNS played. Explains.
11.45 Hymns by SHIRLEY MURRAY, nee COCKCROFT and COLIN GIBSON.
12.55 Vicar of Dibley hymn. Describes.
13.15 Reflections on 40 years of Margaret’s playing career.
13.35 Margaret’s repertoire. Describes.
14.17 Songs at weddings. Discusses.
Track 4
00.0 American hymns: How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace. Describes.
00.35 Older hymns. Sankey hymns. Discusses.
01.30 Playing hymns on the organ. Explains.
02.15 Margaret’s feelings towards her work. Explains.
02.37 Margaret’s feelings towards her pupils. Explains.
03.10 Health. Explains.
03.25 Leisure time. Explains.
03.40 Finger injury. Explains.
END OF INTERVIEW
Interviewer: Merren McCallum
Abstracter: Chontelle Syme
Track 1
00.0 Introduction to interview.
00.40 Introduction to Margaret. Piano teacher and organ player at various churches around Invercargill.
00.51 Southland Oral History Project disclaimer.
01.50 Margaret’s birth. Explains.
02.40 Midwife’s role during birth. Explains and discusses.
02.55 Parent’s job: father was an accountant at the Public Trust Building.
03.10 Public Trust is art gallery now.
03.20 Father born in MOERAKI.
03.39 Mother born in NASEBY, mother’s father was SURVEYOR.
04.07 Primary School, NORTH INVERCARGILL SCHOOL. Explains
04.19 Transport to school. Explains.
04.37 School grade system, intermediate schools in Invercargill. Describes.
05.20 She went to SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL in 1945.
05.30 Her time at Southland Girls Highschool: transport, building and books. Explains.
06.30 Library at Southland Girls High School moved.
06.31 MISS MAY was principal. Explains.
07.25 Old Southland Girls High School became offices for the SOUTHLAND EDUCATION BOARD. Describes.
08.05 Margaret’s mother was a piano teacher. Did not teach Margaret.
08.25 Piano techniques. Explains.
09.04 Margaret’s piano teacher, MARIANNE HALLIDAY. Started at the age of nine in the early 1940s. Explains.
09.45 Marianne Halliday was taught by CHARLES GREY, well respected musician and organist at St JOHN’S CHURCH.
10.20 Piano examinations. Explains.
10.55 Margaret’s feelings towards piano playing. Explains
11.10 Piano qualifications. Describes.
11.45 Intended to be a school teacher but started helping her piano teacher.
12.12 Beginning private lessons after helping Miss Halliday for a year. Explains.
12.40 Miss Halliday’s teaching style. Explains.
13.10 Margaret’s pupils and logistics of teaching. Explains.
14.20 Television’s effect on piano pupils. Discusses.
Track 2
00.0 Played the organ for NORTH INVERCARGILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Explains.
00.04 Organ at North Invercargill Presbyterian Church, explains.
02.25 The events Margaret played. Describes.
03.10 HOLY TRINITY, Anglican church wanted Margaret to play with them. Explains.
04.15 Conductor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in 1970 was KATHLEEN SUTTON. Explains.
04.35 Holy Trinity Anglican Church choir. Explains.
04.49 Margaret became conductor and organist for Holy Trinity Anglican Church for two years. Explains.
05.38 Beginning of organ lessons. Explains.
06.35 ELECTRIC ORGANS. Describes.
07.10 Anglican church got a new electric organ. Explains.
08.09 Decided to get organ lessons herself. Explains.
08.16 Electric organs. Describes.
08.40 Took organ lessons with GEORGE LOMAS Explains.
09.40 Had a lesson with George Lomas. At St PAUL’S CHURCH. Explains.
10.30 Told to take the ATCL (organ examination). Explains.
11.11 Timeline of where she played: North Invercargill Presbyterian Church then Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Explains.
12.10 Moved to Presbyterian First Church in 1971 because REV CRAWFORD MADILL and CHRISTINE CUMMING asked her to. Explains.
14.35 RON JAMES took over the organ at Holy Trinity.
Track 3
00.0 Moving to First Church. Explains.
00.39 Acoustics in First Church. Explains.
00.55 Organ at the First Church. Explains.
01.40 Decided not to play anymore. Explains.
02.00 First Church and RUSSELL COWLEY decided to buy a new electric organ. Explains.
03.33 Playing the new organ. Explains.
04.15 First Church got a new organ in 1996. Fundraised. Explains.
06.15 TAY MUSIC TRUST. Trust to foster music in young people. Explains.
06.51 Organ in First Church as of 2019 is old. Explains.
07.40 Playing the organ at First Church now. Explains.
08.05 New organ. Branded RODGERS from the US. Describes.
08.30 ALAN GILBERTSON built a trolley so it could be moved. Explains.
09.01 Margaret responsible for blinds in the Church. Explains the experience of playing without the blinds – sun shines directly onto the organ.
10.30 Minister Richard helped the blinds be put up.
10.50 HYMNS played. Explains.
11.45 Hymns by SHIRLEY MURRAY, nee COCKCROFT and COLIN GIBSON.
12.55 Vicar of Dibley hymn. Describes.
13.15 Reflections on 40 years of Margaret’s playing career.
13.35 Margaret’s repertoire. Describes.
14.17 Songs at weddings. Discusses.
Track 4
00.0 American hymns: How Great Thou Art, Amazing Grace. Describes.
00.35 Older hymns. Sankey hymns. Discusses.
01.30 Playing hymns on the organ. Explains.
02.15 Margaret’s feelings towards her work. Explains.
02.37 Margaret’s feelings towards her pupils. Explains.
03.10 Health. Explains.
03.25 Leisure time. Explains.
03.40 Finger injury. Explains.
END OF INTERVIEW
Dates
- 2019
Conditions Governing Access
Access to oral history recordings is via the Archives Research Room only. We are unable to provide access to this material remotely. Where access agreements allow, abstracts, audio extracts and photographs will be accessible online.
Conditions Governing Use
This material is copyright of the Invercargill City Libraries and Archives. In accordance with agreements held with interviewees, it is strictly prohibited to reproduce (copy) oral history recordings, abstracts, audio extracts or photographs without prior written consent. Applications for the reproduction of these recordings and associated materials, in whole or part, must be made in writing to the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator, c/o Invercargill City Libraries and Archives.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: McCallum, Merren (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
