Society is in a poor way

There is a lot wrong with society at present IMHO. "I'm a Celebrity, get me out of here" is a show set in Australia in which famous English people go to a jungle and are voted - by the public - to undertake humiliating and unpleasant tasks involving creatures of all sorts, often in their hundreds (ants, rats etc.). They may also have the eat really weird 'food' in order to win proper food treats for their camp mates.

Who ever thought this was a good idea?

Don't even get me started on Naked Attraction. Was it thought up by somebody with no brain?

People these days seems to have stupid ideas such as "Let's give every child an iPad". Too many youngsters devote too much of their lives to screen time. Children do not seem to have hobbies any more. Trains sets, stamp collecting, model racing cars, carpentry, model making - gosh I sound like a dinosaur! It is getting harder to recruit choristers, bellringers, musicians (note that I am can only talk from my experience) but I guess that children find other ways of filling their time at some martial arts dōjō or other.

The biggest failure of society is to stop children being children. They no longer think for themselves because they cannot do so; they never have to do so, it seems to me.

The school run. Never in my day. I was only driven to school three times in all my years from Infants' to secondary school.

You reap what you sow! That's all I am saying.

Fed up

This has been another of those days when I wonder, "What is the point?" I shall not write about work issues here, but my job does not seem to get any easier. I had expected that I would get progressively better at my job with time. As I approach retirement I seem to be getting progressively worse at it! Perhaps the world has simply changed and I am past my 'sell-by' date.

The other thing about which I am disappointed is that I wrote a piece of church music some time ago and dedicated it to my late organ teacher. Next year will be 20 years since he died in tragic circumstances, far too early. I felt it would be a nice gesture (not for me but for his widow) were my music to be performed again in the cathedral where it has already been performed in the past, to mark the 20 years.

I emailed the relevant person and was told it would be discussed at half term. We are quite a way past half term and I have not heard anything. I shall not chase it again but I do hope they get in touch eventually.

P.S. Was glad, just now, to find a reply to another post from Laura, which was nice.

James Marriott

I have, today, sent off details about James Marriott to In from the Cold. I am hopeful that he will be officially recognised, but it may take a couple of years!

Is 61 Old?

In a few hours I shall be 61. Life has changed over the last 20 years: cancer* and divorce aside.

I celebrated my 40th by arranging an ad hoc choir to sing Evensong at Peterborough Cathedral; this was followed by a meal. Several people who came to that 'do' have died.

I was planning to do a similar thing for my 50th but I was having a rough time what with one thing and another. I went to dinner at a friend's house with my then wife but I didn't enjoy it.

I cannot recall my 60th - I don't think I did much. Usually my birthday falls during the week at school when we put on a play: every 2 years it is a musical so I am very much involved. This year the play is later in the term but there is still a rehearsal tomorrow which I shall be at: it will be another 12-hour day.

Is 61 old? Well I get home and just don't want to go out. Now that it is darker and colder at night I certainly don't want to go out. I am currently watching two episodes of House each evening. I then check my email and go to bed by 10. If there is something good on the Comedy Club on Radio 4 Extra I listen to that but I nod off at 1030 at the latest.

I feel old. I want to retire. I hardly make a difference anywhere anymore. The world has changed and the values society holds are not well aligned with my own. 'Twas ever thus, I suppose.

* sorted out I hope - I'm under regular review.

Do I have any friends?

I have one significant person in my life - this person make my life worth living. Other than that I appear to have few friends - it seems.

I suppose it depends on the definition of a friend. I can absolutely confirm that I know several people who have been extremely helpful over the last few years by taking me to hospital (and home again). I also have a musical friend who I can call on: she and her husband would do all they can to help me.

I was touched by the 2 visitors from work who came to see me in hospital, last May, and grateful to the chap who travelled 45 miles to see me. I phone him occasionally and we know we go back a long way and how we are linked.

I have some friends on Facebook although I am not on there to create a long list - I have about 15.

What I mean is that I seldom seem to get any emails, texts phone calls or letters from anyone. Even my eldest daughter only gets in touch once in a blue moon: she is very busy, I get that.

Have I phoned, emailed, texted or written to anybody myself? Well, no. So is this apparent lack of friends just a symptom of the way we live our lives these days? Maybe it is.

My main hobby is bellringing but I only hear from people if they want something. "Can you ring for a wedding?" After 46 years of bellringing you'd think I would have a few friends in the field. I don't seem to. If one rings a lot of peals (not that I want to) one gets requests to join in. At local Branch level there are monthly meetings but nobody ever talk to me for more than a minute.

I think I project a "stay away" message to which I have alluded before. Even this blog has few readers; I never get any comments.


I cannot imagine my funeral will be very well attended.

Poor Church Music

I occasionally ring the bells after weddings at my local church. The ringing chamber is right behind the organ pipes which are at the West end of the church.

It has often been the case that the hymns have been played quite dreadfully although today they were tolerable. However, the exit music - Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" was truly awful and I simply do not know how a person can turn up and play it so badly.

I appreciate that the organist may have been old and trying his or her best but the departing congregation would have been shocked.

David Drinkell R.I.P.

Yesterday was a day of mixed feelings. Earlier I had bought myself a digital organ so I can practice at home so I was upbeat. When I arrived home and turned on my computer it was not long before I saw that David Drinkell has died: then I was downbeat. With social media this news gets around fast but folk are able to send condolences quickly and share their sorrow.

I first met David when I went for Organ Scholarship auditions at Bristol University in 1977: he was in the choir I had to rehearse in a short anthem. They had inserted various wrong notes for candidates to spot. I think he thought this such fun that he almost gave the game away; he was clearly pleased and encouraging when I managed to spot his wrong bass note.

Later, when my sister got married in Peterborough Cathedral in 1978, David came up and improvised before the service whilst I was in the Song School going over the anthem with the choir and Christopher Gower. (At that time the Great manual had a 32' stop which, of course, David explored.)

At university David was known for his improvisation skills as well as his love of Vaughan Williams but he was a really jovial character. His knowledge of organs in the UK was second to none - it was as if he had played them all.

When I toyed with a small desktop music publishing company David produced a few gems for me to add to the catalogue and the photo above used to be on the website along with his biography. Back in 2010 this was what he wrote about himself.

David Drinkell was born in Colchester, Essex, England in 1955 and was organist of local churches from the age of twelve. He studied at the universities of Bristol and Cambridge and is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, Associate of the Royal College of Music and one of the forty holders of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Diploma in Church Music.

In 1979 he moved to the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland, where he was Master of the Music at St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, and in 1988 he was appointed Organist & Master of the Choristers at Belfast Cathedral.

David came to Newfoundland in February 2003 as Organist & Choir Director of the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.  He has played or conducted throughout the British Isles as well as in Paris, Norway, New York and Ontario. He is the only organist to have played in all 31 cathedrals of the Church of Ireland and, in 1993, was one of eight Essex-born cathedral organists taking part in the Essex Man Organ Gala at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London. Shortly after arriving in St. John’s he commenced weekly lunchtime organ concerts at the Cathedral, which are now an established feature of the music life of the city. In 2007, he was invited to give concerts in the Cathedral of St-Pierre and to direct the Cathedral Singers of Ontario on a visit to Norwich Cathedral, followed by concerts in Belgium and Holland.

Although we had not been in touch regularly for a few years I knew that he had moved to Canada as he had sent me photos of his house. He was latterly Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral.

A kinder more generous and helpful chap one could not hope to meet. He knew the meaning of fun without being silly or unkind. Heaven is the richer and we are the poorer.

Adagio in E

On my piano, I have been looking at some organ music I used to play when I was an organ scholar many years ago and later organist at Higham Ferrers (when the older [completely] pipe organ was there).

I happened upon Frank Bridge's Three Pieces and although I used to play the Adagio I saw that I had started to learn (but didn't finish) the first piece in the set Andante Moderato. Well, I don't have an organ to work on at present as my reader will know.

I then spent a good 30 minutes looking at the manual parts of the Adagio in E. Later on I found this video of the late John Scott which shows his mastery of the console. I was interested by some of his fingering to allow access to stops and pistons. Brilliant.

Organist Needed?

I have been available to stand in as a holiday organist this summer but have had few responses to adverts and messages on social media.

I played at King's Sutton on 14th July and at Bilton this morning. Organists Online really covers the area inside and around the M25 although there have been others on there. Facebook can yield a few jobs but, on the whole, the Church of England does not seem to want organists very badly - or so it would appear. Jobs are advertised on the Church Times website but I fear the organ is become less popular as an instrument.

I heard recently about a vicar who sacked the choir by email because they were "in the way" so the organist resigned. Young priests there days seem unfamiliar with 'traditional' church music and give way to popular demand.

I am glad that I had my time as a church musician but I reckon it will not be long before pipes give way to guitars and drums.

Political Correctness

In a conversation today I was chatting about a fire in a famous old building, just after the start of the new millennium. I'd better not say where.

Apparently, it is known who started the fire: and why. However, in order not to damage racial harmony the culprit was never brought to justice.

PC gone mad!

Emotional Wreck

I am so exhausted I am a wreck. When I get like this a good cry usually sets me straight and releases pressure. I know a few triggers to bring on the tears. One of them is the ending of the Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - Tracy's Death.

I've never really liked the voice of Louis Armstrong but I now associate it with this song and regard it as the classic performance. I thought I had heard that it was one of the last songs he recorded (which made it more poignant): he was certainly too ill to play his trumpet.

Anyway, the hope that the happy couple had after their wedding was so quickly dashed and - as one gets older - one realises that time is running out.

Bad ringing

I have been getting fed with bell ringing for a while now - as my 1 regular reader will know. One of the main reasons is that standards seem static. Also...

• These days people do not expect to do any work between ringing practices.
• Nobody seems willing to advise others how to improve their ringing ("Your backstroke lead needs to be closer") so standards stay the same.
• We ring the same boring methods.

In short I am jaded. I am getting older and in the remaining ringing years I have left I should like to ring some new things. I am perfectly happy to help learners but there has to be something to keep ringers at my level interested. Another local tower is at a standard way beyond mine and I do not see the need to learn methods on 10.

I am starting to look at the adjacent branches and guilds.

The Next Election

In answer to my previous post, I now know that I will vote for my current MP at the next election. I emailed him a few nights ago and he responded with a very full answer (probably pre-prepared, although he did personalise it a bit) and it is clear that he and I see exactly eye to eye. There are a few good ones left. Sadly, as he pointed out, it is the Parliamentary machinery (not just the MPs) who are out to stop Brexit.

Brexit

I hadn't heard the news about Boris which Tregear Vean mentions: does anyone really think he stands a chance of replacing Mrs May?

I now trust very few politicians - they effectively took No Deal off the table which was surely a bargaining chip. I do support my local MP who always votes as I think he should: this leaves me with a problem. How do I register my discontent with the Conservatives and not vote for the MP I like? I have written to him to explain my current feelings on Brexit.

What I'll do at the next election I do not know.

Ignored again

I have blogged before about the way people seem to treat me in social occasions.

This evening it happened again. What a waste of my time!

I had gone out to ring church bells prior to a branch meal which had to be pre-booked. The ringing was OK and we went to the pub.

As I was on my own I waited to be seated so that couples could sit together; I took a seat near two people I know. Once seated the starters were brought out for those who had ordered them - some of us had not. While people were eating I tried to strike up a conversation with three people: this lasted 15 seconds and then I was ignored.

Eventually the mains came and I had decided to leave once I had finished mine as I did not order a dessert. So from arrival at the pub to me completing my meal was a whole hour. At that point the chap on my left did strike up a conversation, but why did he wait an hour to do so?

Anyway, I made a few comments out of politeness and left.

As it is I dislike eating too late as I often t do not sleep well after a late meal. I shall not go again.

I did not enjoy the evening and the food was over-priced. £13.00 for a Steak and Ale Pie - RIP OFF

Ash Wednesday - Incense

I was called in - at the last minute - to play for a service at a church a few miles away. It was yesterday, hence an Ash Wednesday service.

I had forgotten that there might be incense. My experience with this is not good. When I was organist at a town church they would always park the thurible (when not in use) near the organ and, hence, near the console. I put up with it but I don't know why.

To me, incense is just smoke because that is what people want to see. Totally pointless and downright unhealthy IMHO.

Exhausted

We had 19 music exams at school yesterday and I accompanied all but two of them. I am exhausted.

I planned to go ringing today but wonder if I actually shall; far easier to stay at home. I do need to go shopping, though. Suffice it to say I lack motivation but I take the view that my Saturday off is a chance to recharge my batteries. I am at work again tomorrow from 0800 to 1245.

I do find I check my email far too regularly. I need friends but only have one close one at present. Oh misery me.

What is wrong with society?

There is plenty wrong with society, but here are a few things I think are plain wrong.

1. Naked Attraction - which cretin thought up this programme and which bunch of people actually thought it would be appropriate viewing?
2. The increasing amount of Halal Slaughter of animals in the UK. How can the RSPCA turn a blind eye?
3. The inability of young children to cook and the way supermarkets offer pre-prepared food.
4. The ineptitude of politicians.
5. Political correctness gone mad which means people cannot express an opinion for feat of having some label attached them.
6. Health and Safety gone mad.

Vocal Range

I have a concert at school next term. I usually manage to find a suitable song for up to 60 pupils to sing together: however the task is getting harder.

People think that children can sing anything: this is not so. They can TRY to song anything and children are good mimics. The fact remains that a lot of the songs children hear - and like - are not within their vocal range. The image below (click to enlarge) illustrates the problem: it is driving me mad!

A = Too low for children
B = A good vocal range for children up to 13 (and girls beyond that)
C = Most children will not wish to sing up here unless they have individual singing lessons.
D = The range of most adult pop artists. Some pop songs are at the top of a tenor's range and, if the song fits within B will be good. However, a tenor's range is a good 12th but pitched a 5th below the 12th range of children. Thus, it is no good singing a song displaced by an octave. The current craze for songs from "The Greatest Showman" is extremely unhelpful.

Try telling that to colleagues, parents and children!

Stedman

I loath Stedman.

I have been a bellringer since 1973. My ringing took off in 1976 and I had a lull at university from 1977-1980 (As the Bristol University Ringers were not a welcoming lot back then!) but made huge steps on my PGCE course in the Reading area.

When I moved to the place where I now live I had ring a fair bit of Stedman but was no expert. There is one high-powered tower round here where I went to ring (back in the 1980s) and I joined in some Stedman. I went wrong and was reprimanded by another ringer for having spoilt their evening: it was practice night! I did not return to that tower for 20 years. These days, I would have given that chap a piece of my mind. I think he is now dead!

Anyway, I often go to towers where they insist on ringing Stedman: some claim it is a musical method. However, it is also one in which it is easy to lose one's place. Actually, it is very simple to ring - until calls are made. One can then forget whether to go in quick or slow. Good ringers are able to look around and find clues: I used to use the 4-5 rule but it does not seem to work for me these days for some reason.

In my experience, Stedman is a divisive method (actually a Principle) and it is used - I feel -to show off or make others feel less able.

However, some people seem to think they MUST ring it at all costs and so it gets rung badly, mostly at practice nights: seldom is it rung for services at my tower.

Here it is, rung nicely.

Safeguarding

We are very big on KCSiE at school, as we should be. Reflecting on my life, I feel I was lucky that such regulations and concerns were not a bother or hindrance to adults with whom I came into contact.

I was lucky to be taken, by adults - without any paperwork, risk assessment or regulations - to:

• Bellringing outings
• Bellringing meetings
• Concerts (by the Head of Music to Oxford to see "Orfeo", for example)
• Organ Crawls (for the uninitiated these occur when a church organ society visits a number of instruments during a day, a bit like a bellringing outing.

As I consider planning a bellringing outing myself for the local branch of the Guild, it occurs to me that I need to have some sort of Child Protection Policy in place; or to refer to the Guild version.

KCSiE, GDPR and all the other host of regulations which bombard us these days are all very well, but they make volunteering and getting things done much harder. I am glad I do not run a church choir (except at school).

What amuses me these days is the change to the Bird's Eye Fish Finger advertisements. In the old adverts of years ago, the Captain had a crew of children and everything was innocent. (see below).

In the current climate, the narrator has to stress that the few children with the Captain are related to him and that he enjoys "swimming with his grandson".

By the way - I do not eat fish, so it is all of no consequence to me!

This is the kind of thing I enjoy

I have a cold and cannot sleep. This cheered me up.

Age

Over at Tregar Vean the problems of ageing are mentioned. As I am now into my 60th year I have to say I am finding that my body and mind are changing. Here are a few changes.

1. As a youth I would not pass up a chance to go bell-ringing but I would much rather stay in the warm these days. This may improve in the summer.
2. My fingers are starting to get stiff and I cannot play fast pieces as well (not that I ever did do keyboard 'fireworks'). On Sunday it was so cold in church it was all I could do to play the hymns for the school service.
3. I am starting to worry about my legs. I forecast an issue with varicose veins in the not too distant future. I have to make sure I do not eat food too late before I go to be.
4. Once an 'owl' I now go to bed at 0930pm and listen to the radio to unwind. If I stay up too late I am irritable the next day (or two)
5. On the other hand, I am far more patient as a teacher than I used to be. I take the view that shit is always going to happen so one may as well weather the storm.
6. My eyes are not as good as they were, although my optician is very happy with them (oddly)
7. I have various aches and pains which come and go.
8. I get lonely (I live alone)
9. I never remember good things I have done: I easily recall (and they pop into my head) embarrassing things I would rather forget!
10. I want to retire soon but I fear I shall be bored.

Excuses

There is a major problem in the world which is to blame everything on a current issue when things go wrong. Obviously, the current scapegoat is Brexit which seems to be cited as the cause of problems which have not happened yet. Casting my mind back today I thought of these previous issues which have faded into the past. (In no particular order)

• Decimalisation (blamed for price rises)
• Margaret Thatcher (blamed for all that is bad in the UK)
• The BSE crisis
• The Y2K bug
• HIV
• Brexit

I wonder how long Brexit will be retained as an excuse for people not pulling their fingers out!

Sport in the 1970s

My years at secondary school were mainly in the 1970s (I left in 1976). I was not good at sport but there were good reasons which dated back to primary school in the 1960s.

1. When we played football at primary school, it was assumed we knew the rules because we were boys. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Yes, the concept that when the ball gets through the goal mouth of the opposition, one's side has scored - this was clear. However, how one tackles and where one is allowed to go on the field (or not) was never explained.
2. This continued at secondary school where we played rugby, hockey and cricket. The rules of rugby were never explained (except for the 1st lesson when we discovered that a forward pass is not allowed). How to tackle safely was never addressed.
3. As a musician I was always fearful of injury so I guess I was a bit of wimp, but I tried. Yes I tried. I ran when I could and got stuck in: nobody noticed.
4. I hated PE. What was the point of it back then? Climbing a rope was pointless as I did not have the upper body strength to do so. Again technique was never mentioned. I forget other stuff we did.
5. The main reason I hated sport was the communal showers; I doubt these are allowed now. If only the PE staff had realised.

I wish I could go and explain to the PE / sport staff why I did not do well at sport. I think they would be shocked and ashamed of themselves for their 'macho' attitude.

I do wish I was better at sport. I tried golf as a teenager (when I was 16-18) but I was never really shown how to play, even though Dad did his best.

A few years ago I took up croquet but found gripping the mallet gave me very stiff fingers the next day. I dallied briefly with badminton in my early days of teaching when a few of us met on a Friday evening.

In my teens I mainly kept fit by cycling.

Sport - not for everyone.