Hymns Old & New

I dislike Hymns Old & New. It has some crass arrangements in it. I am due to play one tomorrow. Some of these arrangements were made by a composer who I would have thought knew better.

Will this continue in 2023

Exhausted as Christmas makes one feel, I woke at 10:56 this morning. Yesterday was not a great day for me personally, although the Communion service I played for went well and there was some strong singing from a particular family.

I am wondering if I shall continue this blog next year; perhaps I will, but with far less regular posts.

Seasonal greetings to my reader.

Global Majority Heritage

I have recently seen an advert for musicians in a church in London which carried this text. I admit I had to check that I fully understood some of the terms.

"... We actively welcome applications from people who are currently underrepresented in our community including people with global majority heritage, people with lived experience of poverty and people who identify as LGBTQ+.

Candidates do not have to identify as Christian or belong to a religious faith, however we are looking for candidates who connect with our ethos and values."

So there you are.

POV

I have watched many of these 'Point of View' videos this year. It is the one Christmas pleasure I allow myself. It is great to see young people playing.

Christmas Organ Music

Organists are traditionally very busy at Christmas but, oddly, I do not have a very large Christmas repertoire. That said, I have recently bought a couple of Christmas books and single items from online retailers. One composer I am following is Phil Lehenbauer and, as I write, I am listening to the piece below.

Carol Service

From a note in the tuner's book, it turns out that the 4 foot flute stop is broken at the slider end and is a difficult repair which needs pipes to be removed. I managed to find a good deal of variety in my registrations because the swell has a 16' stop which, when combined with 8' and/or 4' stops and played up an octave, gave a very satisfactory selection of sounds which I shall use more.

The choir sang their carol but, as I suspected, it ought to have been transposed down a tone. Nobody ever listens to me.

Far too cold

As I suspected in a previous post, it was very cold this morning and the organ bench was like a block on ice. The church heating had gone on at 0900 for a 0930 service which is not really sufficient. The rising cost of fuel must be a factor. A long sermon was not really appropriate.

No 4 foot flute stop

In a previous post I mentioned an organ problem. The usual technician was not available to fix it but suggested another tuner. This chap came and has reported that the repair will need a dedicated visit. Hang on - was this not a dedicated visit?

He apparently tuned the organ and fixed another small problem which ought to have been dealt with long ago but the Great 4' flute is still out of action.

I suppose I shall get through the carol service but it does mean the 4' principal will get used more than I should like.

Emotions

I cannot help who I am and I feel various emotions as situations evolve. I feel annoyed when a person who (I feel) ought to be in touch more frequently simply ignores me. I am likely to be jealous when the same person spends more time with a 'rival' than they do with me.

If I dare to say anything about our relationship being a case of this person merely ticking a box every now and then (birthday, Christmas etc.), I am accused of being passive aggressive: I suppose I get that from my parents. I should, I think, be able to express my feelings for if one cannot express them to family, what is the point of anything?

People can hurt you when they may not mean to do so but the hurt is real. It can develop into resentment.

Religion tells us that we are wicked to feel certain things and jealousy. We're told that jealousy is a fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:21), an antonym of love (1 Corinthians 13:4), a symptom of pride (1 Timothy 6:4), a catalyst for conflict (James 3:16), and a mark of unbelievers (Romans 1:29).

Well, I'm sorry, but do I not have a right to feel wronged?

Apparently religion helps us to control our feelings. It is an article worth a read.

The Buddha said: ‘All life is suffering’ and most of us past a certain age can only agree. See also what the article says about sorrow.

I don't feel any better really.

Cold

It is extremely cold in the UK at present. Churches had better have their heating on over Christmas!

Luceat

Last year I was sent this CD and I played it again a couple of days ago whilst I was tidying up. Superb singing and a lovely collection of pieces. Do visit the Luceat site and buy it.

St Typo and All Angels

It is the season of Carol Services. Many places use the Bethlehem Carol Sheet but some use hymn books. Woe betide any church which tries to combine the two as they will probably end up with chaos or at least a mention on the Church Service Sheet Typo Group.

A new hymn for me

This hymn was on yesterday's list. A new one for me and a nice tune.

Deputy work

Today I played at a church where the organist has Covid. He phoned me on Thursday asking if I could stand in, and it turned out I was available. I have played there before.

Blowing my own trumpet for a moment, I do not think there are many folk around here who could learn an anthem and a new communion setting (Rawsthorne) in 2 days and then go and sight-read a really bizarre arrangement of "Personent Hodie" which would win no prizes from me.

It was very cold too and I set off early in case I hit a problem on the road: I didn't. By the time I got home I had been out for over 3 hours and driven 36 miles (@46p/mile) so those who think a fee of £50 is steep (and this is the fee the church pays, not what I charge) may need to think again.

Funeral 2

So I went to play for the funeral yesterday. The organ is very small and up on a gallery which will seat 25 people. The deceased was only 50 and a popular person in the village, so the church was packed.

I arrived 40 minutes before the service to get used to the organ which had been unlocked. There were four people in church. Soon, a couple* in their late 40s came up to the gallery (the nave being reserved for close family and friends) and the man* was quite the comedian. Indeed, his wife said she hoped I would not be too loud. They started checking their phones and, each time new people arrived, the man used the same greeting line, "It's 'ticket only' up here".

'Oh dear', I thought. This guy is going to be noisy and behave inappropriately. Luckily, once he had greeted everyone in turn he shut up and I heard no more from him. He certainly didn't sing in the hymns.

The service passed off without incident although I think the pall bearers were family and friends and rather untrained so they took a long time to bring the coffin in and to remove it afterwards.

*It strikes me that, in this day and age, a couple could be a same-sex couple: this was one lady and one man who I presume were together.

Funeral

I will be playing at a funeral later today. I doubt I shall enjoy it because the organ is small and I will not feel that I am giving the congregation a good lead. Volume is not everything and rhythmic playing is important. However, I have not played this instrument for a few months and it is very old: I hope it all works. There is also a big Confirmation service there on Sunday but I am not playing for that. We are having a cold snap and defrosting the car is a chore I dislike so I am glad.

Not allowed to say

People do not like the truth but Katie Hopkins tells it as it is. I don't hear any of this from pulpits.

Meeting people

I made myself go out ringing on Monday evening at the tower to which I had gone on Saturday but hadn't rung. It turned out that several of the usual ringers were unable to come that evening so it was quite useful that I had turned up.

Although I had revised both Cambridge and Yorkshire Major we actually only rang Doubles methods, with a cover. However, they were nice bells and the company was good.

On Friday I am playing at a funeral and it happened that one of the ringers is due to toll the half-muffled tenor at the nearby church where the service will be held.

It is a small world.

Broken Stop

Yesterday the organ was playing up during the service. Afterwards, I investigated and found that the Great 4' flute stop could be pulled out, but was having no effect. As it is a mechanical action organ something in the linkage has broken. I think, that during the service it was starting to go and only pulling on half way; thus I heard out of tune pipes.

Saturday and Sunday

I happened to go to a branch ringing meeting yesterday (not my branch) which - as usual - started late (this time due to a partial 'lockout') and at which there was much chatter and not as much ringing as there could have been. I popped along to the next tower, where there was tea and cake, but didn't stop for the ringing as I was getting bored. The gap between the 2 towers is too long IMHO. I needed to get home and cook and hadn't actually planned to go to tower 2.

It made a pleasant change for someone actually to engage me in conversation and also to have a brief chat with 2 other people: this does not happen in my branch. I do not think my branch have even noticed I have stopped going.

I arrived at church today for the 0930 service and the bells were ringing. They had taken (oddly) to ringing from 0830 - 0900 because some ringers wanted to get on with other things on Sundays! Annoyingly, they did not stop ringing until one minute before the service and I was not going to compete with the bells by playing pre-service music. Grrr!

Younger Clergy

As a man of a certain age it has just struck me that most of the clergy I interact with are younger than I am: sometimes by a few years but sometimes by many years.

Reflecting on this I felt that my introduction to church was under the guidance of older (male) clergy and that I am probably not as willing to be taught and preached to by younger people. This is very reverse-ageist of me. I admit that, in the past, some older clergy have banged on in their sermons and I have thought them to be past their sell-by dates. Unfortunately, young clergy are full of new ideas. They are still enthusiastic about their beliefs and I am set in my ways.

Religion and brain wiring

Religion is all very well and I have spent my life in and around churches. Where it all goes wrong for me is that it is a 'one size fits all' concept. "Take your problems to the altar in prayer" and all that.

The idea that we are all imperfect (sinners) and probably going to hell - thus we are in need of a saviour - tells us that the cards are stacked against us to start with. Supposedly it was Adam and Eve who let evil into the world ('Since by Adam came death') but as I do not actually believe in Adam (and who exactly was there to record the conversation between Eve and the Serpent?) it does not follow that Adam is the cause of all our woes.

For those people whose minds are not 'wired up' correctly - for whatever medical reason - I do not see how religion is going to help. (Yes, I know I have posted on this before: I'm just having a hard time at present)

Comedy

It has been a hard day. Nothing much to say on any topic today expect that a "Dinner Ladies" sketch popped up on Facebook about a person in authority questioning the ethnic background of a character and it raised a laugh, not a resignation.

Christians are now a minority

Christians are now a minority in the UK. Katie mentions this result from the 1921 census. She makes some other very good points. Sorry if you do not agree. She speaks for many.

I do not have a problem with people from other lands coming to the UK. I do have a problem with them coming here illegally and the government turning a blind eye. Don't get me started.

Trans Jesus?

What utter stupidity. Not sure how long this video will stay up but a Dean has suggested that Jesus could have been 'Trans' and the video seems to be fair comment.

Cold

In the UK energy prices have soared. This must be why churches (which one can expect to be cold, even if the heating is on) are very cold. I played for a funeral today and it was hard going for my cold fingers on a stiff, and ancient, tracker action organ. There were space heaters in the nave (so the boiler was not on) and I could have had a fan heater on except that the risk was that my music would blow off the music desk.

Thankfully, it was quite a short service. I have known funerals go on for ages if the relatives want to give the deceased whole life story.

Advent Sunday

There was only a small congregation this morning for Advent Sunday communion. Perhaps the locals all knew the church heating was on the blink.

The sermon was actually about getting more people to attend church and someone has come up with a 3-part mantra. People are supposed to say to their friends...

1. I'm going to church
2. It's going to be good
3. Would you like to come with me?

However, newcomers must not expect church always to be 'flully' and lovely without any challenges!

Not in England (much)

The video below popped up today. It is a typical piece of German organ music by that chap J. S. Bach.

Whilst most cathedral and large parish church organs could do it justice, for the average parish organist - with just a pedal 16' Bourdon - any performance is likely to be quite disappointing. There are also many organs on which one would not attempt it.

This is performed on a sampled organ using the Hauptwerk system.

I have not seen one of these before

I found this on an organ I played recently. It is not just a guide to the note names, for a non-musician, which fits snugly over the keys. It actually tells the note holder what order to play the notes in so the tuner can do his setting out.

Starting with C he would go up to G and tune a perfect 5th, then from G to D a perfect 4th (although he would need to count the beats.)

Then the order is A, E, B, F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, and finally back to F. Organ tuners use sharps, not flats, as the pipes are set out on natural and sharp sides. Since equal temperament means that the octave cannot quite be divided equally, the skill of a tuner is to place the 'weirdness' where it does least damage; usually spread evenly over the octave. Bach proved this was possible when he wrote the "48"

Any excuse

When I was a ringer in my youth I enjoyed quarter peals (1260 changes taking about 40 minutes). I've rung a few peals (5040 changes lasting about 3 hours). A peal is a lot of ringing to inflict on the people living close to the church.

Some ringers try to ring as many peals as possible and several have rung 3000+. It seems any excuse to ring for a long time can be conjured up.

Why would one need to mark the casting of a bell? This peal does so but it is only one of many rung by Richard Allton. He has rung 13 peals in November and 119 so far this year.

There is currently a drive to "Ring for the King" i.e. to get people to learn to ring for the coronation. Nobody seems to try to retain the ringers who do exist.

Also, when I go to meetings it is the same people who call the touches; there is no training in this respect.

My hands

Apologies. I am digging up an old topic. I stopped bellringing at my local church back in May.

I am clearly not missed and I am glad, in a way, that I stopped going because it has meant that the condition of my hands has not deteriorated as quickly as it might have done. Had I kept going just to ring the same old stuff I would now feel that the past few months had been wasted. I am no worse off for not having been to ring. I still know the methods I know and, in fact, I do ring at one church where I play occasionally.

The middle finger of my left hand has arthritis and has started to be painful. I am anticipating not being able to play the organ in a few years time.

Das Jesulein

I have done quite a lot of practice today. Fifty years ago I did my Grade 4 organ and played the piece below. I've revised it a few times since then but I had fresh ideas on fingering and registration today.

Sunday confusion

I was sorry for the vicar today who had really wanted to focus on Christ the King being the theme of the day: indeed the hymns were suitable for that.

However, she had to preach a sermon on Safeguarding because somebody had decided that today is Safeguarding Sunday. I cannot find anything about it on the C of E website (lots about safeguarding itself, obviously).

 

Who are these people who came up in the search? I imagine each diocese has its own materials as Leicester does. It was there that I found an answer to my previous question which is...

Safeguarding Sunday is an annual awareness-raising campaign coordinated by the charity Thirtyone:eight to give churches an opportunity to show their communities that they take their safeguarding responsibility seriously and to explore together as a church what safer places look like.

Content at present

For the time-being I am content with my work as a deputy organist although the driving can be a bind. I have found a benefice where the services are to my liking (as much as services can be!) and I should also be able to have a calmer life in the church where I play once a month, now that issues have been addressed.

Sadly, there is a spate of funerals coming up and I have been asked to play at three in the near future.

Advent Project

I have had the idea of recording 25 organ pieces as a sort of Advent calendar for my YouTube channel although most of the pieces will not have an Advent theme. Essentially, if I do not have something to work for I am not very good at doing any practice.

As a way of relaxing I was looking back over an old post and a bit of Googling took me to the video below. I enjoy this kind of music.

All Angels

I had not previously heard of "All Angels" but I have just received the music list for an upcoming funeral. I will only be playing the hymns and two "All Angels" tracks will be used, at the start and end of the service. Here is one of them.

Remembrance

I am always moved by Remembrance Sunday. My father served in the RAF but later joined the REME. He taught me never to forget the sacrifice made by those who fell in the war.

Carol service request

I had an email yesterday asking if I would play for a carol service in December some 33 miles away from where I live. My name had been passed on by a contact.

It turns out that the benefice has a church with a single manual, 4-stop organ of great historical importance (with an equally historic pedal board) which is where the service will be held. Had the service been at another church which boasts a larger 3-manual instrument I would have agreed to go.

This may sound a bit 'rum' and uncharitable of me because the fee would have been the same. However, I only play the organ now because I enjoy doing so and to have the worry of driving 33 miles (each way) in winter to play an organ which will not cope with the sort of pre- and post-service music I like to perform was hardly going to be a pleasure for me.

Yes I could have coped but there has to be an incentive for me and the incentive is not money.

Add to this the fact that the appeal came because the regular organist had decided he was not available and I smelt a rat. Surely there are musicians nearer than I am.

Workshop project

For my birthday I asked for this swan neck light. These are designed for music desks but I play two organs where the pedal lights do not work or are missing.

Now it is odd that, really, one does not look at the pedals when one plays - or so I thought. Organsits are taught how to find notes by feeling between the gaps between the sharps. This is OK if the music is slow but, now and again, one has to rely on muscle memory.

For some reason arriving to play an organ where the pedals are in darkness is rather disconcerting. Having made several videos of myself playing my home digital organ I can confirm that I look or glance at the pedals quite often: I wasn't previously aware of this.

So I now have a light to take around with me and I needed a stand to fix it to. This morning I made one out of off-cuts of 4x1 and MDF flooring. I filled it with gravel to add weight and had a carrying handle whcih I fixed on for transportation. Here it is next to my home organ just for demonstration purposes.

Getting a Faculty

Before any major work is done in a church it is necessary to obtain a faculty. This is as it should be.

It can, however, be the case that small jobs could be done without the need for a faculty and some very necessary jobs have all kinds of conditions placed on them. As is common with human beings, those who invent rules may not always have the interests of a parish and the people in mind. As a species humans seem to enjoy placing restrictions on what others can do - just for the sheer hell of it.

I know of a case where an organ needed rebuilding but it was thought necessary - by the men in suits - to take it back to the condition it was in when first installed and the 'modern' full pedal board, added by a builder in the 1970s would have had to be removed, making the instrument useless for 21st century worship. Needless to say the work was not done and the organ is falling apart.

Also, a church wanted a modern bell frame but were not allowed to remove the old wooden one, just in case somebody in the future wanted to see it.

Yes, there needs to be a veto on ripping things out of churches but there comes a point when the church is living in the past.

A calmed relationship

The vicar and I have had a chat and we each understand our respective positions far better. Past problems have been put behind us. Thus I am planning to continue as the once-a-month organist for the foreseeable future although I am booked, in various places, for every Sunday this year - except December 11th.

My left hand middle finger - injured when I was young - is starting to play up and arthritis is developing. I wonder how long I have left as a organist.

Fifty Years

I have been a church organist for 50 years this year. I have seen a lot of changes. I do not think the church will need organists in 50 years time, at least not in England.

Organ Repairs

I arrived at church today hoping to find the organ had been repaired and in good order. The tuners had visited last Monday and had had the pedal board out to fix the sticking notes.

They had also tuned the oboe but, oddly, the swell box had been left shut and one pipe was quite out of tune which was disappointing. They had looked at most of the other faults except one pedal pipe which was out of tune so I am slightly annoyed about that.

Anyway, although it is quite hard work to manage it is one of the best cared-for instruments I play.

A bit of a jump

The C of E website has this page.

I quote: "... believe and trust. This is called faith. It is a different sort of knowledge. It is the knowledge of being known and loved, and of loving in return."

How does faith suddenly become knowledge?

I was taught, at school, that faith is when we believe something we are told because we trust those who have told us (as I recall the origin of bananas was used as an example. The teacher believed that they came from South and Central America, India, China and Africa even though he had never been to those places).

One possible reason fewer people go to church now is because there is much less trust, these days, in what people tell us. Just look at what politicians say by putting a spin on something. Think Boris!

The case is often used that the parents who tell their children about Jesus are the same parents who have told them about Santa Claus. How can you trust someone who lies to you?

Not a great morning

Did I work too hard yesterday? I did a lot, anyway. This always seems to have an impact the following day so today I am a bit down. I didn't think I was at first; it has crept up on me.

I got up early (I just woke up) and checked email, had breakfast and got dressed. At 0905 I went out to play bowls which I was happy to do to fill in for another player. I have usually been 'lead' which means I send my bowls down the rink (this is not 10-pin bowling) first. Today I was given the task of being 'third' which is a level of responsibility I am not used to. I floundered as I don't know how to read a head and give the 'skip' advice.

My head started to fog up: I was under pressure and I knew it. Then I started to play less well than I would have liked, so the 'skip' started giving me advice and telling me what I already knew. I don't need that - I can tell when a shot is bad and I know why!!

I didn't enjoy the game and I am glad I am at home.

Now a lot of this is due to my body's response to various factors: fatigue, peer group pressure, self criticsm, lack of self-esteem and all the rest of the baggage we as humans carry. I shall probbaly feel fine tomorrow.

What has this got to do with church?

Well - and I shall not explain this very well - religion, faith and spirituality are put forward as the answer to mankind's problems. Trust in God and all that. What the church is not good at is realising that people respond in different ways on different days. We are all described as sinners and in need of redemption. Some of us are just trying to get through daily life as best we can. We don't need to be told we are imperfect into the bargain.

Where, I suppose, some people do find comfort in religion is in believing that there is a God who loves them despite their faults. So no matter how bad or useless a person believes their family, work colleagues and leisure & social contacts think a person is, then they are supposed to be comforted by the fact that there is an invisible friend in the sky who is on their side.

Me, I just want to lick my emotional wounds and feel better. I want to hide and hope my mind will sort itself out.

The Bishop of Oxford

The Bishop of Oxford has said that the church should marry gay couples. The issue does not worry me. I have known and worked with a variety of people with - let's say - differing sexual orientations. Most of these have been decent human beings who just want to get on with their lives. (I do not care for extremely rampant 'campness' such as we see on TV but I'm not getting into that here)

The problem the church has is Saint Paul and his teachings.

I've never liked St. Paul ever since I had his letter to the Romans as a set book for Divinity 'A' level (that's R.E. to you). What is more, I think the church has - over the years - based much of its teaching on St. Paul rather than that of Jesus. I am not particularly aware of what St Peter stood for. Surely he was the rock upon which the church was built.

There were similar problems 40 years ago (and still are in some places) over the church marrying divorced people.

The poor of C of E: it cannot make up its mind.

Another new hymn

On Sunday I shall play another hymn which is new to me, "Only by Grace". I'm not sure it really suits the organ but I will manage. Strangely I quite like it.

I looked for it on YouTube and found a few versions. I was annoyed that the video below does not include the syncopation quite correctly on 'enter' at the end of line 1 and in similar places. There is also a melodic line which, in my printed copy, goes B B B B G B B C at 'Into your presence you call us'. I did not find any videos where I could hear the G. A couple went to an A as a lower auxiliary note to the harmony; others fudged it and there was no distinct pitch.

Come on people: if you are going to have modern hymns, sing them correctly.

Trick or Treat

The meme below has appeared on Facebook in our local group. Clearly it seeks to defend those who trick or treat by making those who dislike the activity feel guilty (or something).

It is an American tradition which apparently came to the UK once peopke had seen it on the film "ET".

IMHO it is just an invasion of privacy and potentially a cause of anxiety and upset to older people. How do those who engage in the practice know whether or not someone has recently been bereaved, for example?

The church seems to do little to discourage children from embarking on this form of entertainment.

Bible stories

I have trouble with many Bible stories, especially when somebody reports something which was uttered even though they were obviously not present at the time. In fact I have serious doubts about much of the Old Testament.

Whilst some stories are, I suppose, 'fun' for children, what are we seriously asking them to believe? The image says it all.

Indoctrination

Slightly off my church topic, I came across this video. It does, however, link in with my view that the world is changing and strongly influenced by people with opinions out of line with mine.

A new hymn

I will be playing a hymn which is new, to me, on Sunday. I quite like it though. It is by Bernadette Farrell.

The service is a special one for the recently bereaved.

Christmas

It is still October but I have started to work up some Christmas voluntaries. I have a few Advent pieces up my sleeve.

The power of music

I have been a musician for as long as I can remember and my daughter - a rather clever scientist with a PhD - is also a fine vocalist. She has done her share of cathedral singing (sometimes with me) and choral work at university. (It is good to pass things on for others to carry the baton as it were.)

Quite a few years ago, even before she was an undergraduate, I accompanied her for her DipABRSM exam. One of the songs was "O Mio Babbino Caro". I have just come across this in a most unusual way. From this video I was able to find Jessica Norton (below) and I was moved to tears when I heard the song again.

It is not that I particularly love the song but I do love my daughter and the memories came flooding back.

Rain

The thing about being a roving organist (i.e. playing somewhere other than the place where you live) is the fact that one cannot just stay at home if the weather is bad. I had a 25 minute drive this morning on a dual-carriageway but the rain was tipping down. I would much rather have stayed at home. The rain was hitting the church roof through most of the service too and it made quite a noise.

This is one reason organists get paid. The congregation can stay at home and, sadly, many did.

Expectans Expectavi

When I was a chorister I loved Wood's "Expectans Expectavi". When I became senior organ scholar at university in 1979 I included it as an anthem on the music list. I was laughed at as were the music and the lyrics. Odd, then, that it is still a staple of cathedral music.

People have their own (musical) tastes but it does not mean that mine are wrong. I think this was a case of 'Christian' one-upmanship and I hope those responsible have grown up after 45 years.

Here it is - slightly slower than I like it but not the slowest I found!

Facebook funny

I saw this. Facebook can be cruel but 'many a true word...'. (The image references the C of E's cash shortage)

Conservatives

If the church has any use at all, worshippers should be praying for common sense in politics. The Conservatives are finished.

A day out

It was sunny yesterday so I felt the ground would have dried sufficiently to make a churchyard visit viable: I was correct. Although it was not exactly warm it was fine and I got a lot of checking done.

Over the next few weeks (months) I shall put together the memorial inscription book for the church where I am working. I have my next project planned for next year although it is further away.

Pipe or Digital

There is a bit of stink on Facebook because a church is having a recital - given by a famous person - on their custom built digital organ. Some people think they should have restored the pipe organ. The 'stink' concerns whether or not this person should be seen to be 'supporting' digital instruments. Really, the original poster is just moaning because a pipe organ has been discarded.

When one considers the cost of pipe organ upkeep it is not surprising that so many churches are turning to digital ones which can be far easier to play than a clapped out pipe organ.

Chanting

Once a month I play for a village Choral Evensong which follows the Prayer Book model (as it should!)

The small choir sing the Preces & Responses, Psalm, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, and an anthem: I think the congregation are join in with the canticles. Tnere are 3 hymns.

I applaud the church for holding this service even with a small congregation: 8, plus 8 in the choir, vicar and me =18.

I was amused yesterday after I had played the chant for the Magnificat through and put down the first chord for verse 1. This was followed by two different speeds of utterance/chanting:

My  soul  doth magnify  the  Lord

My souldothmagnifythe Lord

Just hymns

Last week there was a benefice group service, at a church where I now play, at 10.00. This morning - as the vicar needs to get to the next church for 1100 - the service (at the same place) was at 0930. I arrived at 0900 but the church was locked: the person due to greet worshippers was waiting outside.

The key-holder rota had gone wrong and we were temporarily locked out so the heat was not on, which is (I was told) the job of the person who unlocks.

Eventually it all got sorted out. There was no heat (the current energy crisis is causing caution) and the main door was left open (a hangover from COVID ventilation rules). Surprisingly, there was a small choir up in the chancel and the congregation (of 9) sat mainly at the back. It was decided that the communion setting would not be sung so it was just hymns today. One wonders what the point of a choir is in these two circumstances.

As a consequence the service was snappy and brisk without any needless padding. I played atmospheric music beforehand and a communion piece. My post-service voluntary was 3 minutes but half that would have done because the (digital) organ is right next to the coffee servery and people wanted their drink and biscuit.

It was a very autumnal day on the way but the sun had come out for the return journey.

Evensong tonight in another of the benefice churches.

Crazy Golf and the like

Small instruments

Most organists here in the UK preside over rather modest instruments although we probably all aspire to play large (new) organs.

A lot of new music is being composed for the organ around the world but much of it has been conceived on digital organs in homes and sounds very good. It will not, however, sound so splendid on a small two-manual English parish church organ.

Here is an example of what the composer hears at home.

It will be missed

There have been a great many comments in a Facebook group about the church which is closing.

Although the congregation is very small it seems that a number of people larger than the number in the current congregation do not wish the church to close and will miss it when it has gone. Cries of "Shame" and "Why is the C of E allowing this to happen?" abound. Here are a few which I hope are sufficiently anonymous.

• My grandad and my dad both sang in the choir at St Augustine’s both as boys and men and my mum and dad were married there 79 years ago.
• It was the church my mum went to. Generations of her family were married there, christened there, including me and {Name]. My grandmother spent a Lot of time there. She’d have been so upset to see this. My mum is upset.
• I went to the Sunday school there.
• So sad to see a historic building which is such an integral part of the community close for worship. Shame on the Diocese for letting it get in this state over the years. Hope it gets a secure future.

 I feel moved to say it is a case of 'use it or lose it'.

The organ will not be greatly missed although I worked for my ARCO on it. The bells were a superb Gillett & Johnson light 6.

Dementia

I went ringing today with a group which meets on a monthly basis. We visited a tower where I used to ring some 30 years ago. The then tower captain - I was told - is still alive but in a care home: he has dementia. His name appears on peal and quarter peal board in that and other towers.

I wonder about religion when I think about dementia. If a person is 'lost' where have they gone? If we are sinful beings and are ultimately to be brought to account for our wrong-doings by God, who will a person with dementia be when they die? Are they responsible for anything they do whilst afflicted?

Likewise, if everyone has a soul, how are children who die in infancy judged? What about people of other religions: do they get a 'free pass'?

Religion does not have answers to these and similar questions: I have asked. It is, apprently, all down to the grace of God.

It is often said that God has a plan for each of our lives. It can be very hard to work out what the plan was for someone murdered in an attrocity such as have been in the news recently.

Yet we carry on going to church, singing our hymns and behaving as if everything will turn out OK. Perhaps we are all like Julian of Norwich.

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

A church is closing

A church with which I used to be associated is having to close. Internet research tells me it is because of falling congregation numbers, which will be a big part of it. The roof needs to be repaired and they cannot afford to do that.

However, word has reached me - as I have friends in the area - that the main reason is that the building has been declared unsafe as a result of subsidence. Whether or not that subsidence is a result of nearby building work has not been established.

Hymns as punctuation

As an organist I play a lot of hymns. It sometimes seems to me that hymns are just punctuation points in the service and are only there because they are expected.

In fact, services start and end with a hymn so I feel these are important. One of my current gripes is that, after the Introit hymn, when our appetites have been whetted for worship, the service grinds to a halt and there are notices and other verbiage neither of which appear in the printed order of service.

Sometimes only the choir sing the communion hymn and people are obviously distracted in the Offertory hymn putting their collection in the bag (if that still happens post-COVID). Given that the Gradual hymn vanished temporarily one wonders what the point of hymns is.

Can a church service ever be perfect?

I doubt that one can go to church and not find a small issue with a service: perhaps just occasionally.

This morning was very close to perfect. I arrived in good time and found all the hymns (I had also looked in advance). The church was warm. I was able to set up some pistons and generals then I started to play 10 minutes before the service.

At 10am the church clock chimed: I had already stopped and we went into the first hymn. From that point onwards we followed the service book. There was no 'Show and Tell' and the sermon was very good (if a shade too long, perhaps).

I was struck by the confidence with which the choir and congregation joined in with the spoken parts of the service. At the end I played short voluntary and stayed for a coffee and a chat. These were nice people. There was no treading on egg-shells.

So often people go to church to act out a role. Some are persistently happy and expect others to be happy and jovial too.

It helped that it was a lovely day and that the church was light and spacious.

It mattered not that the organ was digital. In fact it did everything I wanted it to and I was not having to bother to avoid problem notes.

As much as I ever can I enjoyed church today.

Viscount Organ

Tomorrow I am playing at church which has a Viscount Envoy installed. It is a step up from the Cadet that I own although I prefer the sound of mine. I think I shall need to spend some time in the church another day setting up a 'User'- defined organ. Currently the settings are on Hill which I find quite rough.

I do not anticipate any of the hassle I have recently had, elsewhere.

Trials and Tribulations

When a church pays an organist a fee this is what they are getting. Trials and Tribulations occur when a church does not realise how long the list is.

• Many years of practice (ongoing)
  
• Years of experience
• Aural skills
• Alertness
• Sensitivity
  
• Investment in sheet music (or PDFs on an iPad, these days)
• Travel (vehicle maintnance)
  
• Time (A 9:30 service requires me ot leave home at 8:45 and get home at about 11:30
• Skill to deal with problems. So if an organ develops a fault - as happened to me last weekend, I made sure I could play the Wednesday funeral hymns in keys which avoided the intermittently sticking note. Unfortunately, another note was also apt to stick and so I had to revert to the keys in the hymn book or avoid both notes.
  
• The ability to lead a congregation by rhythmical playing
• Improvisation skills
• Sight-reading skills
• Advice (church wardens seem unaware that an organ need tuning or faults attending to. Tuning contracts are becoming a thing of the past so mosr visits are arranged by phone or email adn not by the tuner sending in and "I'm coming on..." card

I daresay I could think of more.

Things do not always work out

 I feel a chapter of my musical career is about to end.

Unpaid

Once again I have had to chase up payment for playing at a particular church service a month ago. This was an emergency request to play on the very day of the service. I did my part and turned up having practised the required music. I find it rude that the same sense of urgency has not been applied to my reimbursement.

Later Edit

I have just returned from a funeral at another church. When I arrived there was an envelope on the organ which I assumed contained the fee. It turns out it was something else so I have had to chase up the fee.

Also, the choir vestry is just behind the organ and the few singers who arrived spent 10 minutes chatting and laughing so I had to go to tell them it was not appropriate.

No information

I am playing for a funeral tomorrow. As yet I do no tknow the hymns. In years gone by this would not have bothered me. These days I look at hymns in advance just in case they are in different keys to the ones with which I am familiar. There is also one book in common use in which the harmony and arrangements are pretty poor. Add to that the fact that some people now select hymns which I may not know and it can be risky to turn up without preparation.

Like being in school

Yesterday’s service was, for me, an object lesson in why people do not go to church.

Who wants to be stuck in a cold building for an hour whilst they are spoken to as if they are children in a classroom? I go to some churches where the aim of the hour is actually to worship, and that is what we do. However, there is one place where I play where services go like this: (I’m sure I have said this before)

• Organ music before the service to set an atmosphere
• Atmosphere ruined by chatty, giggly introductory notices from ‘young’ vicar
• First hymn
• Then another giggly section is inserted which isn’t in the service book where people ‘stick their hands up’ to say what has gone well for them in the week just gone and for which they are thankful.
• Readings as normal and a Gradual hymn before the Gospel
• Sermon – again a lecture/lesson explaining the Bible and not really giving practical advice about faith in modern life. This can last up to 20 minutes and takes no account of the normal adult (or child) attention span.
• Creed
• Intercessions – we are told what to pray for but I suppose we need guidance on this
• After this the service does focus on the Eucharist
• Afterwards there is a hymn
• Just as we are about to leave – having ended the service, there are more notices before the dismissal.

When I was a teacher we were judged on whether or not our lessons had flow and momentum. Some services I attend are far too 'stop - start'.

Long service

I have had a dreadful morning: you couldn't make it up. I have material for a few posts, one may be quite long unless I cool down first.

The sermon today was given by a (senior) member of the congregation; a churchwarden I believe. It was about bread given that today was Harvest Festival.

She wanted to sum up, using children to hold up the ingredients of bread - flour, salt, water, fat, sugar, yeast. I guess it was all about different things make bread just as different people make up the world; you know, the 'talents' sermon I keep hearing.

Just as she was listing yeast and sugar a member of the congregation interrupted - at length - and sternly made the point that sugar is not strictly needed to make bread: it simply speeds up the yeast fermentation and is thus an idea from mass manufacture. She was 'keen' that the children did not leave the service with the wrong idea. She had missed the point, I feel.

The acted-out sermon (using children again) was long enough already without this delay and, in total, lasted 21 minutes.

It reminded me of the old story:

Hit Me Again

“I heard about a man who was supposed to preach for 20 minutes and he spoke for 30 and 40 and 50. An hour and 20 minutes later he was still speaking. The man who introduced him couldn’t stand it any longer and he picked up a gavel and threw it at the speaker. It missed the speaker and hit a man in the front row, and as the man in the front row was going into subconsciousness, he said, ‘Hit me again, I can still hear him.’”

Mob rule

A slightly different post today. The Katie Hopkins video below (for as long as it stays) is full of excellent points about the law.

I also find the comments about the mob wanting someone to fail to be so true. On a religious note, such people are the type who called for Jesus to be crucified. That's my view anyway.

People outside the UK may not know about the person she mentions and I don't know who the 'person from Luton is' but I think one can glean such a lot from this, even so.

Still waiting

My reader will know that I was called in to play for a special service on September 9th.

I sent in my invoice, not having been told what the fee was although I have played there before, and I didn't charge the full amount as there were only a couple on hymns and an anthem. (I did spend quite some time polishing it)

Although the choir director has been in touch and promised to chivvy the treasurer up I have still not been paid. I hope they deal with their invoices at the end of each month.

The truth and nothing but the truth

I have been going to church for a very long time because my parents promised my Grandparents (I don't think I have any Godparents) that they would ensure that I did. Initially I went to a Sudnay School at a Methodist church. When I became a chorister at the cathedral we - as a family - embraced the CofE and the rest is history.

If church-going drummed one thing home to my sister and I, back in the day, it was that telling the truth was absolutely vital. We were also brought up with characters such as Mrs-Do-As-You-Would-Be-Done-By as well as Biblical characters. So I get really fed up (P'd off) when people do not treat me correctly, as will be seen from previous posts.

What has prompted this post today is that on Yahoo there is a report that Liz Truss hass been criticised over ‘wildly dangerous’ false claims about £2,500 maximum energy bills.

It seems to me that we have exchanged one Prime Minister, whose view of the truth was askew from the norm, for yet another politician who does not know how to utter facts which are not wide of the mark, let's say.

I suppose going to church does not make one honest but I am sure that the decline of church-going has had a negative effect on society. We have lived for a long time in an England in which it seems OK to be 'economical with the truth'.

Weekday worship and The National Burial Grounds Survey

What is not generally realised by people, I feel, is that church services take place during the week between Sundays. Vicars are obliged to say the daily office and often do so by themselves.

I went out recording headstone inscripitons today and the church lights were on: there were just a couple of cars parked outside the church gate whereas, normally, there are none. I wondered if it was a meeting of some sort. I didn't need to enter the church because, pausing by the south door, I could clearly hear words which I recognised a part of the communion rite.

Eventually the vicar and an older gentleman emerged and walked up the churchyard path. I introduced myself because - although the PCC know am working on the MIs - the vicar has not actually been on touch, although he knew about it.

He thought I was part of the The National Burial Grounds Survey and wondered where my special equipment was. I said I just had a camera, paper and pencil.

The National survey will not - as far as I know - record inscriptions but what I have seen so far is pretty impressive as regards accuracy and locations.

When the church does harm

I am sure it is all different now but, growing up, one was exposed to church teachings. One of these was - as I understood it as a child - to 'like' everybody and not hate others.

It is unwise to tell children this because they will dislike quite a lot of their peers: they will also not be able to distinguish between simple dislike and genuine hatred. This will set up a situation of cognitive dissonance which they will struglle to solve.

Thus, I really could not stand a boy called Nigel who was at my school and in the choir. I was really worried about this and hoped God would not take in out on me in some way.

Growing up, children have to gain experience of the different personalities they will encounter and they have to learn to deal with them. Simply to suggest that if child A hates child B then child A is in the wrong can do great harm.

Imposing

This burial mausoleum (tomb, chamber, 'house') at Sharnbrook is quite unusual. Details here.

Only Nine

I played for a 09:30 service this morning (I've just had coffee at home). I arrived at 08:56 to get my books ready and because I usually ring before the service.

There were 5 in the choir and only 9 in the congregation plus the vicar and me: total 16. I suppose it is only small(ish) village but I noticed that the average age was at least 65. One wonders where the congregations of the future will come from.

It was a fairy brisk 55 minute service - not drawn out - which I like; 4 hymns but a communion setting was used for the Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei.

Gravel Path

I had not realised just how difficult it is to walk on a gravel path until last Wednesday.

Water

Many churches have sinks and taps in them where water can be obtained to make tea or for the flower arrangers to use. I had never seen anything like this before which is at Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire. It may not be their only source of water but it was unusual for it to be inside the church near the north door.

Nicotine

Earlier this month I played at a service where there was evidence that someone I know - who smokes - has played there a great deal (in fact I know he has; this is just confirmation)

Even though my mobile camera is useless at close up shots (or the operator is useless) I think the brown stains on the stop tabs make the point.

Five-part Fantasia

The music at the Her Majesty the Queen's funeral was of the finest quality and performed to an exceptionally high standard. I admit to disliking the way the Bach 5-part Fantasia was played with the notes inégales which were discussed on Facebook and probably elsewhere.

This is how the piece is normally played.

A Special Commemoration Service

I played for the two Special Commemoration services today at different churches in a benefice; I could have done three but I was not available.

The first was attended by about a dozen people and the singing was not very enthusiastic (I was told by my friend who came with me).

The second service had ringing beforehand (half-muffled) so I grabbed a rope: it was very well attended. Various uniform organisations were represented (British legion and the Brownies): banners and flags were presented at the start and the whole affair was dignified. The singing was lusty.

To be honest, had I got into a time machine and travelled back to the first half of the 20th century (say 1950) the atmosphere and type of person there might well have been the same. This was a sort of worship one does not see very often except, perhaps, in cathedrals

Busy

I am playing for three services tomorrow. One of those will be my last at a certain church. The other two are special memorial services for Her Majesty.

There are some silly people

I agree that a church bench should be repainted. One comment was that “It is inappropriate for mourners to be faced with an emotive symbol when respectful neutrality in such sacred surroundings is a reasonable sign of respect.”

So many things, these days, are done because they are flavour of the month and people like to jump on a bandwagon.

Before I read the story I thought it was in support of the LGBTQ+ community but it seems it was an NHS rainbow which the colours sought to convey.

So, if only because this colour combination can be misconstrued, it should be repainted.

Recording Inscriptions

This is a photo of what takes place when one is recording memorial inscriptions. As this image does not actually show any inscriptions it should not be possible to identify where it was taken, not that they would mind. It turns out that the nearest two monuments face east whilst most others face west (and are so old that they are very hard to read.

I number each headstone with a small white plant label so I do not lose my place and this number also appears on the photo that I take. It can be tiring work. I have a kneeler, which is not shown, and a stool to sit on. It keeps me occupied in retirement.

Headstone Inscription

I have been out today recording memorial inscriptions at a church where I am working on the entire churchyard - a huge task to take on single-handed.

Very often, as well as names and dates of death, a headstone will carry a long or short verse, not always from the bible. I have seen hymn verses used. Today I was confused by one I saw but I looked it up when I got home. It read:

Even to Hoary Hairs will I carry you

This is, in fact, a quotation from Isaiah 46:4, although it has hoar rather than hoary.

You live and learn.

No choir

No choir? Use you choir stalls for storage.

Ignored

I played at a new (to me) church today in a different benefice to normal. I have played at another church in this benefice where the people are very friendly. This, however, was a group service so there were representatives from all the churches.

Not wishing to suggest that nobody spoke to me, I was greeted by a couple of choir members and a couple of the congregation said "Hello" as I waited for coffee after the service.

However, largely I was ignored. Had I been a potential new member of the congregation I was not encouraged returned. Perhaps it was obvious that I was the organist and people concluded that I was just there to do a job. Nevertheless folk did break up into small groups and nobody really made the effort to engage me in conversation. I did try with one chap but he was having none of it.

It baffles me how one can go to church and hear the congregation praying to be made into better people and to uphold the Christian way of life: yet one is just ignored.

Something isn't right.

Marriage Vows

I am playing for a wedding again today although they have recorded music to go out to.

I am no longer married but it has always struck me - when times were hard for me - that it was a nonsense to oblige young people to utter the words "for better or for worse". How can young people (who think they have life experience but actually do not) make such a vow and stick to it? Many people do stick to it, of course, and find a way to manage; but the church is not being very realistic when it makes people say such words. Yes, it is a good aspiration but people change and relationships deteriorate.

Typically of the church, it dangles the notion that life will unfold in a certain way only to allow people to discover that life can be a bitch.

The marriage vows have changed a little I have noticed ('obey' was under debate even in 1983 when I tied the knot) so I shall listen today to hear what is promised.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

We were all floored by the sad news yesterday of the Queen's passing. She was not well and it was not, perhaps, a surprise: that does not mean it was not a shock.

The closest I ever got to the Queen was about 20ft. The occasion was the distribution of Maundy money in the 1970s when ex-cathedral choristers were drafted in to assist recipients who needs pushing in their wheelchairs.

I had a phone call earlier this morning to play for a service so I have had to brush up the organ part to Fauré's "In Paradisum"

Queen Elizabeth has been a stabilizing force for the country in my lifetime. Let's hope Charles carries on the good work.

Taken too early

Organists give their lives to their craft and some live to a ripe old age. Sadly some are taken far too early. That was so with one of my organ teachers who died aged 50. In my youth I had the great privilege of turning pages for him most days at Evensong. He played several pieces which I now play but I have never aspired to his level of excellence.

I came across this video today which reminded me of Andrew. I remember at least one occasion when I turned pages as he played this. R. I. P. dear man.

That will do

On the recent ringing meeting I was amused by the way the rope guides had been fixed to the wall. A hole had been made in a commemoration board [actually I'm not sure what the board said] as you can just about see from this dreadful photo (my phone camera is rubbish)

Ringing cliques

When I started bellringing in the 1970s it was common to be welcomed into a new tower as a visitor. Sadly, I find, this is less often the case.

On Saturday I attended a meeting of a guild branch (not my own branch) not too far away because I had not rung at the tower where they were meeting. The event started late and I actually wondered if anybody would turn up.

There was general chatter about the small size of the branch, illness, apologies for absence and so on. It was a 6 bell tower and there were, I think, about nine people present although 2 more arrived 50 minutes later as I was leaving.

It is always clear who the characters are: some ringers can be 'high-profile'. If they know each other then they relax into pre-established roles and a subconsciously agreed pecking order. New faces are not quickly incorporated into their 'private' clique.

Those present were all 'old' people in the range 55 - 70 (I'm guessing) although I suspect a couple were older than that. It struck me that it was not a readily welcoming group of people. They recognised that I could ring well (because I can) so that wasn't an issue. I did chat to one person I had rung with quite a long time ago whose name I saw in the 'signing in' book, but who I did not recognise by sight.

However, it soon dawned on me that the reason that this group (and the ringing fraternity in general) is struggling to attract new members is that they are all set in their ways despite what they may think. I once had the same experience when I briefly took up croquet.

They will all continue to ring until they are too old to do so and then wonder why no young ringers have come in to fill up the ranks. So sad.

Let's go to the pub

Oddly, I played for a Sunday wedding today. It seems to be the done thing to go to the pub before a wedding if you arrive early. The noise before the service seemed to suggest that guests were well-lubricated but at least they calmed down for the service and listened as the bride's sister sang a solo in the signing of the registers. She was very good too.

When organists die

Organists acquire a great deal of sheet music during their carreers. [This is changing as more music is issued as PDFs and people use iPads to read scores]

When an organist passes on the task of disposing of his or her music falls to the bereaved. Clearly a lot of money has been invested over time and simply to recycle it (i.e. throw it away) is a difficult pill to swallow. There is a website which will buy old music.

In my association, one member has been handed the music from a past member and - gradually - it is being sold. There must come a time when nobody will want the remainder, I feel.

Pullers

When I was taught to conduct at university it was made clear to all of us that the beat happened on the downward action by 'hitting' an imaginary line, level with one's breast line!

I have, unfortunately, seen quite a few videos where it is clear that the conductor is a 'puller', as it was called. That is to say they give the beat by pulling away from this imaginary line as if yanking a piece of chewing gum off the pavement.

So long as the choir know if they have a push or a puller it doesn't matter, I suppose, but it is irksome ot watch.

If you want to see this happening, watch some visiting choir videos on YouTube at Canterbury cathedral.

As a rider to this, there as a habit of some choir conductors in the 1980s to direct with their fingers pointed towards their bodies (no baton) in a quasi circular motion. They were known as tit-scratchers.

Seeing the organist

If a church has an organist, it will fall into one of two kinds of church. 1 - where you can see the organist and 2- where the organist is hidden away, possibly in an organ loft. The latter is very often the case in cathedrals (except when they use a detatched console).

Now the job of an organist is to accompany the singing. I also feel the pre-service music is to add atmosphere (although I have known heard players destroy it). The post-service voluntary is not a concert. One goes to organ recitals to hear the organ alone although good manners dictate that one would listen and not chatter near the console.

Even at a recital one does not see the organist although more and more places are using large screens onto which they project what happens at the console.

I was extremely lucky as a young chap to go to Evensong every day and turn pages for my teacher. He controlled the organ well in the days when playing aids were few and far between (and with my help to pull out some stops!). These days instruments have banks of generals and sequencer buttons. I was always in awe of my teacher's playing and I aspired to be like him. However, there are some players today whose powers are superhuman, both in terms of playing from memory and technique.

Once such man is Nathan Laube. I recommend this video you. I am blogging about it because we ought to be glad that our cathedrals are looking after their organs and having them rebuilt if necessary. This recital is one to watch as well as to listen to. In fact watching gives me as much pleasure and as many goosebumps as listening. How does he do what he does?

Block a hymn

This has been around for a while (since 2015) but has just surfaced (again) on Facebook. The full story is HERE.

It can be done

On Sunday (I've missed a couple of days as I've been busy) I played for a service which lasted 50 minutes. It started on time, had a sermon (not too long) and 4 hymns. So, if it can be done at one church why not at others?

I can manage an hour but I do get restless when clergy bang on for no reason and drag things out to 90 minutes. They do insist on trying to cover the whole of theology in their sermons rather than making one or two good points.

This church was part of another benefice and the vicar did have to get a few miles down the road to another service but it was refreshing to be at a service which covered all the necessary elements and flowed well.

It is a shame that it is 20 miles away!

Late (and long) wedding

What was I saying yesterday?

Today I went to a churchyard in Cambridgshire to do some memorial recording as I had been told there were no weddings until September: this had clearly changed. At 12.05 I saw two smartly dressed people who confirmed there was 13:00 wedding. At about 12:20 the bells started to ring so I decided to go up to the ringing chamber to see if there were any inscriptions up there. I confirmed that I could ring and was invited to do so. At about 12:55 I departed but the others carried on (it was odd to ring both before and after a wedding I thought and it would take a long time out of one's day).

I descended the tower stairs but, at the bottom the door is right next to the West door which was open, and I saw and heard the vicar. He said something about "We've got some tissues somewhere". So I assumed the bride was waiting to come in and was having an tearful moment. She did not enter and the bells started up again. The poor organist was running out of pieces to play.

I hid a few steps up the spiral staircase, not wanting to spoil any photographs of the bridal party entrance. I waited. eventually I decided to see what was going on as I had a choice of two exits. There was nobody at the West door so I escaped.

The bells rang for another 15 minutes until the bridal part eventually entered at 13:15. The service finally ended at 13:55. This, to me, is annoying. What is there to do? All a bride has to do is put on a posh frock and go to church. OK, it is a special service but it is just a church service.

Why are so many brides late?

Long weddings

When I used to play for weddings in the past they used to last about 35 minutes. These days they often last just short of an hour. Why? Many reasons. One is the captive audience and the chance to preach.

Today I rang for a 12:30 wedding which had no organ music. The hymns were accompanied and led by a gospel quartet and a small electronic keyboard.

The person taking the service was not robed. He gave a talk in the middle of the service and looked like a game show presenter as he was holding a hand mike. I expected him to start calling out Bingo number at any time.

The talk was far too long. People were getting restless. Why does a member of the clergy want to share his entire views on marriage on the actual day of the marriage? Surely he should do some of this in the preliminary meetings with the couple.

Just saying!

Stop choices

Some of the organs I play these days can be quite hard work and so I have noticed that I use Swell-to-Great less regularly. Many Swell departments do not really add much and one can gain sufficient variety of tone and volume with just the Great alone. In fact, skipping onto the Swell for a hymn verse then becomes a further resource.

When accompanying a choir it is best to stay largely on the Swell because English organs usually have a woolly flute stop on the Great which clouds the sound.

In the county where I live there are many small instruments but some are surprisingly versatile and lovely to listen to: they fill the church with sound. Of course, one would not play cathedral-style post service voluntaries on them.

Countdown to Christmas

It is only August but plans are afoot for Christmas (my least favourite time of year). Deputy organists (for churches without a regular player) are now being booked. Websites are gearing up to sell seasonal sheet music (as PDFs).

Most churches will have a service on Christmas Day although if people have been to Midnight Mass (which does not seem to happen everywhere these days) they are unlikely to go on the day itself.

How many more weeks of this? Have the shops got their Christmas stock in?

Where congregations sit

In the UK, church congregations like to spread out. (Image processed for 'security')

Reliving my youth

I enjoyed Evensong yesterday. It reminded me of my early days as a youthful organist. I still have to concentrate very hard on the pointing of the psalms. This is because

1. When I was a chorister we used the Oxford Psalter, not the Parish Psalter
2. As a chorister I sang mainly Evening psalms (including the whole of the 15th evening) so Morning pslams are rather unfamilar to me
   
3. The chants in the Parish Psalter are not always the best

I willingly joined in with the prayers because I know them so well and they are like friends to me. I can still hear the voice of my aunt saying the General Confession and of the bass lay clerk, Mr Lloyd, saying the Creed as I stood near to him.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the holy Ghost, Born of the virgin Mary, Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hell, The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the holy ghost, The holy Catholic Church, The Com̄union of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.

And we'll have none of this, 'he descended to the dead' stuff which the C of E seems to have stuck in.

It didn't stick

Yesterday

I got through the wedding yesterday and the organ did not play up. I am glad I went to do some practice as working on my home digital organ can give me a false sense of security.

The couple brought their dog to the service which barked in a few amusing places. The choir was made up of singers from nearby church. They had taken their places by the time the vicar did the pre-service announcements. Of course, one of the them left their phone on which rang just before the service.

I didn't realise it was 'a thing' to wear brown shoes with a black suit, as the groom did. My father would have been disgusted.

Today

I played for two services today. I heard the same readings and heard two different sermons about the same reading from Luke.

I have an Evensong to play for later and I am quite tired today so this post is not very long.

Will it stick?

I am playing for a big wedding tomorrow. Some of the music is on a CD and other pieces are being sung by the bride's friend while the couple sign the registers. I am tasked with playing the hymns and the outgoing music.

The organ is quite small and, although it was completely overhauled in 2020, it takes a lot of effort to play it. I had not had a long practice session on it before yesterday but some faults had become annoying during services and I found out about these during those services!

Yesterday middle C# on the pedals started to stick towards the end of my practice. I discovered that there is not tuning contract with the people who worked on it. I presume the church people think that now it has had money spent on it, that's 'job done'. (Many churches round here do not have tuning visits and some only have one annual visit.)

I emailed the builder but he is abroad and quoted a substantial fee, in his reply, for a service visit had he been able to come.

As I have mentioned before, with falling congregations and services held only one a month, the amount of cash a church takes in is seriously compromised. Organ tuning is not a priority.

I can only hope the C# does not stick on Satruday.

Box pews

This is how it used to be!

I suppose 'church' is seen as a very archaic institution because it holds onto history. Yet, it discards old modes of worship and introduces new-fangled ideas such as "Show and Tell". What a mismatch!

Pournelle's Iron Law

A short time ago I had an email from a blog reader with whom I am in contact. He pointed me to Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy which states

First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.

Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.

The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.

It seems to me (if I have undertsood the point) that this is why organists and vicars are sometimes at odds.

My main goal is to enhance worship with my organ playing. It seems that some vicars (administrators) want to introduce new ideas and throw out tradition thinking that, by doing so, they are actually in the dedicated group.

I hope I have got that right.

More things

 

This is an interesting view. On the wall is an old bassoon, presumably from the days when churches had a music group. Also note the collection box: there were four on the wall, only 1 is clearly visible. Then note the books. Many churches now have books at the back either for sale (to raise funds) or to be borrowed. Finally there is the coffee maker for social time after a service.