Congregations

It is clear - moreso than ever before - that congregations are getting older and smaller in size. Most of the churches I have played at are short of cash*. I do not ask a particular fee when I play, they are free to offer me whatever honorarium they can afford. (That said, there comes a point when it is not worth my while going).

If there is a congregation of 20 and each person puts £5 into the collection that is £100 so the church takes £5200 a year as a ball park figure. You can Google to find out how a Parish Share is calculated; this pays for clergy, pensions, training and other things.

Little wonder some places do not have their organ tuned. However, I have seen many churches where they have splashed out to have kitchens, a toilet and other facilities built, so there is money about.

The situation will get harder and not easier.

*That said, one church has spent a lot on the equipment necessary to stream services now that people are staying away. Who wants to turn out to a cold church when they can watch at home?

Two services and two long drives

I set off at 0720 to get to a church some 54 miles away for 0900 in time to prepare for a 0930 service. I arrived by 0845 despite having gone the wrong way on the M1 at Collingtree (the road signs were dreadful) but I was able to double back after 2 miles. The M1 is limited to 60mph for much of the way to Luton. I needed to leave at Junction 9 and found my way easily having 'driven' it on Google maps.

I had looked up the organ on NPOR but there were no photos and the additions of the pistons had not been recorded. So, when I arrived I found a really nice instrument with plenty of stops and a comfortable console. If anything it could do with a manual 16' or a swell suboctave, but it hasn't: so there!

The service went well and I sight-read the communion setting and anthem. I grabbed a cup of coffee and drove to the next village for the 1115 service and also managed to have one ring on a bell. The organ I expected to be there was not! It has been replaced by a rather lovely small one manual German instrument.

So, I played the same hymns at both services (plus one new one to me at the second) and heard the sermon twice. This was fine because the incumbent was excellent. She has an excellent rapport with both congregations and didn't faff about and waste time. She spoke with authority and in a strong voice, using good diction. I would have been happy to be a member of her flock had I lived locally. We must have some dodgy clergy in my area.

Lunch was at the local pub where I had a satisfying roast lunch and apple crumble.

The return journey took me through Dunstable (I had decided I'd had enough of the M1) and Woburn then up the A509.

I had offered to play on a whim having seen this advertised on Organists Online as I posted yesterday. It was a good day out.

A day out

Yesterday (when I didn't post) I actually visited the website Organists Online and found a church which needed an organist on Sunday. It is about an hour's drive away but - as I am doing nothing else, and the weather looks good - I have offered to play. Needless to say they are very glad.

I will post about how it went.

This morning I took part in a composite recital (5 blokes each playing for about 10 minutes each) in a town some 15 miles away. I played OK but there were some slips. Most were things I can attribute to playing an unfamiliar organ. There was one slip I am annoyed about because I have nailed it every time in private practice. That's just life I guess.

Lack of cash

I am lucky in that the organ I play each month (on the 1st Sunday) has recently been thoroughly restored: that is not to say it is easy to play as it is old and requires a good deal of effort. I have also been asked to play another fine instrument on the 3rd Sunday of the month.

When I am called in to play for funerals I can be presented with challenges. So far, the organs I have played have sounded very good in that they were well-voiced. However, some things do not work and one has not been tuned since 2016 (luckily it has no reed stops and flues stay in tune pretty well). To be honest, there is no money to pay for a rebuild

With dwindling congregations and changes in the styles of worship (and music) in our churches I do not see how the organ can continue to be a part of church life and I would think - before the century is out - there will be fewer organs and organists about. Many instruments are being removed.

I will leave that thought here.

Yes Gradual Hymn

I have just had the hymn list for the next few months from one church where I play. The Gradual hymn is back! 😀

No Gradual Hymn

At two churches where I play the organ they have scrapped the Gradual Hymn. This is on the basis that they wanted to reduce the amount of singing during Covid and, presumably, the amount of time people are in the building by reducing the service time. (Hint - shorten the sermons!).

The services start with an Introit hymn. To my mind there is a very long time between singing the Gloria which is soon afterwards, until the Offertory hymn which follows all the readings (3), sermon, Creed, Intercessions and Peace. The service seems unbalanced.

I believe this change will remain and hymnody will again suffer.

Enjoyable church

I played for a service this morning - I shall not say where - and they had a stand-in vicar (I'll call him George) because the usual priest was on holiday. He was excellent. He was a retired RE teacher (ordained) who knew how to give the service both pace and dignity. His sermon was one of the best I have ever heard as it was pitched at normal people yet had something profound to say which he illustrated with pertinent examples from his own life, but without banging on at length. I loved his style, vocal modulation, and his strong sense of authority which was blended with pastoral empathy and an obvious humility.

It turns out he plays the organ occasionally so he appreciated my playing, which was a bonus.

When I arrived the church heating was on but the door was wide open: this is for Covid ventilation - I get it - but a waste of money in some ways and not very environmentally friendly.

The service was introduced by one of the churchwardens who did not use the microphone and she had to restart having moved nearer the congregation. Another lady read the intercessions but her first action was to push the microphone stalk away from her by 90 degrees!

The congregation was small but the choir had some 8 members who sang a communion hymn, alone, quite well, although the sopranos were weak.

All in all, this has cheered me up but I fear George is a rare 'animal' in the church these days. It was so nice to have things done correctly.

Do your own thing

A few times, recently, I have had to play at services where there has been a baptism. (To me this just makes the service longer but I suppose I get bored easily and Christians are meant to welcome new members of the flock.) My children were baptised in private ceremonies.

What has got my goat is the way that some churches add their own little bits into the service. It used to be the case that a baby was anointed with the Oil of Chrism and then baptised with water. All fine.

A few weeks ago the vicar (who was the baby's grandfather and invited to perform the ceremony) got ALL the Godparents (and parents) to anoint the infant AND say the short verse which goes with this procedure. Clearly, some of those involved were uncomfortable with this but did it anyway.

Then there is a church which has extra bits in the Eucharistic prayer. They break up the long prayer of consecration with "Why do we do XYZ?" and the response from the congregation "Listen and you will hear."

All kinds of services

Having worked at a boarding school for 16 years I have only just started visiting other churches on Sundays. I have noticed that all sorts of weird services have been invented. Here are a few.

• Messy Church (I think this has been around a while for children)
  
• Cafe Church (sit round a table and munch while you worship?)
• Cupcakes and Fizz (another for children)
• All Age worship (well, not so weird)
  
• Forest Church (Hug a tree?)
  

There will be more!

Typo

I played for a funeral this week. There was a typo in verse 3 of the hymn below (vv.4-5 not shown). "Yeah" should be "Yea". Why do people not check? Also, I was due to play Handel's "Largo" at the start and I asked for a cue from one of the funeral directors as the start of the service was to be different to normal. Although he said he would let me know, he didn't, so the vicar launched into the service after I had stopped improvising (after proper pre-service voluntaries). Anyway, the congregation stayed to hear the closing piece and I played the "Largo" after that as they departed.

Beginning with G

"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God." [Luke 5:1]

This line occured in the Gospel reading at a church where I was playing the organ a couple of weeks ago. Clearly, the reader had not had time to prepare the passage. The place name 'Gennesaret' caused a stumble and was replaced with "a place beginning with G"

A year has passed

I see that it is a year since I last posted on here [there was a February 2021 post but I have deleted it] because I had started a different blog. I didn't get far with that because Covid meant I was put on furlough. Thus, tracing the last year in which I was employed as a teacher was rather pointless.

I am mulling over using this blog to comment on the state of the church. I'm too tired to start tonight though.