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.