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.

Bellringers' Outings

Bellringers like to go on outings and I join a group once a month. We visit 2 towers in the morning, have a pub lunch, and then visit 1 in the afternoon.

On Wednesday we started with a lovely ring of 6 where I have been once before. Next was an OK ring of 6 but I didn't like them as much, although they were not particularly hard work. I did not go to the 3rd tower because they are such hard work. (It turns out that it was as well I didn't go or have lunch because DHL had left me a parcel in direct sunlight and in full view of the street)

It is a sad fact that, when we visit some towers, we find evidence of past bands of ringers and a set of lovely bells: the church has no longer has a ringing band.

At other places the bells are so heavy and badly maintained that no learners would ever cope, so a band cannot be taught. It all comes down to money again.

I have noticed one thing in common with organs. IF money is sent on an organ overhaul, then it is just an overhaul and the instrument does not always become easier to play, although it will go on for longer. I have also known bells and fittings to be overhauled but then they are not actually any easier to ring and they do not sound any better.

Luckily, many organ and bell projects do yield good results and are worth the money spent. It is up to the church to ensure that they obtain value for money. Simply cleaning an organ does little real good if the action is shot.

Appeals

It seems to be church appeal time. Two have come my way recently.

The Richard III window project at Barnard Castle.

The 600 appeal at Higham Ferrers, Northants. The link will take you to a page with an audio explanation from Richard Oberman who sang in the choir when I was organist: he is quite a character. One of their (Biblical) ideas is to issue £10 to people and encourage them to return it on Advent Sunday together with extra money they raise from fundraising with an activity they are good at - knitting, baking cup cakes or wood-turning.

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.