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')