Number 7 June 2004 Editorial Comment Questionnaire

The results of last year’s questionnaire are published within, and some interesting facts emerge from it, particularly from the if only ... “ section of it. A large number of respondents wished for a four- part choir/more singers/an effective recruitment scheme. Regarding this, the are a number of strategies that can help. In this issue of SOUNDBOARD, David Wilkinson writes about his twenty eight-member choir in Rathfarnham (do read his article), and in recent years, the Editor has increased the size of his choir in Howth to about twenth two. There must be many others who have had success in assembling and/or maintaining choir numbers, and we ask that they write a paragraph or two about this for the next SOUNDBOARD. Material forthcoming, we will assemble a article that should provide help for those that may be struggling.

Another matter highlighted by the questionnaire is the desire for one-day or afternoon seminars or workshops on various aspects of church music. This are distinct possibilities here and the Committee will investigate the practicalities of it for next academic year. The Editor already has ideas! Perhaps others also have specific ideas or suggestions? Practical help is also possible for some of the other matters identified; keep in touch!

Book of Common Prayer

The new edition of the Prayer Book is very much a “hot” matter at the moment. First thoughts on the part of the Editor were personally (i) it is good to have the canticles (most of them anyway) printed in the service of Morning Prayer, and not in another part of the book — as was the case with the APB; (ii) great disappointment that the text of some of the psalms has been changed almost out of recognition and for no apparent reason; in particular, the beautiful English of Ps. 65 (e.g., “Thou O God art praised in Zion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem”) has been made so banal (“Praise is due to you, O God in Zion; to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.”). At least the option is there of using the text of the 1926 prayer book.

Another disappointing feature is the omission of many of the pointing symbols in the psalms and canticles — making it still more difficult to chant (who was responsible for such a decision?). In Howth — and no doubt in other churches — we will have to have a session or two with red biros and add approximately an estimated 1100 missing symbols to each of the twenty choir prayer books.

Readership

It has come to the attention of the Committee that more people would like to receive and/or read SOUNDBOARD than those that are on the mailing list, and the Committee is happy to make more copies available. Would your rector/minister be interested in having a copy? Would you like a copy or two for your choir, or for any particular members of it? If ‘yes’, send an e-mail to Churchmusicdublin@eircom.net, or contact David McConnell on (01) 497 3745, who will make the arrangements.

SOUNDBOARD A Newsletter for Church Musicians

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?

Editorial Comment

The Questionnaire —

what it told us

A “Top Ten” Recessional

Voluntaries Here are some

ideas for voluntaries — from

ten amateur organists

Church Music in

Rathfarnham

David Wilkinson writes about

the high standard of music in

Rathfarnham Parish

Simple Organ Music — the

music of Caleb Simper and

William Lloyd Webber

The RSCM in Ireland —

what it is and what it does, by

Tom Gordon

The Kildare Cathedral

Choir Derek Verso describes

a novel approach to a provincial

cathedral choir

A Tale of Two Churches

David McConnell writes about

his “other” organist’s post

Notes & News

An Organist’s Crossword

SOUNDBOARD is published by the

Church Music Committee of the

Dublin & Glendalough Diocese of the

Church of Ireland. Views expressed

in signed articles, letters and

advertisements are not necessarily

those of the Church Music

Committee

Secretary: Ruth Maybury,

Editor:

Randal Henly

www.churchmusicdublin.org

In November 2003 a questionnaire was sent to the organists known to play on most Sundays or less often in all churches (but not the two cathedrals) in the dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough.

These churches are grouped into 54 parish units: 43 can be classified, broadly, as being urban/suburban; 11 as being rural.

Questionnaires were sent to 86

organists. A reminder was posted at the end of December. By 31 January 2004, 54 (62%) had responded.

Respondents were presented with six questions.

QUESTION 1: Do you find the Remuneration Guide-

lines (issued annually) helpful?

Yes 89% No 2% Not relevant 9%

QUESTION 2: Is your remuneration greater than,

the same as, or less than the guidelines recommended for your situation?

Remuneration greater 17% Remuneration the same 42% Remuneration less 15% No fee accepted 7% Guidelines not relevant 13% No information given 6%

QUESTION 3: Do you have a written letter of appointment/contract?

Yes 22%; No 78%

QUESTION 4: Are you interested in in-service

training/continuous professional development opportunities, if they were easily available?

Interested 57%; Not interested 43%

QUESTION 5: Taking a broad overview of your

current position as organist and the conditions under which you operate, what three changes do you consider would make things easier for you and help you to be more effective in your work as a church musician? Your response may cover all rele- vant issues - musical, adminis- trative, organisational, financial, and the like. In responding, you may find it useful to prompt your thinking with the words ‘If only … …"

33 organists (61%) responded to this question. Their expressed views have been grouped by reference to ten topics or issues. The number preceding each ‘wish’ refers to the number of those listing that item.

If only … …

Training 4 there were one-day or afternoon

training seminars/workshops, perhaps funded by the parish

3 there was an objective assessment of the effectiveness, outcome and impact of the church music training scheme

2 there were training sessions for musicians on the new forms of service

1 there were effective musical training for theological students, e.g. ‘how to get the most out of your organist’

1 organists would update their skills

1 I were able to improve my personal musical ability

Lists of music 3 there were a display/lists of

appropriate choir and organ music available

1 there was a music store with a dedicated selection of music relevant to parish church musician

1 there was a list of recommended chants for psalms

Choirs 10 I had a four-part choir

again/more singers/an effective recruitment scheme

2 funds were available to pay a core quartet

2 there was a junior choir/more teenage involvement in church/courses for teenagers

2 the choir would notify me of intended absences and so avoided wasted rehearsal time

2 there were a more serious commitment/better punctuality on the part of the choir

1 there was a periodic visit by a roving choir trainer

Deputy/assistant organists

2 it were easier to find deputies

2 there were more young keyboard players/deputy organists from within the local congregation/ choir

1 more organists would agree to deputise

Remuneration 1 the parish would pay the

recommended rate 1 the parish would apply more

resources to the music

Organs, pianos 3 the organ received the attention

and servicing it needs, perhaps with funding from central sources

1 I had access to a piano for rehearsals

Clergy 3 the services were planned more

in advance/good notice given of any changes to readings, choice of hymns, etc.

1 the clergy were willing to try new hymns and settings and en- courage the children to take part

1 the clergy would agree to a formal

planning meeting every (say) three months

1 the clergy kept the traditional services (such as the carol services) going

1 there was better communication between clergy and musicians

1 there was more give and take between clergy and congregations

1 the clergy would provide pastoral care to an organist not resident in the parish

Revised liturgies 2 there were a moratorium on new

prayer and hymn books for at least 25 years

1 the words of hymns in the new hymnbook and not been changed

1 there were more awareness of use of psalms and canticles

Congregations 1 there was more feedback from

congregations

1 the congregation were more open and accepting to new hymns

Miscellaneous 1 I did not have to rush from one

church to the next on a Sunday morning

1 there were an ‘organist’s society’

such as the defunct Leinster Society of Organists and Choirmasters

QUESTION 6: Please add any other observations/- suggestions you may wish to make.

5 respondents made observations

• Deputy organist list is valued

• Next hymn book should be capable of opening flat

• The new hymn book with melody lines is too heavy

• Some deputy organists appear to be unwilling to travel far

• The work of the Committee is valued

• Has an excellent relationship with Rector and Select Vestry

RESULTS OF THE 2003 QUESTIONNAIRE

Ten amateur organists were asked to list their ten most-often-played recessional voluntaries — and this has resulted in the list that follows. Asterisks indicate the number of those listing a particular piece. Some of the contributors mentioned the fact that some pieces are seasonal, being played on a particular Sunday of the year. It is hoped that this article will provide some ideas for organists to add to their repertoires.

It is also hoped, for the next SOUNDBOARD, to continue the series, with an article A Top Ten Introductory Voluntaries — in the same style. So, we appeal to all organists out there: please let us have a list of the ten introductory voluntaries that you play most often. Please don’t assume that there will be enough contributions without yours; the more there are, the more objective the article will be.

* Adamson, John Postlude in C major

**** Bach Toccata in D minor

* Bach Toccata from Adagio in F

* Bach Sheep may safely graze

* Bach Prelude in G mi from Book 1

** Bach Jesu, joy

** Bach Prelude in C from Book 1

* Bach Prelude & Fugue in B flat from Book 1

* Bach Air on a G string,

* Bach St Anne Prelude & Fugue

** Bach Wachet Auf

** Boëllman Suite Gothique (parts or all)

* Boyce Vivace in D from Ten Voluntaries for the Organ or Harpsichord

* Burt, W.H. Marche des Troubadours

** Charpentier Te Deum Prelude

*** Clarke Trumpet Voluntary

* Clementi Sonatina No. 5

* Daquin Noel

* Dubois Toccata

* Elgar Triumphal March from

Caractus

* Fletcher, Percy E. Postlude

* Gotsche Wedding Prelude, Op. 55

* Grieg Homage March from Sigurd Jorsalfar

** Guilmant Grand Choeur

* Guilmant March Triumphal

* Gluck Che Faro (What is life to me without thee)

* Gluck Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Orfeo et Eurudice

* Handel March from Scipio

** Handel March from Occasional Overture

* Karg-Elert Chorale - Improvisation on Nun

Danket Alle Gott

* Karg-Elert Choral Improvisation in A

** Lang, C.S. Tuba Tune in D

* Lefebure-Wely Sortie in E flat

* Maunder Excerpts from Bethlehem

* Mendelssohn War March of the Priests

* Mendelssohn Italian Symphony (1st

movement)

* Mendelssohn Heaven & Earth Display from Athalie

* Mendelssohn War March of the Priests

* Meyerbeer Coronation march from Le

Prophete

* Mozart March of the Priests from Die Zauberflote

** Mozart Alleluia from Exultate Jubilate

* Nicolai Overture to Merry Wives of Windsor

** Purcell Rondo from Abdelazar

** Purcell Trumpet Tune (and Air)

* Stanford Love came down at Christmas

** Stanley Trumpet Tune in D

* Stanley Several movements from

Voluntaries for the Organ

* Pachelbel Canon in D

* Praetorius Ballet des Marelotz

* Rossini William Tell overture

* Verdi Grand March from Aida

* Vivaldi Four Seasons (Spring)

** Wagner Grand March from Tannhauser

** Wagner Pilgrim's Chorus from Tannhauser

* Walford Davies RAF March Past

* Walton Spitfire Prelude

* Walton Scherzetto from Three Pieces for Organ

* Widor Toccata from Symphony 5

* Young, Gordon Prelude in the Classical Style

A “TOP TEN” RECESSIONAL VOLUNTARIES Janet Ashe, Judy Cameron, Randal Henly, Valerie Johnston, Philip Lawton, Ruth Maybury,

Donald Maxwell, John Rowden, Derek Seymour, Derek Verso,

*** Handel Hornpipe from Water Music

* Handel Minuet & Trio from Water

Music

* Handel Bouree from the Water Music

* Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

* Handel Let the Bright Seraphim from

Samson

** Handel Hallelujah Chorus

* Handel He was despised

** Hollins A Trumpet Minuet

* Howells Psalm Prelude Set 2, No. 3

Rathfarnham is a thriving Church of Ireland parish with 535 families, making it one of the largest in the Republic. Last year we launched our Christ First Project, the aim of which is to implement a new form of collaborative ministry, led by both laity and clergy, which will meet the needs and aspirations of people in a changing cultural environment. The Project Steering Committee, of which I am a member representing "Music", covers every facet of parish life from "Welcome" to "Spirituality and Faith".

Music is a key element of worship in the Church of Ireland, and plays a most important part in our services. It is seen as one of the strengths of Rathfarnham and therefore, in the context of Christ First, it is a case of continuing to develop along current lines. The music must enhance parish worship, which is lively and relev- ant within an Anglican framework.

There are three choirs in the

parish:

• Senior Choir, with 9 sopranos, 8 altos, 6 tenors and 5 basses

• Junior Choir, with 7 boys and 14 girls

• Youth Choir, with 7 members

There are four services each Sunday: 8.00 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 12.00 midday, 7.00 p.m. The main service is the 10.30 a.m., with an average congregation of 230. The actual services vary throughout the month: Holy Communion, using a form of service from another part of the Anglican Communion e.g., New Zealand, South Africa; Family Service, in which the Junior Choir participates; Holy Communion, using BCP contemporary language service; Morning Prayer. The choirs operate, therefore, in an exciting environment of varied and, at all times, relevant forms of worship.

The Senior Choir leads the worship at all 10.30 a.m. services. There are rehearsals each Wednesday evening in the Church, at which the average attendance is about 22. The reason for this dedication and commitment is largely due to the fact that rehearsals are both challenging and enjoyable. While we sing settings of the Gloria, Gospel Responses, Sanctus and Lord’s Prayer at communion

services, only a small proportion of rehearsal time is devoted to basic music for the following Sunday. As everything is planned well in advance, and the hymns for the

following month are chosen by the Rector and myself at our monthly meetings, forthcoming new items are included in rehearsals where appropriate. The Choir also has a wide, and ever-increasing, repertoire of devotional music which is sung during Communion.

The main purpose of each rehearsal is to learn special music for future occasions such as Harvest Festival, Advent, Carol Service/Christmas, Palm Sunday and Easter, and other Sundays throughout the year. For example, on the fourth Sunday of each month we include, where possible, an appropriate anthem, occasionally with flute or clarinet — which allows time for quiet reflection. Congregations enjoy listening to as well as participating in hymn-singing. The music at all times is varied, challenging, and appealing – both classical and modern – and includes com- positions by, for example, Carter, McCann, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Rizza, Rutter, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Wilcocks.

The Junior Choir rehearses each Friday from 2.15 – 3.00 p.m. in the Church. It generally provides three items at the monthly Family Service, and also participates in the Sunday evening Organisations Services at Harvest Festival and on Palm Sunday. At the time of writing they are rehearsing the "Resurrection Rock" by Sheila Wilson for April 4th. They are a very lively bunch, looking resplendent and angelic in their Junior Choir sweat-shirts, and certainly enjoy the challenge of participating in the Choir.

The Youth Choir is small but very

enthusiastic, and consists mainly of former members of the Junior Choir. Accompaniment is provided by guitars, with special effects as appropriate, plus piano occasionally. Unlike the Senior and Junior Choirs where I select the music, the Youth Choir is very much a joint effort, and the members are encouraged to come up with their own ideas. Owing to the pressures on secondary-school students, the Youth Choir only participates in services at Advent, Christmas, Confirmation and Easter, with rehearsals on the five preceding Sundays from 11.45 to 1.00 p.m. Last Advent Sunday the choir combined with the Senior

Choir in opening the service with "Prepare Ye" from Godspell — commencing with Youth Choir and

guitars, and gradually building-up to a spine-tingling climax as piano, Senior Choir, choir descant, and finally organ joined in.

On those Fifth Sundays during "The

Season" (September to May) we try to do something different at 10.30 a.m. On Advent Sunday we held a Songs of Praise, and on 29th February the Dublin Gospel Choir led the music at Morning Prayer. This added another dimension to our worship, and the attendance of about 600 (almost all parishioners) equalled that on Christmas Day. The Youth Choir was very impressed, and it is planned to send them to the next Workshop organised by the Gospel Choir.

The choirs also get involved in some "extra-curricula" activities! The Senior Choir produced a CD/- Cassette — "A Joyful Celebration" — in 2001. At Christmas they always sing in some local nursing home, and also are involved in ecumenical services. All three choirs have participated in charity concerts with the Stedfast Band in Rathfarnham Church – which affords an opportunity to sing entertaining secular music. Last summer, during June and July, the tenors and basses thoroughly enjoyed learning some Barber-Shop songs, which were performed at a parish dinner/cabaret as part of the launch of the Christ First Project.

And of course it cannot be all work all of the time! There must be some time for relaxation and socialising. "Thank-You’s" take various formats:

• The Senior Choir is asked to the Rectory for mulled wine before Christmas; come to our house in January for supper and a chat, and also to hear the choir items from the

CHURCH MUSIC IN RATHFARNHAM David Wilkinson

recent Carol Service; have an end- of-season BBQ in the Rectory garden in May.

• The Youth Choir is more

adventurous! — last year the Rev. Anne Taylor and I brought them Quad-Biking, while the previous year we "roared" past Dalkey Island with Sea Thrill.

• The Junior Choir is brought on two outings per year — after Christmas to a show, and in May to some outdoor activity — for example, to Fort Lucan. Each trip includes a mandatory stop at MacDonalds.

Obviously a lot of hard work and effort goes on behind-the-scenes in order to run three successful parish choirs. But I believe that the effort is well worthwhile when one receives such ongoing support from each choir, and positive feedback from parishioners. In addition to the music provided by the Choirs, I play the organ for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before each morning service — classical/non-classical, traditional/contemporary music — and also, of course, a concluding voluntary. As we very seldom use Anglican chanting, we incorporate the psalms into our services either in the form of anthems, or read with quiet background organ or piano music. Some of Ludovico Einaudi’s piano pieces are very appropriate, and can also be used for variation during Holy Communion.

Life is never dull in Rathfarnham

from a musical perspective. On the contrary, it is full of energy and vitality. To attract people into choirs, and, more importantly, to hold onto them, I believe it is necessary to:

• Provide challenging music. The degree of complexity will obviously vary from choir to choir

• Vary the styles of music to make it more interesting for both Choir and Congregation

• Hold weekly mid-week rehear- sals, always ensuring that there is a definite reason for choir members to attend;

• Be innovative. The music

provided by choirs and organists in parish churches must be relevant to the present age. In an era of constant change, Church Music cannot stand still as if locked in a time-capsule;

• Involve choir members in some extra-curricula activities;

• Organise appropriate get- togethers/outings as a way of saying "Thank You".

Certainly the above works in Rathfarnham.

There have been frequent requests for information about simple organ music and some helpful suggestions have already appeared in previous issues of SOUND- BOARD. The music of Caleb Simper may be another answer for those looking for such material.

A prolific composer of Victorian church music, Caleb Simper was a humble musician whose works sold in vast quantities, rightly deserving the publisher's accolade as being 'sung throughout the civilised world'. Born in Barford St Martin, Wiltshire in 1857, Simper was largely self-taught. He attempted a number of professions, including piano tuning, before finding his vocation as an organist, and it appears that his first opportunity in this field came in 1881, when he was appointed organist of St Mary Magdalen's, Worcester. He was also briefly manager of a music shop next door but one to the Elgar family business. Ten years later he moved to Barnstable, and there he remained, occupying a number of posts as organist and choirmaster until shortly before his death in 1942.

Acutely aware of the limitations of many church organists of the period, and that churches and chapels had, in many instances, only access to a harmonium or American organ, he set about composing voluntaries for two staves only. Now in the 21st century, many churches find themselves using a competent pianist as organist, and the ability to provide the congregation with a voluntary without needing the ability to 'pedal' is again to the fore. However, the bottom notes of most Simper pieces can be pedalled with effect, and the tune of many pieces can be played as a solo, again with effect.

Simper’s Voluntaries have been described as a help in times of trouble — most can be sight read with little or no effort, and can often save the day when an organist has nothing prepared for a Sunday morning! Published by Stainer & Bell, there are twelve books, each containing seventeen voluntaries, made up of pastorals, communion pieces, postludes, matches, meditations, melodies and so on.

While some of the pieces lack substance, there are many items well worth having in a voluntaries repertoire. S & B report that the Simper albums are a steady seller, and are constantly being reprinted.

Simper also produced much choral

music; there are 162 anthems under his own name and others under the pseudonym Edwyn A Clare. His anthems, noticeably influenced by the style of S.S. Wesley, are simple and offer singable and practical music for church choirs of limited technical ability for the main festivals of the Christian year.

William Lloyd Webber, although never as famous as his two sons Andrew and Julian have become, also produced some volumes of simple organ music. Stainer & Bell have two volumes entitled Chapel in the Valley written on two staves, each containing six voluntaries. Keith Wakefield of Stainer & Bell in a recent note to the Editor wrote: A fascinating programme about William on Radio 4 this Tuesday, reminded me of just how good an organist he was, and, indeed, an excellent composer in the romantic school. I used to go to hear him at the Central Hall, Westminster.

SIMPLE Organ Music Randal Henly

For many people the RSCM (Royal School of Church Music) in Ireland over the years has been associated with the characteristic ‘Meet and Sing’ evenings. These were occasions where the latest choral publications would make their debut amongst hearty and enthusiastic groups of organists and choir members. These evenings often gave confidence to diverse groups of amateur musicians and mostly — although not exclusively — centred on a broadly Anglican base. Successive Regional Directors in their roving capacity ventured forth upon their arrival in Ireland journeying to the various nooks and crannies throughout the island, North and South, to dispense the musical goodies. There was the characteristic bonhomie of such ‘hands on’ tours and the existence of a shared church music office in Dublin — with the luxury of a

secretary(!) — gave a sense of focus and structure.

In recent years the cluster of church music bodies familiar to the Church of Ireland has either declined or disappeared. The increasing patch- iness of the RSCM’s presence has to be seen in this context, as does its changing ethos under the direction of Professor John Harper. The focus has noticeably moved away from a ‘top down’ approach in the task of

musical training towards a much more educational role in the provision of resources, new depart- ures in extension studies (with university validation) and a much more contemporary liturgical vision.

Whilst the RSCM has always strived to work within an ecumenical mission, it is now much more obviously so in its ethos and embrace. Much of its concentration is now on background resources evidenced in such point-of-contact publications as ‘Sunday by Sunday’, the Voice for Life scheme and the newly-launched modular third-level qualification for church musicians. This is however but the tip of an enormous iceberg where the energy of the RSCM now centres in a renewed way on the provision of resources for those who wish to advance their practical competence and liturgical repertoire.

It is in this context too that the RSCM has to find its new feet in Ireland. It is no longer possible to work the previous models of function and administration. The intention is that the RSCM might have a much more slender presence

but one which is nonetheless more responsive to the expressed needs of the churches. But does this mean the absence of ‘events’? Not at all. In aiming by trial (and error!) over the past few years to carve out a new way of working, recent activity has been fairly substantial.

Since October there has been a strong RSCM association with the introduction of the Book of Common Prayer [2004]. Canon Rountree as Central Liturgical Officer has combined with various liturgists and musicians acting on behalf of the RSCM to present the new prayer book within the context of accessible and appropriate resources for musicians and clergy. These have been broadly well-received and have involved most of the dioceses of the Church of Ireland. Attendances have ranged from twenty to around one hundred at each event. Taken together this has been one of the largest exposures to RSCM workshop material to date and has already generated a number of local follow-on events.

The new diocesan Foundation Certificate in Liturgy and Worship has also taught the liturgical music content exclusively through the RSCM material. This course for Parish Readers, Lay Readers and Church Musicians has seen around fifty people enrolled for the year’s programme. Again, this is a sub-

The Elliot organ in

Waterford Cathedral

stantial exposure to the resources of the RSCM. Whilst these have been tailored to Anglican requirements, the recent workshop in Ballina has its base in the broader community. This one-day course for church musicians in the West of Ireland is in association with the Newman Institute. In all these events, musicians and liturgists of excellence such as Mark Duley, Theo Saunders and Margaret Daly- Denton have ensured the quality of the events, each of which it should be noted are resourced from within our own context.

So what next? There is much to do in continuing these new beginnings. Perhaps most important is the task of eliciting ideas from you as church musicians as to how the RSCM can help resource you. It is especially important that musicians and worship leaders identify their needs and then frame them by way of suggestions and practical requests for workshops, courses or information. Other immediate tasks include setting up a formal structure for administration such as affiliation administration, insurance etc.

Any able and willing Hon Treasurers out there??

Tom Gordon (tommi@eircom.net)

RSCM Ireland

Next issue: Information, contacts and resources from the RSCM

CIRCLE OF LIGHT is a new CD of music for organ and choir by Eric Sweeney, recorded on the restored Elliot organ in Christ Church

Cathedral, Waterford. It features the Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lasso choirs conducted by Ite O'Donovan, with the composer as organist. Available from Eric Sweeney, Rockfield, Carrigavantry, Tramore, Co. Waterford,

price € 15 (which includes postage and packing).

The RSCM in Ireland – New Directions The Revd Tom Gordon, RSCM Ireland

Recently I took up the position of director of St Brigid's Cathedral Choir, and since last September am enjoying enormously working with this highly-committed group of people.

What makes them different? Well for a start this cathedral choir sings only four or

five services per year, all of which are in the afternoon or evening For the rest of the year there is a regular Sunday organist and a few people who sing in the choir stalls.

Who is in the cathedral choir? There are approximately 26 singers at present — five

basses, four tenors, five altos and twelve sopranos, and they all sing in other choirs throughout the surrounding counties. Some live close by but most travel a fair deal to attend (two people travel 35 miles). Another unique aspect is the choir is drawn from all the Christian churches — so a truly ecumenical spirit prevails and infuses our work together.

How does this work? The idea is that they come together to sing at the major church festivals in the cathedral and that their

participation in St Brigid's Cathedral does not interfere with their other choral commitments.

So in practice they come together for three or four rehearsals before Christmas, Easter, Confirmation etc., etc. I have been very impressed by their hard working and committed approach; this is no easy sing through a few hymns and a psalm, a chat and a cuppa, no, this is two hours of intensive singing and learning of new music, where everyone is anxious to do his or her best, in a church hall type situation with a simple keyboard.

This choir learns more in four rehearsals than the average choir learns in a year! They just drink up new challenges so it's a great pleasure (though there’s a lot of preparation) to work with them.

What happens at a service? Well in fact, usually two hours before a service, they are all there, going through the final and only rehearsal they will have with the organ in the cathedral. I am free to conduct as we always engage an organist — usually the talented Dr Kerry Houston — and that ensures everything runs smoothly. Then the choir robe and gather at the west end of the cathedral and soon the service starts, and we all process up the aisle and off we go.

In brief, the attraction for the singers is that they get to sing in a cathedral environment with a wonderful acoustic, which makes music a central platform to its worship. We try to practise the best traditions of cathedral worship in what we do, and how we do it and this cathedral choir offers the only opportunity in the Diocese for singers to work in this way, and they really enjoy the challenge this offers. From the cathedral's point of view, it has its own really good choir for the major festivals of the year, which is quite independent of the more usual "parish type" music for the rest of the year.

Does it work? Yes, extremely well. Having just finished my third service with them, I am impressed at how well it works and how much it is appreciated by the capacity congregation each time. We recently did a Songs of Praise for Ascension, and as the choir left the choir

stalls at the end of the service to process back to the west end of the cathedral, the congregation began to applaud spontaneously together. This has never happened before. What appreciation.

What do we sing? Well we sing a broad range of music — from Tallis to Bruckner, Matthias, Rutter, Ó Riada, Stanford and at the Songs of Praise we had four instrumentalists (age 16 to 30 something!) and they lead the choir/congregation in three contemporary songs by Graham Kendrick and others). This was another first for the cathedral!

Is that it? No, we've been invited to sing in St Fin Barre's Cathedral Cork for a Sunday in August and we have just started to record our first CD, due out hopefully in time for St Brigid's Day next year.

Perhaps this is a model that could be copied in other dioceses where a good cathedral choir for 52 weeks of the year is just not possible any longer.

Kildare Cathedral’S Choir Derek Verso, Director of Music, St Brigid's Cathedral, Kildare Liam

Lawto

n

7–8 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1 Tel. 01-878 8177 Fax 01-874 4913

E-mail: sales@veritas.ie Sligo • Ennis • Letterkenny • Derry •

Cork www.veritas.ie

Last September I was invited at short notice to play at the 12 noon Mass in a local Roman Catholic church. Almost twelve months on, I am still there most Sundays. The Anglican liturgy in Zion ends at 11.30 so there is just enough time to move from one church to the other. I have found the experience stimulating and enriching and hope the arrangement will continue.

On paper, our liturgies are almost identical in structure. Now that the Church of Ireland has adopted the three-year lectionary, the bible readings are usually the same. The hymns used in Catholic worship are familiar to me. But there the similarities end. A combination of five centuries of worshipping apart, together with historical, tribal, and sociological factors, results in the ethos of post-Christendom worship by two affluent, middle-class, sub- urban communities, living cheek-by- jowl being markedly different.

Not so long ago, a church musician friend said to me "We Catholics find Anglican services rather intimi- dating". This started me thinking. I might reasonably have responded by seeking a little more formality about some aspects of Catholic community worship. And certainly, there are few things more intimidating than a High Mass I attended recently in the London Oratory. However, I can empathise with my friend. And the manner in which an almost indefinable lightness of presentation is juxtaposed and intertwined with the solemn Liturgy is something many Catholic priests have brought to quite a high level. Increasingly at times I feel like saying to our clergy: "Loosen up a bit … quicken the pace … be aware of the language of your body". Certainly, those of our younger priests who have abandoned the stiff and constricting medieval cassock and surplice for the more comfortable alb are getting the mess- age that drama, like music, provides a powerful support for liturgy.

But to return to Sunday mornings: At the 12 o’clock Mass there are two hymns, at the Entrance and the Going Out. Invariably, only two verses are sung and this is usually quite enough. The 16th century Reform- ation may have been born on song, but Anglicans and Protestants must maintain a balance. Hymns help the Liturgy; they must not hinder it. And a plethora of hymns with too many verses, especially long ones, not only holds things up, but also can smother the drama and movement of

what we are doing in church. A Lutheran theological student work- ing for a time in Ireland last year was highly critical of the length of our hymns. "Why do you sing so many verses?" she complained. In a sound -byte world, hymns with eight-line verses should be used sparingly.

While there is no choir, the church has a cantor with a trained voice, and it is a joy to work with her, particularly in choosing and preparing vocal music, which she sings during the Communion of the People. She also sings the Psalm and I have grown to love the simple Gelineau-type inflexions and the attractive Responses, mostly com- posed by the late Fintan O’Carroll. For several years I have sought to move away from Anglican chant. While I can find it very satisfying in a cathedral context, at this stage I am convinced that Anglican chant is often inappropriate and unhelpful in contemporary community worship. But try persuading my choir and congregation of this! One of the strategically biggest misjudgements in the new BCP (in my view) is that the bar-lines for Anglican chant are printed in the Psalter. This seems to

give undue status to a method of singing the psalms that many church musicians nowadays recommend we should not use in community worship. We must have regard for the huge corpus of study, writing and praxis relating to other ways of singing the psalms – the fundamental song of the Christian (and Jewish) traditions — as those of us who have attended church music courses in England and North America will be well aware.

There is a widely-believed myth that ‘Catholics can’t/won’t sing’. Arch- bishop Diarmuid Martin has referred to this twice recently in reported comments. But to experience every Sunday the fervour and gusto with which the entire community in the Church of the Three Patrons sings the ‘Holy, holy, holy Lord’ and the ‘Our Father’ at the climax of the Eucharistic Prayer would challenge the most Wesleyan of Methodists! If only the Anglicans up the road would do the same. On the other hand, other than a small number of pieces, deeply embedded in folk memory, the hymns are not well sung. If I continue to be engaged as musician, I hope I may be allowed to make some practical suggestions as to how this can be improved. This is an area where musicians of the reformed traditions can usefully bring their experience to Roman Catholic worship.

But perhaps the most unexpected outcome of my new involvement is other than musical. The welcome and affirmation I continue to receive is heart-warming. And in no way do I under-value forty years experience of the Church of Ireland community. But I am now stopped in the neigh- bourhood regularly by complete strangers who say things such as "I saw you at Mass last Sunday … you and Aisling are doing great things for us… keep it up". While I have lived in the same street for twenty- five years, overnight I feel more part of the entire local community. Which, as I said earlier, all makes one think!

David McConnell is organist and choir director at Zion Church, Rathgar and a member of the Church Music Committee.

HINTS & TIPS 2 Peter Barley,

St Patrick’s Cathedral

Liturgical index A while ago I started to keep a categorised index of choral/church music approprate for certain seasons/themes, e.g., Easter, Christ the Teacher, Discipleship, etc, and feed new information into it on a year by year basis. This makes

choosing suitable music (which could of course include organ music and hymns) much quicker, as I can quickly access ideas. After a performance, I like to make a note in my copy of anything I wasn't happy with at the time so that when I come back to the piece again I remember what I would like to work on/possible problem areas.

HINTS & TIPS 3

Derek Seymour

One thought from experience! When playing in the RTE studios for TV broadcasting, bring some paper clips for marking pages, as mysterious gusts of wind can sweep through the studio throwing your music into confusion!

Editor’s Note More “Hints & Tips” are needed. A few more have been received and are on hold for the next issue, but there must be dozens of little items like the above that organists can pass on to each other. Keep them coming!

A Tale of Two Churches David McConnell reflects on his experience as musician for two traditions

St Giles Cripplegate is in the City of London and is looked down upon by the tower blocks of the Barbican

SUMMER ORGAN COURSE Ann Keary reports on the St Giles International Organ Summer Course, in which she took part last summer

On 4th August last, I set off to London to take part in the St Giles International Organ Summer Course. Not having participated in anything of its kind before, I was very apprehensive about (1) my ability;

otes and

ews

the recent edition of Organists' Review), and bound copies of Organist & Choirmaster for years 1905—08 and 1913—17.

Anyone interested should contact me

at (01) 214 8457 or e-mail: davidbedlow@eircom.net for the complete list. (Editor’s note: On checking with David Bedlow that he really did mean 1903, the following

(2) my age! and (3) leaving my family. My fears were quickly dispelled when I arrived at St Giles Church to see a great range of students of all ages — from 13 to 70! I also soon learned that organists of all abilities, even beginners, are catered for.

This highly-organised course is led by Anne Marsden Thomas, Musical Director of St Giles. A team of eight excellent and highly-regarded organists guided us throughout the week in master classes, improvisation classes, private lessons, accompanying classes and aural training. These classes were held for all levels in fourteen different churches! Visiting these churches and playing on their various organs was a wonderful experience in itself. The days’ classes culminated in a service of Evensong and in the evenings we had the privilege of listening to each other perform in concert. After this, the nightcap in the local pub was a must, of course!

Being one of fifty eight organists present, all from different backgrounds, but all with the same aim — to improve one’s skills and become more rounded in ability — was indeed a very stimulating experience. I learned so much there, and yet I feel I only touched the tip of the iceberg of what this course has to offer.

This year’s course will be held during the week 2nd to

7th August. Further information about it is obtainable from the RSCM, Cleveland Lodge, Westhumble, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6BW, Tel. 0044 1306 872807, e-mail: cwardle@rscm.com, or see the course web pages at www.rscm.com.

MUSIC FOR SALE

David Bedlow

Having moved house recently I have less space for books than I used to have, and so must part with some of them. I am offering them to any church organist who would make good use of them, at very reasonable prices. The proceeds will go to Pipeworks — the Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival. The list includes the complete series of annual magazines

published by the RSCM from 1963 to 1986, originally entitled English Church Music, changed later to The World of Church Music. These annuals contain articles and reviews which are still of great interest. Other interesting items are Herbert Westerby's The Complete Organ Recitalist (which was the subject of an article in

interesting reply arrived. “Yes Randal, I really mean it. They are bound copies (four volumes). I was talked into buying them from a vagrant as a work of corporeal mercy! They were expensive enough too. I bought The Complete Organ Recitalist for the same motives — from a decayed, pensioned piano player whose father, I believe had been an organist! David”

ST MICHAEL’S DUN LAOGHAIRE ORGAN RECITALS

27 June: Mark Keane (organ) and Geraldine O Doherty (harp)

4 July: Claudia Dumschat (New York)

11 July: Thomas Trotter (United Kingdom)

18 July: Anne Page (United Kingdom)

25 July: Simon Stroughair

1 Aug: Simon Harden

8 Aug: Malcolm Proud

15 Aug: Gerard Gillen

22 Aug: Stefano Vasselli (Italy)

29 Aug: David Lee

5 Sept: David Adams

All concerts begin at 8.30 and entrance is as last year:

€ 8/€ 4

PIPE ORGAN SOCIETY OF IRELAND (POSI)

Norbert Kelvin, Interim Chair, POSI

Your ideas are always welcome on how the Pipe Organ Society of Ireland might better serve you and the cause of the pipe organ. As our reach is nation-wide, we know that busy people find it difficult to attending the Society's events. We have run some modestly-successful events, a Cork Organ Day in November 2003 where we visited and played five notable Cork City pipe organs, and the AGM in March 2004 at Galway Cathedral, with visits to a number of noteworthy Galway organs. Despite our best efforts people found that they couldn't get to Galway for the AGM, so the election of a committee has been postponed.

Our next event is likely to be in Dublin where we hope to visit a number of that city's fine organs. The Society's big event for 2005 will be next May — the Cork International Pipe Organ Festival, where we are planning to show off Cork's historic organs played really well in concert and liturgical settings.

Perhaps all of this high-flying frenetic activity doesn't

appeal to the ordinary church organist who, in addition to carrying a regular job, is required to organise the music, rehearse the choir and practise the organ parts. A fine pipe organ helps to make all this hard work a joy. That's why POSI is so keen to foster the pipe organ as the prime instrument in worship. This includes organs of every age, but we especially want to ensure that worthy historic instruments are conserved as working examples of their superb artistry and not allowed to deteriorate or be lost.

POSI's new website (under development) is www.irishpipeorgans.com.

N

A

Correct entries to Crossword 6 arrived from E. Ashmore, Mary Carrick, Anne Corry, Eric de Courcy, Aileen Godden, John Godden, Valerie Johnston, Robert Keogh, Iris Maguire, Barry Magill, Sheila Pigott, Hilary Poole, Derek Seymour, Adrian Somerfield, William Yeoman, as well as one anonymous entry. The full solution to the puzzle appears below.

The lucky two whose names came out of the hat were Mary Carrick, organist of St Michael’s Castlepollard, and William Yeoman from Terenure. Well Done to both; some musical notebooks have been sent.

Puzzle 7 follows, and solutions to this should reach the Editor by the end of August. Be sure to include full name and address.

Clues Across

1. Tune for the hymn Guide me O Thou great Jehovah (10)

8. Powerful 4 foot reed organ stop (6)

10. A German organ (5)

11. Seasonal alternative to the Venite at Morning Prayer (6,7)

12. “Jesus shall ..... where’re the sun” (5)

13. Denomination that asserts the unity of God as opposed to the Trinity (9)

14. Charles, 18th-century English composer and organist includes a car-rental company (6)

15. Wachet ..., Bach’s Sleepers Awake (3)

16. Bach wrote lots of two-part and three-part ones (10)

18. Religious pamphlets or leaflets (6)

19. Famous public school that has a boating song (4)

20. The wind one in the organ holds air (5)

21. (5)

22. An addition to a quaver makes it smaller! (4)

24. Otherwise Whit Sunday (9)

26. Hail Maria (3)

28. Manual aid to registration (6)

29. Beasts that roar after their prey in the Harvest anthem (5)

31. Original editor of the Dictionary of Music and Musicians, or the Ash of the hymn tune (5)

32, “And this shall be a ? unto you:

you shall find the babe..........” (4)

33. Jeremiah, who composed the Trumpet Voluntary (6)

34. Kent Association of Organists

(1,1,1)

36. Have fun and perform on a musical instrument (4)

37. The Cornopean is such a stop (4)

Clues Down

1. Very important church officials (5,7)

2. A canticle at Evening Prayer (10)

3. The lady of Troy (5)

4. An admirable mass by Haydn (6)

5. To which tune the hymn “Fight the good fight” is set (4,6)

6. Modified male singer used in churches choirs in the 18th century (8)

7. To which saint Anne Marsden Thomas’s church in London is dedicated (5)

8. A seat at the old choir organ (5)

9. 4 ft flue stop with a slightly reedy or nasal quality (5,5)

13. Of one voice (6)

15. This year it occurred on 20th May (9)

17. Palindromic principle or doctrine (5)

19. A piano concerto for a penguin! (7)

20. Patron saint of music (7)

21. Organ stop with more than one pipe to each note (7)

23. The biblical priest in Samuel (3)

25. Repetitive traditional carol with harmony by Stainer (6)

26. The messenger in 23 down (5)

27. Requested (5)

28. Slightly, perhaps crescendo or rallentando (4)

30. Mr Stravinsky (4)

32. Above the clear blue .... in the children’s hymn (3)

Solution to Organists’ Crossword 6

ORGANISTS’ CROSSWORD 7

NOTES & NEWS (continued)

JOHN GODDEN We were very sorry to read of the sudden death earlier this month of John Godden of Glendalough. Retired engineer and organist of St John’s Laragh, John was a regular contributor to SOUNDBOARD, a great writer of e–mails to the Editor and his crossword entry always arrived, usually with a cryptic remark or two. It was thought appropriate to include his short article in this issue, which was received some weeks before his untimely death.

TRAINING SCHEME Brochures about the diocesan training scheme for

church musicians have been circulated widely. The course includes twenty-eight one-to-one organ lessons, and group sessions on choir direction and liturgy. The student, the nominating parish and the diocese share the cost of the scheme. The closing date for applications for the 2004-05 year is Friday 20 August. Details are also on the Committee’s website.

SUMMER SCHOOL FOR CONDUCTORS

This year, for the first time, our students will participate in the Cumann Náisiúnta na gCór Annual Choral

Conducting Summer School in Cork, from 23 to 27 August. The School offers a range of courses that allow

experienced and inexperienced conductors to progress and achieve in a sociable, musical and fun environment.

Strongly recommended and just the sort of training

select vestries will be delighted to support. info@cnc.ie@

www.cnc.ie. (021) 431 2296

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS SOUNDBOARD is posted free to all those on our mailing

list: in the dioceses of Dublin, Glendalough, Meath and Kildare, and wider afield. There is no obligation on

musicians to send an annual donation but many organists, particularly those who have benefited from

the 65% increase in recommended fees secured over the past seven years, do so. So, if you haven’t already

helped us this year, perhaps we will hear from you

soon. Most people send € 25/€ 30.

DEPUTY ORGANISTS There is anecdotal evidence that some of those on the

deputy organist list are never available and seem irritated by requests for help. Others (it is alleged) refuse to travel any distance, particularly to the ‘north side’. Of course, no one is prepared to mention names, so perhaps it is all untrue (?).

E-MAIL ADDRESSES

If you have got e-mail recently and have not sent us your

address, will you do so, please: to churchmusic dublin@eircom.net? In fact, even if you are not on the

Internet we like to be kept in touch with changes in your

contact details: postal address, phone, etc.

MAILING LIST Do you circulate SOUNDBOARD to your choir and clergy? Additional copies are available for a small charge. Contact David McConnell on (01) 497 3745,or churchmusicdublin@eircom.net

Randal, my disappointed Editor, this is a rather pointless ramble around ‘tips’, requested in your recent e-mail.

I so often explain that I am not an organist, but play the organ! My bit on our organ here and my playing of it, that got its way into the first SOUNDBOARD, says it all. I was addressing mainly a readership that didn’t exist, those that attend a church with a silent organ yet who could re-awaken old skills and get up there and play it acceptably. Unfortunately where they exist, and I’m sure they do, they are not on Soundboard’s circulation list. And I had zero response!

In that bit I gave a couple of tips, but they would not be for the erudite ‘organist’ readership, in that they are definitely for the likes of me. Don ’t misunderstand me. Elsewhere I have suffered betimes from a tone-deaf musician who couldn’t recognise wrong notes and who yet was happy to play them. Better as an exponent of the bag-pipes. No offence to that fine instrument! I’m not talking of that, but of some of the many who learned piano basics in their tender years and could certainly make a reasonable fist at easy hymns, and a large proportion of our over 700 hymns are easy indeed. But in our parish grouping of three churches there are two silent organs, one, when awakened for special occasions by brought in genii, being a fine instrument indeed. Mine is one too, but has to suffer me!

Tips. Perhaps not for publication, and anyway perhaps already known and practised by the Organists among us.

1. Wear kick-offable shoes if perhaps it is an advantage to find your way around the pedal-board by touch.

2. If a voluntary is de rigueur choose one that that your audience, if they listen, do not know, so that you can choose your own tempo. It is no good trying the familiar ‘Sailors’ Hornpipe’ on them largo! They

might twig that it is one of your bad mornings, or that their organ deserves someone with nimbler fingers!

3. More often than not, since I know for a fact that a voluntary is luxury that my own friends wouldn’t miss, and since I have no choir as such to help me with unfamiliar hymns, instead of a voluntary I play over the hymns for the service, with accent on the ones that need help. A choir would seem to be essential for the introduction of brand-new hymns, a luxury that most rural churches do not have. It is a great credit to my own singers that I have chosen all of eighty-five hymns in the six months past that they know, and it is not the end of the list yet. Credit where credit is due! Once, and I do not want a repeat of the experience, I picked a hymn that I knew well, but no-one else did. I actually played totally solo through I think seven verses. Of course I value the dignity of worship in the Church of Ireland, but it would have been a saver if the tradition of dignity allowed

4. The preacher to stop me in mid gallop and suggest choice of something different. Alternatively I might have stopped at verse two and given in in the unequal struggle. Whatever. A brave voice might have been getting the drift as verse followed verse! But no such luck!

Enough nonsense for now. If any of it can be tailored acceptably for SOUNDBOARD so be it.

FINALE John Godden, late of St John’s, Laragh