Malcolm Kemp

I am open to correction on this but a friend who has recent connections with Kings tells me that whereas the "famous" Christmas Eve service is intended for the people of the city of Cambridge (what Gregory Dix might have called the plebs sancti Dei if you want to be snobbish) and hence the "queue to get in" system, the televised service, which I gather is recorded quite close to Christmas, is intended more as a college/university service with a more esoteric congregation. Clearly there are cuts and pastes done in the televised service, however. A few years ago there was one part of the service (I think just one carol) where Stephen Cleobury was not wearing a hood, which he was for the rest of the service! I know it is fashionable in some circles to try to knock Willcocks off his pedestal but I for one think the standard of the choir's performance is not what it was; it doesn't thrill like it used to. That said, whether you prefer the sound encouraged by Willcocks, Cleobury or even George Malcolm at Westminster is a matter of personal taste and the subject of endless argument. No doubt Cleobury was influenced by the legacy of George Malcolm when he was at Westmisnter himself as well as by that of his own mentor, George Guest. Malcolm

I see what you mean. Today I have another e-mail from Andreas attaching a list of all the French organ music he has and promising to send further lists of his English and German organ music once he has listed it. Malcolm

Thanks, Giwro, for the very helpful advice in the posting immediately above. I found Andreas Willscher's website and sent him an e-mail, apologising for writing in English. Almost by return I got a very nice, friendly reply, in very good English, attaching some pdf files of his own organ compositions and promising to try to locate the Kromolicki Theme and Variations for me in the next few days. Today - no more than 2 or 3 days later at the most - he sent me the entire piece (19 pages) as pdf documents. Wouldn't the world be such a nicer place to live in if everyone was so helpful, friendly and co-operative? But I've always been told that really good musicians and really great people nearly always are like that. Malcolm PS I ordered the Langlais "Fete" from Crescendo Music in Australia and it arrived today within about one week. Also excellent customer service.

I agree with David's comments. Malcolm

Either he getes rid of the whole choir and starts afresh, exclusively with people who were not in the old choir and he does this with the stated support of the incumbent or he resigns with immediate effect. Such people are not worth wasting time and worry over. They appear to be ruining the musical and pastoral standards of the place. Malcolm

My all-time favourite psalm recording is of John's (under George Guest) singing Psalm 49 to the Walmisley double chant in F. Absolutely beautifully pointed and sung. The accompanist was John Scott who, using the same chant, later totally butchered the Psalm with his awful pointing in the new St Paul's book. Malcolm

The news is in the public domain by virtue of the fact that the job of D-of-M at St Mary's Portsea, where Robert Poyser was been D-of-M since August 2008 is advertised in Church Times today and the reason given is that RP has been appointed D-of-M at Beverley. A very musical friend of mine is curate at Portsea; no doubt he is disappointed at losing a new D-of-M so quickly. Malcolm

One Vicar of mine (now an RC layman) once preached between Evensong and Benediction about the song "Pretty woman walking down the street" so he could hardly complain when I played it as he brought the montrance to the altar a few minutes later. Another priest preached on the significance of the long melodies previously used for the "Ite Missa Est", emphasing the importance of going out into the world &c., He was most amused when my offertory improvisation combined as many of those melodies as I could remember. The case for his reading glasses always matched the colour of the vestments! Malcolm

Psalm singing and the pointing of psalms for singing to Anglican chant is very subjective and no two people every seem to agree. I gave up on the Hyperion series of St Paul's chois singing the entire new psalter edited by John Scott very early on because I thought it was the worst pointing I had ever heard. As I said, though, purely personal taste and preference! Malcolm

Many thanks to Patrick for the very useful bit of tuition above regarding "here". I now feel slightly less computer-illiterate. Now all I need to do is learn how to do similar things on e-mails! Malcolm

Is the Lincolnshire Viscount related in any way to the Lincolnshire Poacher whose tune goes so well to thy hymn "The happy birds Te Deum sing, 'tis Mary's month of May"? Are they first cousins? Malcolm (whose only relevance to this topic is that he has played six funerals in the past five days!)

In anticipation of a long overdue rebuild at my church we were advised by the Diocesan Organ Adviser to keep a record of every occasion on which the organ is used for the benefit of the community. School carols services, concerts, students using the instrument for private practice, demonstrating the organ to the junior church and letting them have a go, outside organisations using the church for rehersals &c., apparently all help the cause of applying for grants. The message, understandably, seems to be if use of the organ is restricted to ordinary services by the parish and the private use of the organist you won't get a grant from a charitable trust. Malcolm

I believe there is a book listing all the charitable trusts and what they give grants for. I'm told thast this is a good place to start. Malcolm

Thanks for the links for the Langlais piece. Does anyone have any possible sources for the Kromolicki Theme and Variations, please? Jane Parker Smith has recorded this fine piece, playing from a photocopy left to her as part of a legacy and she has no idea, or way of telling from her copy, who the publisher was. Malcolm

The humidifier in the smallish two manual (all normal pressure) Harrison in my church periodically makes a lot of noise for periods of perhaps one day, resulting in worried phone calls to me from Vicars &c., It had its regular service (by W&W) at the end of September and our tuner assures me that there is nothing to worry about. No easy access unless you clamber over the bellows and I have never been particularly agile at that sort of thing. I've never been aware of this sort of noise from a humidifier anywhere before; it sounds almost as if the organ blower is on (but it isn't). Would anyone like to comment on this please? Thanks Malcolm

Langlais' "Fete" seems to be a particularly illusive publication. Any ideas, please? Malcolm

I have bought quite a lot of music direct form Europe and USA and most of the time have found it very easy and effecient; in fact rather better customer service than one often gets in the UK. Sometimes I've had to pay Customs duty on CDs or DVDs from the USA which at least shows I'm doing it legally. Richard Barnes at Cathedral Music now has arrangements with some firms in the USA where he can get music for his customers quite easily so it might be worth asking him about specific items. I got the best customer service ever when I ordered some organ music on-line direct from Weinbergers in Vienna and have had similar experiences dealing direct with Carus. These firms go out of their way to be very helpful. I think the Edmundson Vom Himmel Hoch Toccata is out of print. Luckily a former member of the Board gave me his copy! Malcolm

Jonathan has touched on a point that I meant to make in my earlier posting in that CBR checks are for the protection of the person concerned as well as anyone else. It is not unknown for children to make false accusations against adults, especially if that adult has upset them by, perhaps telling them off or not giving them a solo that they wanted, and children now are far more aware of the possibilities of this sort of thing than we were fifty years ago when I was a chorister. If you obey all the regulations, including CBR checks, have another adult present all the time and make it obvious that you are taking child protection very seriously this can work to your advantage and for your own protection. Frankly, to ignore, or refuse to comply with, these matters is asking for trouble. I speak to Barry Williams at least once a week (I know that some other Board members also speak to him regularly) and agree that he is a good person to talk to on this subject. It is a great shame that he will not go back on his decision to have nothing further to do with this Board. Malcolm

At my church all clergy, lay readers, organists, choir, servers, youth workers and junior church helpers all have to fill in the form. The church, like all other institutions, has to be seen to be doing the right thing and, in doing so, helps to protect all involved - including the people who fill in the form. Inevitably, if someone refuses (for whatever reason) it will almost certainly result in the person concerned not being appointed to whatever the position may be and I think this is right because, as recent court cases have proved, the church can't be seen to be taking risks in this context. Irksome, yes. Irritiating and intrusive into ones privacy, yes. Expensive for the organisation, yes. Regrettable that society has come to this, yes. It makes us all feel like potential criminals, constantly watched by big brother, yes. Unavoidable fact of modern life that people in churches have to go along with like all other organisations, also yes. Malcolm

I was always taught that, from time immemorial and before then even, churches were built close to the village pub in order to give the bellringers something to do/somewhere to go during the service. (Having said that, our bellringers do nearly all attend the services very regularly.) Story has it that in the early 20th century a church in Hove (now famous for its excellent community social work with the homeless) had a large paid choir which was allowed to leave the church during the sermon. The verger apparently had a signal he used to tell the choirmen in the pub at the bottom of the road when the sermon was finishing. Either this story is apocryphal or church authorities were much more tolerant towards choirs in those days. Malcolm

Many thanks to Simon for taking the time to organise this event for us. Please count me in on the visit on 25th March. Malcolm

It appears that this topic and one posting in particular (not mine) has recently attracted some adverse publicity in the pages of Church Times. Malcolm

Rob Cowan on Radio 3 in the mornings from 7 until 10 am is a great champion of our cause and plays an antonishing amount of organ music on his programme. A couple of mornings ago I was amazed to be cleaning my teeth (yes - I've still got my own) whilst listening to a performance of the JSB P&F in A major which is rarely head these days. Malcolm

Although this is by no means definite yet - the Church Commissioners are taking a long time to make up their mind in this case - it is possible that St Peter's Brighton (the parish church with a tower in the middle of the two main rods into Brighto from the north) will be declared redundant. Four manual Father Willis, rebuilt H&B, similar specification to Truro Cathedral. At present the most likely future for the building seems to be a church plant by HTB. Watch this space! Malcolm

I believe he was organ scholar at Chichester for a year before going to Rochester. Malcolm