Malcolm Kemp
-
Posts
675 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Malcolm Kemp
-
-
I don't think I've noticed anyone else saying this so, welcome back Cynic.
We never managed to get that pint when you were down in Hove; perhaps another time!
Malcolm
-
I can think of a number of instances - Franck springing instantly to mind - where performance on a two manual organ could be seriously hampered if there was an unbuilt, permanent Swell to Pedal.
Malcolm
-
From Songs of Praise
GOOD LORD DELIVER US
It was dreadful. Apart from the compere, whom I just find rather irritating, the musical standard of the hymn singing was dire with no sense of phrasing or forward movement. This was particularly obvious in "To God be the Glory" where the first beat of every bar was thumped out and each bar seemed totally divorced from those either side of it. Perhaps tonight's conductor should stick to organ playing. Whatever style of hymn you are singing at least try to do it well.
Malcolm
-
My copy of the St Paul's DVD arrived 2 or 3 weeks ago - very shortly after the Gillian Weir one.
Malcolm
-
If you are in the area of St Paul's and you want to experience beautiful, traditional liturgy with excellent (professional) music, you just need to walk to the Monument, and a few yards down the hill you will come to St Magnus the Martyr church in Lower Thames Street. Since its present rector arrived it has taken on a totally new lease of life and even acquired a completley new peal of bells for its tower. Added to this, the people are amongst the most friendly, caring and welcoming I have ever come across and post service social care is superb. What I like about it is that they are genuinely welcoming and friendly without trying to get you involved in doing things and joining things immediately you walk in the door.
Malcolm
-
A well-known and popular Anglo Catholic blog has recently raised the issue of the singing of the Angelus. Many Anglo Catholic churches sing it to the same basic setting but all with slight local variations and I have never seen a printed "original" anywhere. All versions seem to be in mss format, as is the one I did for the church where I was D-of-M in the 1970s. I thought it was restricted to Anglican churches - what some might call "Anglican Patrimony" - but, apparently it is done in some Roman Catholic churches as well.
Does anyone have any idea as to its origin? It seems to go back a long way - certainly to the 50s and probably much earlier.
Malcolm
-
I now have straight from thw horse's mouth, so to speak, that the Salisbury specification will be divided between two separate screens when volume 2 is issued.
Thanks to those of you who have contributed comments above.
Malcolm
-
Anyway, the set requires 1280x1024 screen resolution*. I am using a 19" monitor, and it's fine. The console display for part 1 shows all the stop knobs, but with the engraving of those not yet available blanked out, so the requirement should not change for later parts.
Thanks for the replies so far. I have 17" screens (1280 x 1024) which are perfectly adequate for the Illinois Skinner and my organ/computer expert reckons they will also be alright for the Salibury organ although I'm going to wait until the whole organ is available in dry form. Whilst I can see what the whole console display is like, can anyone tell me what the division between the two screens (ie left and right jambs) is like and how they get over the question of the couplers? I don't need all the psitons &c., on the screens because my console has 8 general pistons and 8 psitons to each department anyway so I assume it will be possible to tailor exactly what apepars on the screens.
Thanks again
Malcolm
-
Rosa Mystica and Basilica are both highly recommended for Festivals!
Malcolm
-
Apologies for raising an issue that isn't directly related to a conventional pipe organ but I don't know any other way of asking a wide spectrum of people who may know.
In anticipation of the dry version of the whole of the Salisbury cathedral Hauptwerk system being released sometime in the next year (hopefully!) does anyone know what sized touch screens Daniel Cook has on his own console, please? My present screens are fine for the Illinois Skinner instrument but I wonder whether they may prove inadequate for the Salisbury instrument. If I am going to need bigger ones I need to start saving!
Thanks.
Malcolm
-
Some of us can remember when the Highway Code was issued on a vinyl record, sung to Anglican chants. Not only did it help people to learn the Highway Code; it was also a very good example of Anglican chanting, and a number of churches used it as an example for their choirs to see "the proper way to do it". I've just found it on YouTube - it's done by The Mastersingers and dates from 1966
Malcolm
-
I think Thomas Cranmer would be turning in his grave. He compiled BCP for the people and situations of his time, and in the language of the time. The C-of-E realised over 100 years ago - and even more so in the aftermath of WW1 - that BCP had outlived its usefulness and needed to be revised. What a pity that 1928 failed; lfe for us would have been so much easier if it ha been passed. I know I have said this before, both here and elsewhere, but liturgy is a living thing and all living things either change constantly or they die. Much as I like it myself - on an occasional basis - I get slightly cross with people who try to try to turn traditional Rites into an end in themselves and end up almost making them into graven images to be worshipped.
Malcolm
-
It's late, I'm tired, and it's probably not the best time to be posting on here - so forgive me if I sound blunt, but I think we're still missing the point. We're a group of intelligent, sensitive people (on the whole
) who are far too used to apologising for our non-mainstream musical predilections at every turn. I know - I've been doing it since I was eleven. In this case, it's made this discussion far too considered. The question is largely separate from those considering the use of BCP versus CW, the separation versus the combination of musical styles, and the pastoral implications of active versus passive participation, which are important questions in their own right.Put simply, if the music is worth doing, it's worth supporting properly. If it isn't worth doing, why are we still doing it at all? If we are now in the business of supplying people with their 'musical kicks' instead (sorry Vox!) then we're guilty of delaying the 'progress' of the Church. Time to hang up the slightly tatty looking diploma hood, lock the console for the last time and hand the church keys back, as we're surely meant to be replaced by a CD of hardcore house anthems. Which is it?
I'm not, and never have, argued that every church should use traditional music. I just think that those who DO want to use traditional music should be able to if they want. Why not support those that do?
My last post on this subject, I think - I have no desire to wind up the entire board!
Absolutely right and very well put. Having been actively involved in providing music in church since 1964 I finally gave up for these very reasons in May last year. During those years I have, on occasions had a wonderful times - I've had a choir with 20 adults, 8 girls and 16 boys plus 2 assistants, I've done Mozart/Schubert/Palestrina Masses (even, very occasionally, I have to admit, F in Darke) and some wonderful big choral Evensongs plus all the traditional Holy Week music. A number of my former cboristers - boys and girls - are still, as adults, in regular contact with me as firends (mainly but not entirely via Facebook) and several have become either teachers or priests. Yes, I admit, I have enjoyed it and feel I have given something to the life and mission of the church. I can see and fully appreciate exactly where the long-named Heckelphone is coming from because I've been there, worked very hard at it and enjoyed it. Not any more. I realised the game was up and that I was no longer wanted or needed and yes, was hindering the work of the church rather than helping it. I did hang up my diploma hoods &c., Not once have I regretted doing this; I have never been happier. I don't have all the admin and political aggro of church life and when I go to church now I can just sit back, concentrate on what really matters and let other people do the worrying.
I also passionately believe that church music is - and should be - a young person's world. Heckelphone has (comparitive) youth on his side. My best achievements in church music came when I was around the age he is now. Age and increasing cynicism have wearied me and others (not to mention seeing the world in a less idealistic way perhaps) and I am now more than happy to let people of his generation take over because they still have the energy and enthusiasm that I used to have. I genuinely admire him, wishing him and others in his situation the very best of luck. It's what Alan Bennett calls "passing the parcel".
Malcolm
-
In answer to Heckelphone's question (Why does he have to have such a long nom-de-plume?)
1 ) Yes
2 ) Yes
3 ) Yes
4 ) Yes - agreed but in the area where I live (far too many churches despite a number of closures already) there is only one organist/D-of-M post worth having and I wouldn't want that one.
Malcolm
-
I'm not sure that forming a new organisation would solve anything, irrespective of the presence of egos but that is just my view. If an organisation was going to solve anything one of them would already have done so.
Recently, someone (with my full permission) directed the attention of the new director of the RSCM to comments I had made on another topic on this forum which were critical of the RSCM. The Director rang me and we had a very full, pleasant, open and honest chat about what I, and others, saw as being wrong with the RSCM at present. I got the impression that he genuinely wanted to be told things up front, as people in the real world see them. That, in itself, was a positive move on his part, and greatly to be commended.
Malcolm
-
A certain branch of the Church of England a couple of days ago came up with a new society for people to join. Already one commentator has remarked that whenever there is a problem people think, erroneously, that the answer is to form a new society. It isn't. Societies have committees and committee members have egos. We have quite enough societies relating to church music already and don't need any more.
Malcolm
-
I agree with Tony. People like recalling the "good old days" before everything changed. They love to yearn for the days when things were done correctly, but that usually means the point when they personally started going to church. People who complain bitterly about modern liturgy and want to go back to the "old Rites" tend to forget that modern liturgy, by and large, has done just that by going back to the very earliest Rites for their basis. Much as I like the old Preparation at the start of Mass and the Last Gospel at the end, they were later "add ons" which clouded the cohesiveness of the liturgy.
The two nutters/fanatics I referred to my earlier post (friends of a mutual friend on Facebook, whom I have now removed from my own list of friends) insisted that liturgy should never change and that God personally and irrefutably commanded that women are pysiologically incapable of celebrating Mass because God said so. (They declined or ignored my request for documentary evidence to support this claim!) Surely, liturgy is a servant rather than a master. Liturgy is a living thing and, like all living things it either changes (perhaps gradually) or it dies.
I love going to High Mass occasionally, celebrated according to the old English Missal. It is what I was brought up with when I was a young altar server. I wouldn't now want it every week. My current preference is for the (current) modern Roman Mass celebrated by Anglicans in an Anglican church. We are all different, which is rather the point we have been making, and different tastes, personalities need to be catered for. From the age of 14 onwards (1962) I have tried to avoid services according to the BCP of 1662 but many other people still love it. If the music is Mozart or Vittoria (but not Darke in F) - sung by a professional choir - I am very happy.
Let's rejoice in - and cater for - our diversity!
Malcolm
-
The trouble is that we HAVE become satisfied with mediocrity in worship and, to a large extent, this has been imposed upon us. There is a general misconception about congregation participation. Personally, I see congregational participation as each person doing what they are able to do well and each participant blending and uniting with each other to make a beautiful whole. (St Paul seems to support this view.) Many other people see congregational participation as everybody doing everything, regardless of their ability. We get people singing, playing instruments, reading, serving, ringing bells, flower arranging &c., solely because they think they have a right to be allowed to do it.
Lest organists get too pompous about this there are plenty of organists about who are playing traditional hymns every Sunday but are totally incapable of playing them well (or even in time) just as there are plenty of choirs about singing Darke in F and Byrd Ave Verum who have no business doing so. These put worshippers off just as much as guitars and bongo drums put a lot of people off. The important thing is that it should be done well, whatever style or format it takes.
This evening SOP came from All Saints Peckham in south London. Not my style of worship but what they did seemed to be well done and it clearly suited that local community and brought people - apparently many people - to God. Although I've never been to a service there, I suspect that part of the appeal of All Souls' Langham Place is that everything they do - including the music - is done to an exceptionally high standard. Yesterday I was at the Annual High Mass and Festival Lunch for the Fraternity of Our Lady de Salve Regina at the (Anglican) St Magnus the Martyr, London Bridge. I have known their Rector for over 25 years since he was curate at the parish in which I live. It was very old fashioned, traditional liturgy with humeral veil, maniples, birettas &c., and they have a professional organist and vocal quartet who are all exceptionally good. I sometimes go there on a Sunday morning and they are the most friendly, welcoming church community I know. In Lent/Advent they now even use folded chasubles and broad stoles! Since the present Rector has been there congregations have increased considerably and, one Sunday in August when I attended there were over 60 - including several children - in the building although I don't think anybody at all actually lives in the parish. Surely, both these styles of worship are valid if they are done well AND meet the needs of that particular community. I got shouted down by a couple of liturgical fanatics/nutters on another website a couple of weeks ago because I suggested that Our Lord merely said "Do This"; He didn't give detailed instructions as to how to "Do This" - or even which genders should "Do This" - because, ultimately that doesn't matter. (See the often quoted page 744 of Gregory Dix "The Shape of the Liturgy".)
I agree totally that we go to church to worship God and not to be entertained. The idea that the congregation should be entertained and constantly given what they want (they will all want something different anyway) was one of the main reasons I gave up my last regular church job. Actually, I would rather hear Shine Jesus Shine sung really well by a congregation, without a choir, than Darke in F sung by an ill-balanced out-of-tune choir who think they are better than they are, and are doing it to satisfy their own egos.
Worship is supposed to draw us to higher things and away from ourselves and the mundane. Worship, like the buildings used for the purpose, is supposed to make us fall on our knees in prayer, thanksgiving and adoration. There are many, very different ways of doing this and what is right for one community will be wrong for another.
Malcolm
-
Wise churches have never abandoned the English Gradual - the red Part 1, the blue Part 2 or the thinner blue suplmentary Propers.
There can be very few congregations anywhere that can't cope very easily with these.
Malcolm
-
Some friends of mine who are members of Brighton Festival Chorus told me they were at the RAH on Sunday 12th September to take part i the recording of two SOP programmes. One of these programmes was for broadcast on Sunday 26th December and they had been told to dress accordingly!.
Malcolm
-
I think it's true to say that the greater the player the more - and better quality - practice they do. Not only does Carlo Curley have a reputation for doing constant practice but stories about Simon Preston practicing for hours on end - even psalm chants - are well known.
I have never been able to balance on a bicyle but, if only organplaying were that easy!
Malcolm
-
My experience is that crematoria are amongst the best places for being valued, treated professionally and paid promptly. One just up the road from me, owned by a well-known large company, cannot get organists to play there regularly, and when I am asked to play there by funeral directors or clergy I can charge what I like. The other one, owned by the city council, also ten minutes walk from my house in Brighton, is able to keep a team of about five, or even six, of us employed regularly in its two chapels and, so far as possible, the admin staff ensure that we are each given a fair share of the work. You are told in advance what is wanted, you turn up, speak to the person taking the service to ensure you are on the same wave-length, pass the time of day with the very helpful staff, play the service, come away again and feel you have helped people at a difficult time in their lives. There is no involvement with PCCs, worship committee or anything like that and almost all the people I come into contact with are a joy to work with. We are valued, well treated and get an annual pay rise. Increasingly I am happy to restrict my service playing to weddings and funerals. A poll of funeral directors established that they would rather have "live" organists than the Wesley system.
As a very experienced and well qualified church musician I really don't see why I should have to tolerate the way one gets treated by churches. I'm still trying to get the fees from one church for work I did for them up to nine weeks ago.
Mr Collins- was it you who used to go to Saturday evening organ recitals at St Andrew's Worthing in the mid-1960s when John Partridge was organist there?
Malcolm
-
I haven't had one very recently but I have, for about four years now, been getting two copies of CMQ and all the rubbish that goes with it. The whole lot has been going, unopened, into the paper recycling bin at Sainsbury's every time.
A few months ago some silly woman rang me up and wanted to ask me questions about the role and value of the RSCM in the church where I am director of music. I told her I had not been director of music anywhere for about a year but she insisted on asking her silly questions anway and I told her in no uncertain terms exactly what I thought of the RSCM. I eventually got her off my phone - despite my continued attempts to be downright rude - after about 45 minutes.
Malcolm
-
Vox - You, like me have highly regarded professional qualifications and years of experience in music. Would these people at the Methodist church (or any other church) expect an architect, electrician or surveyor to give their services free of charge because they happen to believe in God and would those architects, electricians and surveyors give their services free for that reason? You know the answer to that and so do most of the members of this Board.
Yes, I go to church regularly - I'm going to Mass later this morning. Yes, I was a church organist/choir director between the ages of 19 and 61. Yes, I still play and teach the organ and am increasingly involved in singing teaching, voice coaching and vocal diagnostics (a subject which, for personal reasons, I am very interested in and see as a very positive way of helping others). No, I would not even consider taking another church job. Actually, I have discovered for the first time a rather excting world of music outside the realms of Stanford and Palestrina and am grateful for that. I've even learnt some jazz chords!
Malcolm
) who are far too used to apologising for our non-mainstream musical predilections at every turn. I know - I've been doing it since I was eleven. In this case, it's made this discussion far too considered. The question is largely separate from those considering the use of BCP versus CW, the separation versus the combination of musical styles, and the pastoral implications of active versus passive participation, which are important questions in their own right.
Mechanical Transmission
in Nuts and bolts
Posted
Up until the Wood Brown rebuild of the 1970s (of which the least said the better) the organ blower on the fine 3 manual Walker in St Bartholomew's Brighton was DC, converted by carbon rods dipping in and out of pots. The organist had to fill the pots up with water once a week. The system worked quite well but was somewhat noisy in operation.
I believe a similar system was used in the early days for the Morgan & Smith organ (one of their less unsuccessful efforts at organ building) in St Augustine's Brighton.
Malcolm