ick1508
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Posts posted by ick1508
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Have a look here , Karl, for something on 'singing in schools'.
It's all rather new - I'm sure your govenment is no faster than ours at actually doing something.
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Congratulations added from here!
There must be many of these in local churches.
My father, John Campbell-Kelly, stands at about 50 years - he started playing here before I was born (1958). Much of it, astonishingly, without an assistant; there was a period in the 1960s when there were 3 services each Sunday - Communion, Mattins and Evensong.
The choir finances itself, mostly by carol singing (4 nights), a superb experience out in the countryside.
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Um, it was August, probably 1998 or 99 when I surprised myself.
Through a series of events involving a pub, a mooring buoy and the Vicar's dinghy, I found myself playing at St W****w for Peter Skellern to sing the psalm (as a cantor, with the congregation singing a response every few verses) to a chant of his own devising. I still have the 'autograph score' somewhere. The parish at that time had a local teenager playing regularly.
The Vicar was, apparently, formerly flight crew on Victor nuclear bombers.
Peter at that time had a first floor composing room, with big patio doors looking out through the double-height conservatory over the harbour, with a leather-topped desk at right angles ( a big stack of blank music-ruled paper) then a Steinway to the side. The ferry, tugs, yachts and dinghies provide an ever-changing view, with the occasional big freighter for variety. As a location to compose, it was probably unparallelled.
We holidayed there for several years, and when the teenager retired and PS took over playing we were able to give him a Sunday off (CK's father and son, 2 hymns each, on one occasion). The last time we went (2004?), he played Sunday morning service.
He is a terrific musician, and a very nice bloke. Has composed some Christmas stuff - 'So Said the Angel' appears in the 'Noel!' collection. Could use the 15th more, though.
Ian C-K
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In O Little Town of Bethlehem, verse 3...
Is it just me, or has nobody noticed that verse 2 of 'O little town' is usually printed backwards? If you start it 'O morning stars...' then 'For Christ is born of Mary...' as it was printed in the St Nicholas carol book (RSCM, thin, pale blue) it makes much better sense.
I invariably have it in the carol service and print it in the service sheet this way round.
(Mind you, I usually provide other misprints of my own. Like leaving out an entire carol...)
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Vox, I think that was exactly the issue I was hinting at. Anybody have a clue how to solve this in a mixed comp? It wasn't a pressure we felt, in an all-boys grammar (in the 1970's).
Is there a genre of particularly 'butch' repertoire? where the boys can show off? Theatre musicals, of course...(?)
Maybe the answer is to take the choirs out of school in the teenage years. I forgot earlier to mention the excellent County Music Service (at least, it is in Staffs) in this context.
(But even there, nobody teaches the organ... one for another thread?).
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Whilst anything that encourages more participation in music is obviously a good thing, I wonder how many primary schools have anyone capable of teaching children to sing properly.
For that money, organising a few days' of training courses and cover should be possible? (Would the RSCM submit a bid for providing this?)
never to pick anything that went above a D (ie. 4th line treble clef) because 'junior school children cant sing that high'.Couldn't agree with Neil more, top A in 'O Fortuna' at age 11 was my experience...
Vox's doubt on persistence through the school system rings true. My wife's primary school choir is usually 50 to 80 strong, (up to age 8), holds up at middle school but at the local comp (top of the pyramid) there's no choir at all. There's a great peripatetic singing teacher, and you get individual girls doing terrific pop solos, but...
Maybe the Dept of Ed is starting at primary level, and, like numeracy/literacy, the change will filter up the system as a generation of kids gets older? (Is that what happened?)
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I know we all have feet bigger than the spacing of the pedals, but we somehow manage to hit only one note at once, most of the time.
But my son has size 12 feet already, and he's still growing. Notwithstanding OrganMaster shoes, or whatever, (and I've read that thread - and voted - modified Clarks are my favourite too) are there any techniques for pedalling that would help him?
He just looks at the pedalboard, then his feet, and thinks it's impossible! Even when I show him it's not! Shame, because he's a good natural musician.
(First attempt at starting a thread)
Ian
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Today's copy of the RSCM house rag says it's all over bar the shouting (or the playing of some loud Bach
)But the pipes4organs.org website diary says 'not quite'
Apparently there's a meeting "in the 3rd week of June", presumably to kick the Commission about a bit
What would these Europeans do without folks like John and Doug
If it all comes out right, it will have been a remarkably effective political campaign
With the support of Lords, no less!
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Hi everyone.
I've just received an e-mail from Philip Bradbourn MEP.
DR Caroline Jackson MEP (mentioned above) seems to be leading the issue.
Here is an extract from his email:
I attach for your information the documentation sent to me by the Commission. Reacting to concerns within the industry and the public in general, they have now said that they are going to collaborate with Member States to clarify the position of organ builders within the RoHS Directive. They emphasise the fact that an exemption from the Directive can be applied for by the industry, should it be found that they do lie within the scope of the Directive. This is another ludicrous example of the Commission creating red tape when they should be cutting it.
Dr Jackson has sent a letter to Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to seek further clarification of whether these directives will, in fact, affect church organs when they are implemented in the UK. In the event that they should be included within the scope of the directives, she has asked him to ensure that the British government applies for an exemption so that organ pipe manufacturers may continue to build traditional pipe organs with lead pipes.
Yours sincerely,
Philip Bradbourn OBE MEP
The European Commission's viewpoint (this seems to be a letter to Caroline Jackson) is:
Following my earlier e-mail, I would like to report further on the issue of pipe organs. As I said, the European Commission has taken very seriously the concerns expressed by both the industry and the general public with regards to this sensitive issue.
Therefore we have decided to take urgent action to address your concerns.
Yesterday the Commission has written to the Member States, with a view to clarifying, together with them, to what extent pipe organs fall within the scope of the RoHS Directive. Once we know the outcome the Commission will issue a statement and update its Guidance Document accordingly.
I will of course keep you fully informed of any development in this matter.
In the meantime, I would like to emphasize that, in any event, since the law applies to new products only, existing organs are untouched by the Directive and major repairs even with lead may still continue.
Equally, even if it is found in the final analysis that pipe organs fall within the scope of the Directive, manufacturers can still apply for an exemption.
Yours sincerely
Reijo Kemppinen
Hope this is slightly reassuring and helps everybody.
Best wishes
Ian Campbell-Kelly
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Is it just me that uses sermon time to pick the hymns to play during communion, 'cos I'm too disorganised to do it beforehand?
If we're in Common Worship mode, the Peace is just the right opportunity to hand round slips of paper with the numbers on.
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I'm a member of the IEE, and I received a circular recently:
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"Burdened by red tape?" - then read on:
A review has been set up by the Cabinet Office to identify unnecessary burdens created by over-implementation, and is calling for business and other sectors to come forward with instances of 'gold plating', 'double banking' and 'regulatory creep'.
Further details about the scope and timing of the review can be found at http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/davidson_review/
...
Please send your responses directly to
mailto:BRE-Davidson.Review@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk by 25 May 2006.
...
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Looks like another avenue that can be approached here.
I sent an e-mail containing the following:
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Avoiding [these issues] could be done very simply.
Firstly, by a simple exclusion of pipe metal from the RoHS Directive, in view of the functional nature of lead in this application, both in view of its malleability and the effect of the high density metal on the sound produced by the pipe. Clearly, pipe manufacturers need to demonstrate that reasonable precautions are taken in regard to the health and safety of their employees, but this is their responsibility under existing Health and Safety legislation.
Secondly, by the common sense restriction of the UK implementation of the WEEE Directive to the electrical and electronic parts of the organ (for example, the blower, and some organs have electrical key action or combination stop selection mechanisms). This restriction is easily justified by the re-use of pipe metal, which has been a tradition for centuries. Also, any reasonable interpretation of the function of pipe metal would recognise that an organ pipe is a mechanical component, rather than being electrical or electronic.
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Wish I had time to adjust the almost-ciphering Bflat on my Great 15th... and learn some new repertoire...
Happy playing one and all
Ian Campbell-Kelly
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En Chamade
in General discussion
Posted
At my niece's graduation in YM, it is alleged that 'The Simpsons' signature tune was indeed played (upon this stop, I assume).
Ian