mjgrieveson

Almost every organist I have ever heard has been better than me, and this is deeply discouraging especially as no matter how bad I am no one will sack me - pity when there are many more skillful and worthy people who would probably like the job. My main qualification is ability to read music, having a pulse and the kind of rude health which means I never have an excuse not to turn up. As a sub, I have been covering sick-leave and this now appears to be indefinite so I have been left holding a very heavy, bawling baby. Applications on a postcard; 2-manual Rushworth +Dreaper that usually works- choir of 2.

The little riff towards the end cobbled from the original put me in mind of Edmundo Ros' Wedding Samba, but it is not as catchy as that. Now a bride coming down the aisle to a Samba would be a sight for sore eyes (and ears....)

Many thanks for the link which includes a sheet music download - haven't seen that before. I'd better be armed with the thing in case anyone else wants it but I can't imagine it will sound any better (or worse) on the organ.

I've asked this elsewhere and scored a blank: has anyone been asked to play a Bridal March by Miranda Wong? I was presented with this request literally at the last minute recently so couldn't oblige as I had never heard of it.

Some excellent resources - thank you all, this was the kind of thing I was looking for and will be a great help in planning an itinerary. I have loose thoughts of October floating around in my head but nothing is settled yet. Hope everything doesn't dry up when the tourist season tails off!

Hello there. Husband and self are in need of a week away and neither of us have explored this area. I know members of this forum have been away on this sort of jolly. As well as visiting galleries and museums I would love to take in a recital somewhere but don't have the first idea how to find out what is going on where. Could anyone help please? Don't much mind what it is but I'm currently in the mood for Buxtehude and Sweelinck and the like. How might one enquire, and where would be a good place to begin? If there is a beautiful organ in a lovely building to visit, I'm sure we would find other things of interest in the area. Many thanks.

That has happened here, last year. About 2hrs after the last wedding, I had occasion to return to the church and came across a young woman in bridal regalia with glass of bubbly in hand having pictures taken in front of the building! Didn't even look embarrassed.

Only last year I did 4 in one day, and mostly had 3. Normally in the season there are 2 - worth turning out for, but not too exhausting. I've got 2 next week but this month they have mostly just been singles - enough to mess up a Saturday. The season isn't over yet; I haven't been given the September list . It is usually beginning to tail off by then, thank goodness.

If they wish to be married in that church then it is not unreasonable to expect them to have visited it a few times in order to suss out this kind of thing. Most do, if only to hear their banns (by which time it's probably too late!) There are those who feel this sort of inconvenience is a step too far. Some of my own family have been interested in the fact that I play the organ but wouldn't dream of putting themselves through the ordeal of gong to church in order to hear me. Buying a 'pacakage' sounds like a symptom of the Consumer Culture; maybe this kind of punter should be more actively discouraged, because they are clearly only interested in a sort of cinematic production.

Many thanks! That's all the excuse I need....

^^ I suppose if you put it that way - the restaurant analogy, I mean. I have sinned twice in this regard but only because I was asked to do it and it never occurred to me that payment would be expected for work carried out by someone else. I shall be more careful in the future. Not sure if I could persuade the management here to adopt the practice, though. I am only too pleased if someone else takes on the burden, as long as I am not expected to provide a key to the building or show them how to switch the thing on. If the visiting organist is unaware of the protocols for this, bear in mind they may also be hazy on the going rate for the gig and also the supplement for video recordings. I'm still summoning up the nerve to request more than an extra tenner for a video recorded wedding. Must also start charging a fee when presented with a photocopied piece of popular music that has to be learnt in time for the occasion. As an aside, any ideas for appropriate music for a combined wedding/baptism ceremony?

No disaster to report. Took leave of mother today, fortunately a real live organist was engaged for the crematorium and it all felt entirely right. I'd felt a bit of a bully for holding out for real music, prayers and hymns and rather dreaded being the only one singing, such was the lukewarm attitude of father. It had to be a hackneyed hymn to be certain that everyone would sing it; but the other music was very nicely delivered and tailored to our movements. Well done, whoever she was. So no mechanised music here today, and one fairly happy daughter.

Ah - so it's a bug in the programme? As to the Wesley System, I've a feeling I may be about to find out. Maybe it is a hologram of Wesley miming to a CD rather like a York Dungeon Museum interactive thingy.

This is good to hear. My own mother's funeral is planned for next week and I fear the worst because a) it is difficult to broach the subject of music before the death happens and without knowing the organist's repertoire it is possible that a request might be made that cannot be fulfilled due to shortage of time to learn it. I know of people who have carried out this duty for family members but don't think I could do this. I have at least tried to influence the hymn choice with remaining parent (always supposing there are hymns!) but expect to be sturdily ignored especially as I can't be there when it is planned. There may not even be an organist, I suppose. If anything ghastly happens I may need to let off steam on here; apologies in advance. Edit - I've no idea where that smilie came from; I did not ask for it and cannot seem to get rid of it!

It is on the AB grade 8 list C; I was wondering if I was missing something because apart from the couple of bars of tricky rhythm and some awkward clusters it isn't really all that bad. Still exploring the download kindly provided but I may come back for registration suggestions later if that's ok. I'm using a photocopy at the moment but I hope the AB wouldn't list something out of print. (Although they frequently do this with diploma reading matter!) Edit: I've just listened to justadad's link and it played without me having to sign up for anything. I like it - I don't think I've been adventurous enough with the pedal though; if anyone could give me an idea what it was I would be grateful. Was it 32'? (which I do have but feel rather than hear unless I'm not using it correctly.)

An LP? Actually, my old dad has a turntable so if I did manage to unearth a copy at least I would have something to play it on. It looks as though this is one of those not terribly popular pieces that people avoid. Strange, because I'm starting to quite like it; at least my version of it, which is emerging without the aid of distracting registration suggestions on the copy. It is quite possible that I may run into Dr Spedding (unless he moves house) one day so I could compare registration with him. Thank you for the information. M

I've searched everywhere I can think of without picking up any reference to this piece. I'd be very grateful if anyone could point me to a recording of this to help me get a handle on it. Google is unyielding, apart from an A M-T lesson on it which comes wrapped up in a free trial of an American magazine. I was hoping for a YouTube recording, even if it's not very good! Many thanks Melanie.

This helps me to understand views you have expressed elswhere. Mostly in jest...

Was it written years ago? I remember coming across a battered, cloth bound book on this subject a couple of years ago in a second-hand bookshop in Hay-on-Wye. I was going to buy it but saw that it was £11 so decided not to. Perhaps I should have! It was probably the same one but like I say, it looked ancient. Edit - sorry - ignore me! if they are only just reviewing it then it must be new. * tiptoes out*

I don't seem to feature on this list, quite rightly. Please, can I be the annoying cypher that must be eliminated as quickly as possible?

^^ This strikes me as very humane and anyone would be immediately won over (one hopes!) by this sympathetic and well organised approach. If I ever manage to get a choir going I shall hope to be like this. I just hope the choir in question is not too intractable and the relationship with the leader not beyond repair.

It sounds as though they consider themselves to be a social club rather than a church choir. I don't know what the normal contractual arrangement is between choir, choirmaster/organist and incumbent, but is there no way this bunch can be disbanded? It is a risk because there is always a possibility that your friend would not be able to replace them but with the Vicar onside, the choir could be put in a kind of 'special measures' and all rehearsals stopped. If they then turned up and attempted to robe and sit in their usual places it would be akin to a pitch invasion. It is a pity that Sunday mornings are hectic because that would have been an ideal time to have rehearsals if and when your friend started up the choir again, after a brief cooling- off period of perhaps 3 months with suitable publicity.

I am very pleased to read of the appointment of Robert Poyser to the vacancy at Beverley Minster. He was a year ahead of me at Hull Uni (although I am much older than he!) and I can remember how much fun was had at rehearsals in the Chapel Choir under his leadership. I shall have to go along to Evensong there to re acquaint myself with how it should be done.

You are clearly neither and I'm not sure why you should say such a thing. No one wants children to be put at risk but such a zealous policy of inquiry into people's lives means that now nobody can be trusted without first being vetted by those "in authority". Has there been any reliable survey of whether there is a lower incidence of harm to children with the advent of tighter regulation of those who volunteer? Very likely it is not possible to gauge such a thing, by the very nature of what is being measured. Perhaps we should encourage more diverse groups that could chaperone each other. It seems that we all have to pay a high price for the sins of a few. The Church Times carries a report this week that nine out of ten people are in favour of CRB checks for those volunteering with children and vulnerable adults. Asked the question on a draughty street corner I might have said the same, but the fact that this is the popular perception doesn't make it true. You do not need a CRB check to have a child and it remains a fact that most children are damaged by those in their family or immediate circle. Perhaps we are better off legally having dwindling children's organisations because fewer people will put themselves forward to run them, given the barriers and regulation (always supposing you pass the CRB). We would be free of any imputation of blame but how much poorer is the life of the church and how much narrower the opportunities for children when those things decline. It seems that this is one more poorly thought out reaction to a perceived problem, and the repercussions may not be as envisaged. Let's hope new thinking will come up with a better solution.

The problem, in answer to Ron Poole and his 3 exclamation marks, is that in playing the organ I am doing a favour - not practising a profession. It is not good manners in my view to ask someone to do something for you and then inquire into their background. The whole business of CRB checks has been shown from the interesting comments here, to be a bit of a racket, only exposing those who have been caught, and having to be repeated endlessly. The trouble is, everyone has signed up to it and it has become respectable - so much so that anyone who declines is considered suspect or 'difficult'. I am thankful that I shall not hear the howls of derision when I remark that it is unchristian to single out those with a 'record'. Are only those with an unblemished history to be allowed in our organisations? I will allow it is prudent to follow good practice such as not being alone with children or vulnerable adults and would have no argument with this. But in the same way that I cannot approve of universal DNA registers and ID cards, blanket CRB checking is to me a requirement too far and I have filled in my last form. I only filled it in because I had made an appointment with the vicar to check some ID and it seemed discourteous to cancel at short notice.