nigel parkin
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Posts posted by nigel parkin
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The Guild of Church Musicians asks for an annual membership fee of £20.00, which I have not yet paid having not received the applications forms, but I have received the yearbook and a copy of their quarterly journal - both excellent publications IMHO. The fee for the ACertCM is currently £200 which I think most reasonable. As has been suggested above, the course material looks very stimulatiing.
Peter
Thank you for your replies. My main point was really to pick up on the membership costs. This is a big hit on a small income and has certainly put me off trying for the Cert up to now. The ability to pay quarterly wouild be helpful, but I don't think this is possible. The exam costs are also not insignificant and this could turn away many potential applicants. On a practical level, I have arranged tuition from a friend and colleague who is a concert organist from Europe - I'll be 'paying' for this by teaching her to accompany the English liturgy - especially psalms! I can also get help from a friend who passed ARCO recently. I hope that, if I also try for the A Cert CM then my experience will be suffficient with extra study with a colleague who has passed the exam recently.
I hope that others will now chip in with comments and practical advice on the exams.
N
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Nevertheless, for a private members' club it's up to them. There's no need for them to do so.
IIRC doesn't the RCO offer some form of scholarship for young players for courses, etc.? I can't quite remember, but perhaps that's where any spare money goes.
Personally I've never thought of asking for concessions for anything - I suspect a refusal would offend. :-)
Of course it's up to them - but a modest concession, as most other clubs offer - might boost
membership as well as enabling the less well-off to participate. We can agree to differ - there's little more to say, but, I hope that that fact that it will be a real financial sacrifice if I take this exam, then I will be better motivated to pass
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One can see the justification if the organisation concerned is publicly funded or grant-aided. The RCO, though, so far as I know, is a private organisation funded essentially by its members - who would then be in the position of subsidising these concessions? Presumably this would also apply to the GCM.
Many private organisations offer concessions - take scholarships at independent schools for example. Private companies such as cinemas - even football clubs - offer concessionary rates to the financially disadvantaged. The RCO membership subscription is substantial and some assistance to the low-income potential member would, surely, encourage more people to sign up, which would, in turn, ease the financial plight of the institution. The same applies, of course, to other organisations in all walks of life.
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Concessions for what? Why should they offer concessions?
Most organisations offering educational training offer concessionary prices to those of us on low incomes - pensioners, the disabled, unemployed, students etc. This, obviously, makes such training available to those who otherwise would find it difficult or impossible to afford. To someone on, for example, a banker's wage, £80 is nothing. To me, it's a week's income.
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I think, if you do the ACertCM you have to be a member of the Guild. I suspect this is the case for most organisations who offer diplomas of one sort or the other. Around 15 years ago, I took the ACertCM; I found it quite stimulating and enjoyed the experience.
Best wishes
Richard
I've been looking at the syllabus for the Cert RCO and the ACert CM and am tempted to try for both. The ACert CM seems to involve more study of liturgy and the Cert RCO is practical. The RCO fees do seem steep -and no concessions - but there you go
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Our boss asks us to sing an 'Advent Ring Song' with an extra verse each week as an additional candle is lit on the Ring, to the tune of 'The Holly and the Ivy'. As the tune for the chorus is a repeat of the verse, we will have sung and played the same tune 33 times by Christmas morning.
If anyone thinks that this is a good idea, lyrics by PM!
(Personally, I suspect that Patrick's idea has more merit...)
I had to use this in a previous church too. It almost sparked a choir revolt (but then, perhaps my choir were revolting
)N
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Just as well that most of the congregation won't know what the words mean.
Thinking about the recent case of the vicar in Tunbridge Wells, I've come to the conclusion that it's only a matter of time before some insensitive clod demands Disco Inferno (Burn Baby Burn) be played at a cremation service.
I can just see the headline now
EC
A few years ago, I had to play for a funeral for a lad who had stolen a car, turned it over on a bend, and it caught fire. The family asked for a CD of Atomic Kitten singing 'Eternal Flame' - the Rector let them have it
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ACertCM
in General discussion
Posted
Congratulations on a great result. I hope I'll be celebrating too next summer.
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