dcmbarton
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Posts posted by dcmbarton
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I shouldn't worry too much because I gather that the whole system is changing this year and that CRB's as such will no longer exist. According to the last ISM Journal 'a centralised vetting and barring system will clear people for suitability to work with children before they start work.' Apparently we will register with this body, but they estimate some 11 million people will be eligible, so as they say, 'it may take some time before the Scheme becomes universally available.'
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I found another 'gem' yesterday in the volume I already mentioned; a lovely tranquil prelude on 'Aurelia' by Andrew Moore.
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A lot of people think that they are anonymous online, particularly by using obscure usernames etc., but I generally find that it isn't that difficult for them to mention something in passing which gives them away. Links to websites etc. are a dead giveaway! To be quite honest, I'm not really bothered whether people know who I am or not. In the end, I'm 'me' whether I use an different username or my own.
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I have two volumes of KM music which I think are the Organist's Companion. Generally, I don't use much in these but there are a few pieces. In both there are some good reflective pieces by Stanley Vann (one called Meditation on the Divine Mysteries which I particularly like). Also there is a Processional by Christopher Tambling which has proved useful.
I know they aren't to everybody's tastes and it would be easy to dismiss the whole output. Nevertheless, they are popular; I heard recently of one of their 'house' composers earning well over £2,000 in royalties in one year alone. This would seem to indicate that they certainly shift the copies they print.
David
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I have no idea anymore what's being talked about here (maybe I shall now read it all again!), suffice to add:
I have a simple policy with wedding couples. It is their day, and we will provide anything they want, provided it is both legal and moral to do soGenerally I am in agreement with that. You are offering a service which the couple are paying for. Sometimes I've had to play things I don't like or don't necessarily think are appropriate, but I think it would have to be exceptional circumstances for me to refuse outright to play a certain piece. I would rather try to work with the couple to provide what they want (for example, recommending that a piece might sound better on the piano, or possibly better if they had a recorded version). I might not like what they choose, but if it was within my capablilities and they were paying the fee, then I wouldn't object. I came across a couple who had dreadful trouble with their wedding music recently and I didn't think that what they were asking for was that obscure; possibly just not 'run of the mill' wedding music. Nevertheless, they had given their choice of music a great deal of thought.
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I gather via the grapevine that for tonight's Carols by Candlelight our minister is bringing a CD to play during the offertory. As she hasn't actually told me (or even asked me), I might play along too; work out what the music is then play along a semitone higher!
Oh well, we got to the offertory and I waited for the CD; I looked at her, she looked at me and nothing happened, so I had to play anyway!
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I gather via the grapevine that for tonight's Carols by Candlelight our minister is bringing a CD to play during the offertory. As she hasn't actually told me (or even asked me), I might play along too; work out what the music is then play along a semitone higher!
David
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I'm afraid that I too find the rhythm in that bar rather unnecessary. I find that I play it as written, but they sing it straight. I should give up and just join them.
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Those fees are very low, even for Cheltenham. I wouldn't do a wedding to £50. At Charlton Kings its £80 for a wedding, double if there's an official video being made. Its up to the minister to have a form that he fills in with the question as to whether there will be a video printed on his form. I would expect the church to pay me the difference if the vicar forgot to charge the fee, after all its not my fault and I shouldn't lose out.
Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I only play in Methodist churches where of course the idea of paying organists is pretty alien anyway
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I usually get £50 for weddings and £40 for funerals, but the minister rarely asks what I charge so sometimes I find the couple/family have been told the wrong amount and there isn't a lot you can do about that. Despite my asking on severals occasions, the minister always forgets to ask whether they are having a video done, so I often don't have any chance to charge more for that.
David
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I have written literally tons of music, and have about 25 pieces in print in the UK, US and Canada (not bad going only being 24!). Mostly choral or organ; some instrumental. They're not at all popular in the UK (too 'nice', not enough dissonance!). They even get performed occasionally, but again, mostly in the US. I'm dying for people to start recording them though......
David
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Sorry to go off at a slight tangent (not for the first time), but is anyone as disgusted as me with The Last Choir Standing? I've had to stop watching it as its bad for my blood pressure.
Yes. I gave up midway through programme 1 because my blood pressure couldn't handle it. I was disgusted!
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I did get very annoyed with the cathedral a few years ago when they were blatently trying to poach choristers from church choirs. Our PCC Secretary received a letter asking if she knew of any children who sang and, if so, could she pass on a cathedral choir recruiting pack to them. Luckily she came to me and asked if she should give the details out to our choristers (and I replied in the negative). Let the cathedral publicise its voice trials in the usual way and I'll support and help prepare any chorister that wants to put it an application, but I don't expect the cathedral to steal the choristers by "Back door" methods.
Interestingly, I was contacted a while back by a well known local choral society in a nearby town (who shall remain nameless) who wanted me to distribute recruitment leaflets to my pupils. I said I would do this and did so; but, I then got a phone call a few months later to ask me why no one had joined. I politely pointed out that I could pass on information, but couldn't necessarily be seen to favour one choir over another. I get a lot of requests of that nature. Whether they join is up to them; I'm certainly not going to make them!
David
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This is the current favourite of our choir. I got individual copies from Cathedral Music, although its published by the Church Music Society. I must say that when I contacted Cathedral Music, they seemed to be quite surprised I was ordering from them, and wasn't aware it was in the NOEAB - it was all very odd.
David
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Reading through this thread, I'm just in awe of anyone who had the privilege of meeting or knowing HH. He died just under 10 months before I was born!
David
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Far from it. The fact you don't have to be taking the Music Tripos to be an organ scholar is far from obvious, for example.
That is true. I suppose I think it's the kind of position that if someone was interested in it, they'd know a certain amount already. I'm sure the film is useful.
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Interesting, but isn't it rather stating the obvious? I'm surprised they feel the need to 'advertise' in this way!
David
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If I could actually play it, probably either Thalben Ball's Elegy, or the Prelude from William Harris' Four Short Pieces. Hard to choose though!
David
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It's very true that children respond most positively to a reverent atmosphere; yet it's also true that they can create one instinctively when faced with something awesome or beyond their understanding. Adults often spoil such occasions with busy-ness or with an attempt to stop the children thinking too deeply.
That is quite true. Its usually not the children that are the problem; its the adults!
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Being quite tight-fisted, I refused to buy the score and learnt it by ear.
Took ages though.....
I had a wonderful time one year playing an excerpt of it in a concert. I had to fill a gap while the kettles at the back of the church boiled...
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This is not the attitude that bothers me - if you asked any of your congregation whether they enjoy your music, I'm sure they would say they were very happy with it. The attitude that bothers me is the clergy one - pace Revds. Patrick Coleman and Quentin Bellamy whom I am completely sure give their musicians the greatest encouragement and sympathy. The assumption often made by some of their brother and sister clergy is that everything we do is
1. effortless and
2. requires no preparation
The fact that I have paper qualifications and have been playing for services at one place or another since the age of thirteen does not make me either clairvoyant or able to turn on a sixpence and, critically, able to get a choir to follow me as I do so!
I completely agree with you. In my experience, the clergy are usually incredibly supportive, or not supportive at all. Our current one is on the latter end of that- changing tunes in the middle of the service, deciding to miss items out due to time getting on, turning up with extra hymns and songs 2 minutes before the service starts etc. etc. A recent funeral was nearly a disaster when she 'forgot' to ask any of the organists to play, and even then, there she hadn't told the family that there would be a fee for playing.
David
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Well not being very advanced musically, the choir did a service of readings and music for Holy Week on Palm Sunday. We sang:
God So Loved the World (Bob Chilcott)
Meekness and Majesty (Graham Kendrick, arr. Martin How)
What Wondrous Love (David Stevens)
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy (Maurice Bevan)
Drop, Drop Slow Tears (Gibbons)
How Deep the Father's Love (Townend, arr. Shackley)
We don't have a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service. This morning, the choir sang From the squalor of a borrowed stable (Immanuel)
And tonight, we're doing In Christ Alone
David
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Then speak out, David. We live in a democracy - of sorts! - after all. :angry:
Well, I guess I'm no longer a member so they can't really do anything!
Speaking not just about our Association but others too, the main concern seems to be that they want to attract new members, particularly young members. This is right, and of course without new members the Associations will die out eventually.
The problem as I see it, is that young members are not going to want to join an organisation which does little to provide for them. Now when I was encouraged to join, there was someone who organised events specifically for 'young organists' which were under-18's, and it was very successful. There were a number of recitals, outings and workshops which were very welcome. In my original postings, I congratulated the Association on this area (though I think this was somehow missed....).
After they reach 18, we then hit a problem. I think it would be fair to say that the gap then between the majority (but not all) of the members and what I would consider to be my age group, is quite wide. As I've always made it clear in my correspondance, I am in a minority, and therefore if the events they provide for members are what the majority of members want, then why should they change? They certainly shouldn't change just because the events are not my thing. I guess the question remains as to what we do want. I don't know really. Certainly the 'young organists' events were very welcome and well attended, and therefore carrying these on beyond 18 would have been very valuable. Sadly it seems that once we reach 18, we are then expected to fit in with the programme organised for (I think it would be fair to say) older members. Sadly, slide shows and talks (of course that's not all they do) are not really my cup of tea. They are obviously what the majority of members enjoy so why should that change?
What this all boils down to is the perenial question of what to do to attract young members? Quite honestly, I don't have the answer to that, but I'm certainly not prepared to just be pushed aside, talked down to and basically told to keep quiet just because I'm young.
Oh dear....another can of worms!
David
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Let's not prolong this, because I'm just going to get into more trouble! My overiding view is that members should be entitled to their opinions expressed here or otherwise, and should not fear being 'silenced', and that Associations and other organisations should not see this as 'going behind their backs'. Discussion here is like everyday discussion. A question or point arises, and it is discussed, as one would do meeting people walking down the street.
David
Mp3 Portable Recorders
in Nuts and bolts
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I have a Zoom H4 and it is superb - it you PM me, I could probably send you a sample recording from it.
David