Music Groups

[handsoff]

I currently play the organ for 3 out of 4 churches in our benefice, one of them regularly and the other two on as-required basis, largely for weddings and funerals plus harvest, general (5th Sunday if there is one) benefice and carol services in one of the two.  The other of the two has a music group for the Sunday morning services, consisting of, as far as I know, piano/electronic keyboard, guitars and flute. 

I have never heard of the music group being asked to play for a wedding or funeral and if for whatever reason the organ is not desired recorded music is usually played. On rare occasions, especially for weddings, the family has asked musicians of their acquaintance, not the regular music group, to accompany the service rather than have the organ played.

I should be interested to hear if any members have known a church music group play for weddings and funerals as part of their general duties rather than by special request or is it more likely that a local organist be asked to come along as a one-off?

Just wondering...

 

 

 

[Tony Newnham]

Hi

The music group I used to run at Rye Baptist Church did play for a couple of weddings of church members (usually with some organ music as well).  I can't recall it being requested by non-members, but then we didn't do many non church member weddings anyway!

Every Blessing

Tony

[petergunstone]

Yes. When I was MD at St Andrew’s, North Oxford, it was as, if not more likely, that a wedding couple from the congregation would request band-led music than the organ (although often this was in addition to, rather than instead of, the organ).

Such engagements did not feature as a part of the ‘general duties’ of the band. I mention this because the participation of individuals in ‘the band’ (in reality, a collective of about 40 musicians who indicated their availability and whose involvement I programmed) was voluntary. So, their involvement at a wedding would be on the same basis. As the employed MD, I was the only person with ‘general duties’.

[Contrabombarde]

It surely depends on the church - mine doesn't hold many weddings or funerals but at both the music groups (as we have several who rotate each week) are at least as likely as the organist to be asked to play.

[handsoff]

Thank you for the replies.

The church in question with the music group has the same 4 or 5 players who, since the regular organist retired, play for all Sunday services where music is required and also for carols and harvest extras.

It is a very pretty building in a classic black & white village setting so is popular for weddings and as the village has quite a large population of older inhabitants there are quite a few funerals for all of which I play unless recorded or no music is the preference. There hasn't been a single occasion for which the music group has been requested; the organ apparently being regarded as more traditional and, as one family told me when discussing music, "the right thing to have". On one occasion a deceased person had been an enthusiastic member of the more evangelical style of service held there and accompanied by the group for years but had stipulated that he wanted the hymns and voluntaries played on the organ. 

I had wondered if this situation was the norm and am really interested to hear that it may, albeit on a small sample, be in a minority. Perhaps the setting in a pretty location is a factor. It certainly isn't  due to any perceived competence on the part of the organist!