Locum Organist Required

[Guest Andrew Butler]

In my (RC) church I try to maintain a full sung Mass schedule (albeit simplified) during holiday periods. I shall be in France for all 4 Sundys of August (plus the Assumption on the 15th), and am finding it increasingly difficult to find "cover". My regular deputy is 90, and I think ready to give up, as he collapsed the other day.

 

Is there anyone living in, or who might be on holiday in Kent who might like to help out for any/all of August?

 

Weekend duties are: Saturday 6pm Mass, Sunday 8.30am & 10.30 am Masses, Holydays 10.00am & 7.30pm Masses, 1st Sunday in month Benediction 4.30pm. Organ not the best, but not the worst - 2 man Viscount, available for practice. Remuneration by negotiation.

 

Anyone interested, please PM me.

 

Thanks!

[pcnd5584 0]

In my (RC) church I try to maintain a full sung Mass schedule (albeit simplified) during holiday periods.  I shall be in France for all 4 Sundys of August (plus the Assumption on the 15th), and am finding it increasingly difficult to find "cover".  My regular deputy is 90, and I think ready to give up, as he collapsed the other day.

 

Is there anyone living in, or who might be on holiday in Kent who might like to help out for any/all of August?

 

Weekend duties are: Saturday 6pm Mass,  Sunday 8.30am & 10.30 am Masses, Holydays 10.00am & 7.30pm Masses, 1st Sunday in month Benediction 4.30pm.  Organ not the best, but not the worst - 2 man Viscount, available for practice. Remuneration by negotiation.

 

Anyone interested, please PM me.

 

Thanks!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I am sorry, Andrew - I read down as far as '2 man Viscount' and I am afraid that all charitable thoughts of offering to help evaporated like steam from a toaster....

 

I do hope that you find someone who can help you, though. I know what it is like - I am still attempting to supply organists for my own church in August - the 13th is proving particularly elusive for some reason.

 

Good hunting....

[Guest Lee Blick]

I am sorry, Andrew - I read down as far as '2 man Viscount' and I am afraid that all charitable thoughts of offering to help evaporated like steam from a toaster....

 

 

Well, what what a wonderful example of Christian love we have just witnessed. How helpful...

[innate 0]

Well, what what a wonderful example of Christian love we have just witnessed.  How helpful...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think that's unfair, Lee. We are organists and real organs have pipes. Imagine asking a concert pianist to give a recital for a church on a digital piano, or expecting a string quartet to play Mozart on electric instruments.

 

Nothing to do with Christian love.

 

Michael

[pcnd5584 0]

I think that's unfair, Lee. We are organists and real organs have pipes. Imagine asking a concert pianist to give a recital for a church on a digital piano, or expecting a string quartet to play Mozart on electric instruments.

 

Nothing to do with Christian love.

 

Michael

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thank you for your support - I was at least trying to be honest!

 

I am also quite happy to accept that in the case of my own church, however good the organ, some people just do not wish to play in a church with the acoustic environment of a telephone kiosk....

[Guest Lee Blick]

think that's unfair, Lee. We are organists and real organs have pipes. Imagine asking a concert pianist to give a recital for a church on a digital piano, or expecting a string quartet to play Mozart on electric instruments.

 

But this situation is a parish church where an organist is needed to fill in for a few services. It is not necessarily asking for cathedral organists.

 

But what annoys me is the judgmentalist attitude, "well I'm not interested because you don't have a pipe organ or the right acoustic.", as if the Christian faith is based on such criteria. I would not like people to make that sort of comment about my organ, but I suppose such behaviour is expected from those in their high and mighty organ lofts.

[Guest Andrew Butler]

This topic has taken an unexpected turn!

 

I was not expecting "public" replies as I asked for PM's, so pcnd5584's message must have been deliberately provocative - !

 

I have got cover so far for the 1st 2 weekends of August (not via the forum!)

 

I must say that I do feel rather hurt that my integrity is being (albeit obliquely and I hope unintentionally) called into question for presiding at such an instrument, when in fact I (and many others in similar situations) work hard to provide music for worship on the best instrument available to the parish budget.

 

Although I am interested to see where the topic goes, I do slightly regret starting it now.

[pcnd5584 0]

This topic has taken an unexpected turn!

 

I was not expecting "public" replies as I asked for PM's, so pcnd5584's message must have been deliberately provocative -  !

 

I have got cover so far for the 1st 2 weekends of August (not via the forum!)

 

I must say that I do feel rather hurt that my integrity is being (albeit obliquely and I hope unintentionally) called into question for presiding at such an instrument, when in fact I (and many others in similar situations) work hard to provide music for worship on the best instrument available to the parish budget. 

 

Although I am interested to see where the topic goes, I do slightly regret starting it now. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No, Andrew - but it was fairly late, and I had just finished school reports - I did not register the part concerning PMs at the time!

 

I had no intention of calling your integrity into question - it could just as easily be argued that I am unwise to preside at the instrument which I play weekly. Many people (including those here) do not like it - and have also said so publicly.

 

However, since I agree that we must do what we can to the best of our ability, I do not judge you!

 

Andrew, I wish you well in your search for relief organists - my only purpose was perhaps gently to suggest that it may not be easy since the instrument in question is an electronic.

 

For Lee Blick:

 

Like many of us here, I work long hours - around seventy hours per week, in fact. My time off is precious to me (quite reasonably, I feel). I have few Sundays off in a year (and normally play for three fully choral services each Sunday) and I already spend some of those playing for friends' choirs - usually without any form of remuneration or travelling expenses). I think that it is reasonable under the circumstances to at least desire that the instruments which I play are fun and exciting to play. I have to be honest and state that I have never yet encountered an electronic substitute which fulfills those functions.

 

I certainly was not being provocative - or trying to offend, Andrew!

[innate 0]

But this situation is a parish church where an organist is needed to fill in for a few services.  It is not necessarily asking for cathedral organists.

 

But what annoys me is the judgmentalist attitude, "well I'm not interested because you don't have a pipe organ or the right acoustic.", as if the Christian faith is based on such criteria.  I would not like people to make that sort of comment about my organ,  but I suppose such behaviour is expected from those in their high and mighty organ lofts. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I would not have used the word "judgmentalist"; rather "discerning" or "artistic". At the risk of exacerbating the situation I think Lee's attitude is the more judgmental; "First remove the beam from your own eye".

 

At least Andrew included the important information in his appeal. If he hadn't considered that "Viscount" might be a deal-breaker he probably wouldn't have mentioned it.

 

Michael

[Frank Fowler 0]

I would not have used the word "judgmentalist"; rather "discerning" or "artistic". At the risk of exacerbating the situation I think Lee's attitude is the more judgmental; "First remove the beam from your own eye".

 

At least Andrew included the important information in his appeal. If he hadn't considered that "Viscount" might be a deal-breaker he probably wouldn't have mentioned it.

 

Michael

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

In my 48 years in dealing with organists I often wondered what many of them had to do with Christianity - and that went for come of the clerics as well.

 

FF

[Guest Andrew Butler]

I ran this post on another forum - people may be interested to see where it

has(n't?) gone there.

 

http://www.ssg.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?...0d9ab8dcddbe6a0

[Guest Andrew Butler]

IAt least Andrew included the important information in his appeal. If he hadn't considered that "Viscount" might be a deal-breaker he probably wouldn't have mentioned it.

 

Michael

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This is true - although I expected "no reply" rather than what i got!