Soundboard No. 22

SOUNDBOARD
A Magazine for Church Musicians
Number 22
!!!
November 2010
Looking to the future
Two events since the end of summer
have given the Church Music
Committee good cause to celebrate.
Firstly,
we
were
delighted
to
welcome six new students to the
Archbishop's Certificate Course in
Church Music, bringing the total
number of current students across
the three years to fourteen. Their
arrival was marked on 9 September
with
Choral
Evensong
and
a
reception
at
Christ
Church
Cathedral
during
which
our
chairperson,
Archdeacon
Ricky
Rountree, wished them well in their
studies and thanked them for their
dedication and the hours of hard
work they will devote in the coming
months!
In the two decades since its
inception this course has trained
over 60 church musicians in the
three key disciplines of organplaying,
choral
leadership
and
liturgical practice, and thanks to
much hard work by many people
(not least the students themselves,
and their tutors) it has developed
into a balanced and comprehensive
course which is a benchmark for
similar schemes elsewhere.
Those
who complete the course are able to
provide and develop music of a high
standard in their own parishes,
thereby enlivening musical worship
across the diocese.
Last year we revised the organplaying syllabus to cover a wider
and
more
relevant
range
of
disciplines, and this year's choral
training element has been more
comprehensive than ever before,
largely due to the admirable work of
the tutors Ite O'Donovan and Peter
Parshall.
The 'Living Worship' lecture series,
held in January each year, forms a
part of the course but its content is
relevant to a far wider audience;
those of all musical and religious
dispositions (and none) will find
much food for thought. The 2011
series, which begins on Saturday 15
January, is — as ever — open to all.
We warmly invite you to visit our
website to find out a little more about
what has become one of our most
successful projects.
The Committee seeks to identify and
respond to the needs and demands
of church music here in Dublin and
Glendalough, and the nature of these
will necessarily change over time.
Just as we keep our training
schemes under review, so too are we
aware of the need to continue to offer
relevant resources, support and
events. To that end, two days after
welcoming
the
students,
the
Committee met for a 'brainstorming
breakfast' — the second of our
'events' — followed by a morning of
lively discussion (admirably led by
Ruth Handy). This left us in a much
clearer position about the shape that
our work should take in the future.
You will see the fruits of this in the
coming months.
We realise that to be truly effective
we have first to understand exactly
who we are serving and why;
therefore, we propose to invite every
parish in the united dioceses to help
us undertake a 'music audit', in
which they will describe their music
activities and identify areas of
limitation and opportunity (which
can often be the same!). This is sure
to be a thought-provoking and
worthwhile exercise for each parish
and its musicians; combined, the
results will be even more powerful
because they will enable us to serve
you even more effectively. Other
future work will focus on the 'next
generation' of church musicians and
on working with other organisations
whose interests chime with our own,
in the belief that together we can
provide a more relevant and powerful
service.
So, this is an exciting time for
church music in the dioceses of
Dublin and Glendalough. As always
we acknowledge and commend the
great work that is done by those who
make music, Sunday by Sunday, for
the further glorification of God. We
warmly encourage you all to take full
advantage of the services and
opportunities we provide: we are
your resource and want to serve you.
Keep in touch with us by email and
in person; write an article or letter
for Soundboard; let us know what is
happening in your church. As the
busy
seasons
of
Advent
and
Christmas approach, we wish you all
the best with your music ministry,
and look forward to a prosperous
and musically fulfilling 2011 for us
all! !
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE
The Role of Music in Liturgy
Edgar Swann’s Living Worship talk
The Wesley Family
David McConnell writes
A Nonagenarian Remembers
Maedhbh Abayawicrama talks to
Janet Ashe
Worship with the Spirit
Geoff Weaver in Romania
Seventy Years of Sunday HalfHour
Randal Henly reports
Music Technology
Philip Good writes about music
notation programs
The Organs of Former Churches
St Mary’s, Mary Street, Dublin
Church Music in Kilternan
Ann Keary writes
Do You Know Your Music
24 questions to test your
knowledge
Maynooth 2010 Summer School
Fran Scott reports
Unlikely Bedfellows
Michael Johnston points to
similaritie between two different
traditions
Organ Recital Programmes
Some reflections from the Editor
Notes & News
Details of the forthcoming Living
Worship course and a miscellany
of other items here
The Role of Music in Liturgy
Each year, as part of
the Living Worship
series of lectures, we
aim to include one
session on the role of
music in liturgy, to
enable
church
musicians to develop
their understanding of
the
place
and
meaning
of
music
within worship. Last
February we were
pleased to welcome
Archdeacon Edgar Swann to discuss
the topic. This is a
condensed
version of his talk, which we hope
will provide food for thought to all
involved in worship.
The Book of Common Prayer,
including the Canticles and Psalms,
was part of my upbringing.
It
provided me with a good weekly
liturgical basis for worship.
The
BCP had not changed in any real
way since the version published in
1662 (itself based on Archbishop
Cranmer's work a century earlier). I
also grew up with Church Hymnal
which, of course, is still alive and
well today. My sense of how worship
can be enriched by music was
instilled by my membership of a
church choir. All of these helped me
to develop an understanding of the
Church's year.
At that time Morning Prayer and
Evening Prayer were the norm for
Sunday worship. Holy Communion
was celebrated either early in the
morning or following the main
morning service. Thus, mainstream
Anglican worship for most people
was associated primarily with an
amalgamation of the monastic
offices,
which
originally
were
designed for a daily round of prayer.
The concept of Parish Communion
was limited to places that would
have been considered 'high church'.
Change
Much has changed in the last
twenty-five years.
In 1960s, the
Church of Ireland, along with the
rest of Western Christendom, began
to experiment with liturgies in order
to produce expressions of worship
suitable to a new generation in a
modern age.
The most radical change occurred in
our Holy Communion or Eucharist
Service.
Even a perfunctory
comparison of the 1662 Communion
Service
(which
lacked
format,
dramatic structure and a proper
celebration of the saving acts of
Christ)
with
our
modern Eucharist will
demonstrate a much
more
radical
departure
than
a
simple modernisation
of language.
In
contrast,
Morning
Prayer and Evening
Prayer changed little,
aside
from
more
modern language and
new
forms
of
confession
and
absolution. There also is a wider
selection of Canticles, including
versions in metrical form.
Worship
It is worth considering what we
actually do in our worship and why.
We meet in God's name primarily to
give Him praise. We celebrate the
great acts of salvation as we read the
Scriptures, just as the Jews read the
Torah. In telling our story and reenacting that story week by week as
a community. we respond to what
God is doing for us, through Jesus
Christ.
Structure
There is a basic structure to all our
acts of worship.
• The Gathering of God's People
• Proclaiming and Receiving the
Word
• The Prayers of the People
• Celebrating at the Lord's Table when there is Holy Communion
• Going Out as God's People
A Service of the Word
This was designed to allow freer
forms of worship within a liturgical
structure, using basic guidelines.
The BCP provides a template and
helpful guidelines. A booklet using
four basic services of the word is
also available.
Different credal
formulae may be used: for instance,
the question-and-answer version in
the Baptism Service.
The Eucharist
As I remarked already, the most
dramatic change in our liturgical
practice has been in Eucharistic
worship.
The structure of the
present service is radically different
from the 1662 format. Moreover,
there has been a shift in the
theological focus. In the modern
Eucharist, it is crystal clear that we
are obeying Christ's command to 'do
this in memory of me'. We re-enact
the events of our salvation; we retell
our story as Christians; we proclaim
the risen Christ; and, having
received the sacrament, we are
strengthened to go out and proclaim
the good news of the Gospel in
communion with our Lord. All our
senses are involved as we experience
and act out this drama and I believe
that music has a particularly
important role to play.
USING THE MUSIC
For many years, I preferred worship
to begin with a hymn of procession
which set the tone of the season or
the theme of the day. I now prefer a
quieter opening that includes a
liturgical greeting, a sentence of
Scripture and an introduction to the
liturgy of the day, only then followed
by a hymn. In my opinion, the
Collect for Purity leads naturally into
the penitential section, which in
turn is followed by the Gloria in
Excelsis.
The Ministry of the Word
I believe that the Revised Common
Lectionary (RCL), which provides
three readings and a psalm, is
designed to be an integral unit and
should be adhered to. The Gospel
readings follow the liturgical year
and reflect the story of our
redemption from Advent Sunday
until Ascension. During the Sundays
after Trinity ('Ordinary Time') the
Gospel readings focus on the
teachings of Jesus.
The RCL follows a three-year cycle.
In year A the Gospel readings are
from Matthew; in year B they are
from the Gospel according to Mark
and in year C, from the Gospel
according to Luke. St John's Gospel
is used at festivals.
During the
Sundays after Trinity, there is an
option to read the Old Testament
either semi-continuously over three
years, or 'paired'; that is, linked
thematically
with
the
New
Testament readings that follow. The
Psalm is a reflection and response to
the Old Testament reading.
The Gradual Hymn
This has become standard in most
parishes and seems to be a
peculiarly Anglican phenomenon. It
could be said that a hymn after the
second reading is particularly apt in
churches where a Gospel Procession
occurs, the Gospel Book being
carried into the congregation as it is
sung. Immediately after this a
Gospel Acclamation (especially one
of the well-known Alleluia settings)
can make the proclamation of the
Gospel very special.
The Prayers of the People
A sung response, such as the Taizé
chant 'O Lord hear my prayer', is
particularly appropriate during the
prayers of the people.
(Another
suitable place for music during
prayer is during the penitential rite,
in the singing of 'Kyrie eleison'.)
The Offertory
The term offertory refers to the
bringing of gifts of bread, wine and
usually money, to the altar at the
Eucharist. This is an opportunity
for a rousing hymn, one of suitable
length to allow bread and wine to be
presented, a collection taken and the
table prepared. Many of the hymns
in the Eucharist section of Church
Hymnal 2000 are suitable for this
purpose.
Celebrating at the Lord's Table
The
Eucharistic
Prayer
is
a
communal act at the climax of the
service.
The
Sanctus
and
Benedictus should be sung whether
there is a choir or not, these being
hymns of praise at a poignant
moment in the Eucharist.
The
Agnus Dei is an ancient, effective
prayer of the church and may
appropriatly be sung as the Priest
and
Assistants
receive
holy
communion.
Going Out as God's People
My preference is to observe the
Great Silence in total silence, which
means that time is taken after the
music and movement have finished.
I then say the post-communion
prayer which is followed (in order) by
the thanksgiving hymn, the Prayer
of Thanksgiving, the Blessing (which
is
optional)
and
always
the
Dismissal. (To follow the dismissal
with a hymn reduces the impact of
'Go in peace to love and serve the
Lord'; it is preferable to have organ
or other instrumental music.)
I hope these reflections will provide
stimulation as you consider the use
and meaning of music in your
worship.
I do encourage you to
make us of the wide range of
resources and materials available
today.
The
Church
Music
Committee website is a good place to
start. !
Edgar
Swann
was
rector
of
Greystones, Archdeacon of Glendalough and Chairman of the Church
Music Committee until his retirement
in 2008.
[email protected]
The Wesley Family
David McConnell writes about three generation of a remarkable family
2010 marks the bicentenary of the
birth of Samuel Sebastian Wesley
(1810-76), composer, organist and
teacher, who was considered the
greatest composer of church music
during his time, in the English
cathedral tradition. Wesley had the
highest ideals and was a tireless
advocate
and
fighter
for
improvements in the standards of
church music, frequently making
himself unpopular among vested
interests. By the time of his death,
his influence in raising standards
had been profound. He became
successively
organist
of
the
cathedrals of Hereford, Exeter,
Leeds Parish Church, and of the
cathedrals
of Winchester
and
Gloucester. He was the author of a
'pointed' psalter, showing ideas fifty
years ahead of their time. The best
of his compositions are of high
quality and originality and are still
frequently sung and played. The
lengthy anthem The Wilderness still
moves those who hear it and most
cathedrals include Blessed be the
God and Father in their music lists
during Eastertide. The latter was
written
for
use
in
Hereford
Cathedral on Easter Day 1833,
when Wesley knew that the only
forces available were the boy trebles
and one bass (the Dean's butler)!
Wesley was awarded a civil list
pension of one hundred pounds by
Queen Victoria three years before he
died.
S.S. Wesley's father was Samuel
Wesley, Snr (1766-1837). Samuel
YOU CAN HELP US!
Earlier this year, we enclosed a
letter to many on the mailing list
suggesting that they might be
willing to send an annual
subscription — in view of rising
costs.! !15 or £13 is all we ask
for. We are grateful for the
excellent response.! Perhaps there
are others who are willing to
subscribe.! Cheques, please, to
Church Music Committee, 18
Villiers Road, Dublin 6. Or call
087 668 3998 to pay by credit
card or laser.
!
ST ANN'S, DAWSON STREET,
has commissioned a new Irishlanguage work from Dublin
composer Fraser Wilson for this
year's
Christmas
celebrations.!The new piece is a
setting of Diarmaid Ó!Tuama's
atmospheric poem An Nollaig sin
fadó. The choir will give the first
performance
at
the
church's!Carol Service on Sunday
19 December. Further details of
this exciting project, and of the
carol service itself,!can be found
at http://stann.dublin.anglican.org/.
Wesley was a musical prodigy. He
was recognised as the finest
organist and extemporiser of his
day, and described by William Boyce
as 'the English Mozart'. In spite of
his family background, he developed
a strong connection with the Roman
Catholic Church in his teens. This
was largely through his friendship
with Vincent Novello, who was
organist at the Portuguese Embassy
Chapel. He was the friend of
Mendelssohn and, like him, a great
champion of the work of J.S. Bach
in the days when that composer's
outstanding genius was only here
and there admitted. The eight-part
motet In exitu Israel is perhaps
Samuel Wesley's best known choral
work, and most organists are
familiar with his charming Air and
Gavotte.
Samuel Sebastian Wesley was the
grandson, and Samuel Wesley was
the son of Charles Wesley (170788), the hymn-writer who, with his
brother John Wesley (1703-91),
founded the Methodist movement. !
David McConnell is organist at Zion
Church and Three Patrons Church,
both in Rathgar. He is a member of
the
Church
Music
Committee.
[email protected]
A Nonagenarian Remembers
Maedhbh Abayawickrema talks to Janet Ashe, 91, who has recently
retired as organist of St Matthew's, Newtownmountkennedy.
MA. What was your
path into church music?
that
had
been
turned over to construction. They were
making parts for
airplanes. My job
was to go and look
at
the
drawings
from which they
were doing it and
making sure it was
accurate,
putting
my stamp on it.
JA. I was born in
1919 in the Cathedral
close at Exeter. My
father
was
a
clergyman: the Revd
RWB Langhorne. He
was a priest vicar at
the Cathedral and he
was also head-master
at the Cathedral choir
school. From a very
In 1942, the Choir
early age, as long as I
School
and
my
can remember, I could
home
at
Exeter
hear church music. I
received a direct hit
could play in the
from
a
German
garden and listen to
bomb, intended for
the
boys
being Mrs Janet Ashe with the Reverend the Cathedral. The
rehearsed for their next William Bennett on her retirement bomb
totally
from playing the organ in St
evensong
—
an
Matthews
destroyed
the
anthem, Stanford in B
building, killing my
flat or whatever. I grew up in a circle
sister and three domestic servants.
of church music, Cathedral music.
Fortunately, the choristers were on
We always went to church at the
holiday and my parents away. My
Cathedral. We never went anywhere
father immediately looked for and
else, so I always heard that sort of
found a large house 16 miles from
music. I had no knowledge of parish
Exeter
and
equipped
and
church life at all until I came here to
reassembled the choristers there
Newtownmountkennedy.
only two or three weeks later. There
MA. What
brought
Newtownmountkennedy?
you
to
JA. It's a long story. I was at home
in Exeter at school and then when I
left school in 1937, I worked for my
LRAM (Licentiate of the Royal
Academy of Music) piano. For the
first time, I had a few organ lessons
from the assistant organist, Harry
Gabb. He eventually became the
master of music at Temple Church,
St James's in London. He gave me a
lesson once a week for about a year,
that's all the tuition I ever had in the
organ. At that point, war broke out.
It was 1939. I wasn't immediately
called up, but was appointed
temporary sub-organist at Exeter
Cathedral because all the regular
men had been called up. I did that
for a while and I also taught
arithmetic and other things to the
young boys in my father's school. I
would rehearse the boys for the
psalm for the next day. We went
through an evening rehearsal for the
next day's psalms which were to be
sung at the Cathedral.
Then I was drafted to the
Aeronautical Inspection Directorate
of
the
Ministry
of
Aircraft
Production. After some training, my
job entailed touring the West
Country, Devon and Cornwall,
visiting the factories and garages
they stayed until the end of the war,
travelling by train into Exeter three
days a week to keep the choral
services going.
I did that until the war finished in
1945, by which time I decided I was
not going to be a piano teacher,
which had been my original
intention. I went to London and did
secretarial training and then got a
job in the Royal Institute of
International
Affairs,
Chatham
House,
as
assistant
to
the
publications officer. While there, I
sang for three years in the Royal
Choral
Society,
which
was
conducted by Malcolm Sargent at
the time. We used to do three
concerts a year in the Albert Hall.
So, I covered most of the oratorios in
those days. That was fun. I worked
there until I got engaged and
married in Exeter Cathedral in 1948
to my Irish husband and we moved
to Ireland. We eventually found this
house and moved into it in 1949 and
here I still am 61 years later.
MA. Until recently, you have been
organist of St Matthew's, Newtownmountkennedy. When did you begin
to play there and how did you come
to take up the position of organist?
JA. Almost from the time I arrived
here, I got inveigled into the church.
When I came there were three
elderly ladies who used to take it in
turns to play at Sunday services.
One by one, they dropped off the
twig and I was left 'holding the baby'
and so I've been doing it ever since
until just a month or so ago. My
eyesight has been deteriorating
lately. I have macular degeneration.
When it got to the point when I
could no longer see the music or the
words that I was trying to
accompany, I handed in my
resignation. Now I am just in the
congregation. It feels strange to be
sitting in a pew instead of on the
organ bench, but it's very nice not to
have to think about what music
we're going to have next Sunday.
MA. What instrument did you have
at your disposal in St Matthew's?
JA. It's a nice two-manual organ,
a Conacher, with one or two very
pleasant-sounding stops. It's not a
big organ, but it's quite nice. People
who come and play it always seem to
like it. We now have, among others,
a 17 year-old boy from Kilpeddar
taught by David Adams. He comes
and practises on the organ at St
Matthew's.
MA. How long did you play at St
Matthew's?
JA. For over 50 years. Soon after I
started playing here all the time, I
began keeping little notebooks to jot
down what music we had. I kept
them up at the organ. There are 17
notebooks in all, dating back to
Christmas Day, 1959 [see panel
below]. They contain the hymn
numbers and tunes used, canticles
with chants and the psalms we sang
on any given Sunday. Unfortunately,
about a year ago, one of these red
notebooks went missing. It leaves a
slight gap, but the rest is complete.
It has been very useful. I can look
back and see what I used before. For
example, on Passion Sunday, I could
look at what I'd had last Passion
Sunday. It saves me time thinking
about them. I can repeat what I had
if I know that I had chosen
something suitable before.
MA. Have you noticed a change in
the type of music sung at services
over the years?
JA. We gave up singing the psalms
when the new BCP came in in 2004.
All the words are different. I used to
play a psalm every Sunday until that
happened. Now I see that we just
have three or four hymns, and if we
have a canticle it is said rather than
sung. I notice that since I left, it has
become a little less elaborate. I left
the notebooks there with a pencil
beside them, so that people can
write in what they have played if
they wish.
MA. Did you choose hymns or were
they chosen for you?
JA. I chose them myself on
Saturday evenings. I wrote a little
note for the rector and the choir, so
that they would know what was
coming and what chant they were
going to sing. I don't think any of
them read music. I've been through
four or five rectors here. Some of
them like to choose the hymns or
some of them, say 'I'm going to
preach on such and such, can you
choose something suitable?' Our
present rector never does it, he left it
entirely to me.
MA. Do you have any special
memories from your time at the
organ?
JA. I was asked once to play at a
wedding
in
Newcastle;
our
neighbouring parish, with whom we
have a combined vestry. I agreed
and met with the couple beforehand.
The groom mentioned that his
godmother would like to sing a solo
at the wedding. His godmother was
Bernadette Greevy! She sent me the
music she had decided to sing and
we agreed to meet early on the day
of the wedding to rehearse. When
she arrived in the church on the
wedding day, she announced that
she had changed her mind and
would like to sing something
different. I had been practising the
other piece like mad and it was too
late for a run-through. I got through
the piece, though.
MA. When did you decide to leave
the position?
WORSHIP WITH THE SPIRIT
Geoff Weaver reflects on his experience of worship in Romania
For the past 15 years
or so I have been
directing the music
for the International
Ecumenical
Fellowship
at
its
annual summer conference. The IEF was
founded more than
40 years ago by lay
Christians
across
many
European
countries to promote
ecumenism.
In 2009 we were
hosted by the Romanian Orthodox
Church in Cluj-Napoa, and this gave
rise to some memorable experiences.
In many ways Romania is still
recovering
from
the
rule
of
Ceacescu; in the cities it gives the
impression of being a sophisticated
21st century country but away from
the cities and the major roads, the
horse and cart are still widely used
for farming and village life goes on
much as it has done for centuries.
Before the conference began, I was
able to visit some of the fortified
Saxon churches in Transylvania.
These are evidence of the repeated
attacks which the Saxon (German)
villages
sustained
over
many
centuries. Their solution was to
fortify the churches — some had
fortifications two or three walls
thick, with the motto 'Ein feste burg
ist unser Gott' over the outer
gateway.
JA. When I could no longer read
the hymns, psalms, chants or
canticles, I handed in my pedal
shoes. I have seen rectors come and
go, but I hope our present rector,
the Revd William Bennett, will follow
my example and stay with us for the
long haul. !
Post 1989, the Saxons, who had
been
in
Romania
for
many
centuries, were invited to return
'home' to Germany. Many did so,
and this has left the fortified
churches as a rather sad reminder
of what were once thriving Christian
communities. Lutheran services in
German still take place, often with
very few people present.
Music from Christmas Day 1959
(Notebook 1 of 17)
Hymn(*) 84 Hark! the herald angels
Venite sung to Chant 312
Psalm 19, Chants 291 & 292
Jubilate, Chant 17
Kyrie 1; Doxology 7
Hymn 89 While shepherds watched
Hymn 209 Bread of the World
Hymn 86 O come, all ye faithful
Since 1989, the Orthodox Church
has
once
again
asserted
its
dominance, and it is extraordinary
to see how many new churches are
being built. Attending the Eucharist
in a parish church on a Sunday
morning I was intrigued to discover
that only children up to a certain
age (seven, I think) receive the
sacrament as a matter of course.
Any adult wishing to receive has to
go through a period of fasting and
confession — with the result that in
this particular service, only three
adults out of 200 did receive! This
(*) These hymns refer to the 1919
edition of Church Hymnal
seemed to be the
norm; even in the
Cathedral in Cluj,
where the service
was accompanied
by splendid, rich
unaccompanied
singing (the choir
director doubles as
the vocal coach at
the local Opera
House!)
and
though there was a
con-stant queue of those wishing to
kiss the icon, very few actually
received.
The most remarkable act of worship
in our time there was a Healing
Service, which took place in an
open-air arena by a newly-built
monastery
in
the
countryside
outside Cluj. The service was due to
start at 10 p.m. — but long before
that crowds began to wend their way
up the valley, including many young
families with children, some 500
worshippers in all.
During the service many of the
Gospel accounts of Jesus healing
the sick were read; while one priest
read, the other priests, with their
elaborate copes, came down to stand
with the people, who rushed out to
touch the priest's robes. The first to
arrive actually hid underneath the
robes. This sequence of readings
and prayers went on until well after
midnight, when the crowd finally
dispersed.
We reflected afterwards that these
scenes felt mediaeval — or even
older — and I found myself deeply
touched by the devotion of the
worshippers. One could question the
expression of such a simple faith,
but the sight of hundreds of faithful
worshippers, holding candles as
they came forward to kneel and
pray, was profoundly moving - and a
challenge to us cerebral Western
Christians. !
Geoff Weaver is an internationallyknown church musician, having
worked for the Church Mission
Society in Hong Kong and Selly Oak,
Birmingham,
from
where
he
undertook teaching assignments in
the Philippines and Nigeria, and
published two volumes of World
Praise.
This article has been
reprinted, with permission, from
Praxis — News of Worship, Summer
2010.
[email protected]
Seventy Years of Sunday Half Hour
Randal Henly
I imagine many organists and choir
directors know about and watch
Songs of Praise on TV on Sunday
evenings. This is one
of the BBC’s longest
running
TV
programmes,
having
been first broadcast
in 1961.
on 18th July and came from the
church of St Martin in the Fields in
London’s Trafalgar Square, where
massed choirs and
trumpeters
were
assembled. On that
programme,
the
great contemporary
hymnwriter Bishop
(retired)
DudleyI wonder though,
(1) was present
Smith
how many listen to
and spoke: ‘People
Sunday Half Hour on
sometimes come up
BBC Radio 2 at 8.30
to
me
at
a
p.m. each Sunday?
conference and say
This programme of
“Timothy
Dudleyhymn singing has
Smith? I thought you
been an even longer
were dead” — on the
running series, now
assumption that all
going back seventy
Fr Brian D’Arcy
hymnwriters
are
years.
It
is
a
dead!
But
they
programme of Christian hymns —
aren’t, and it’s lovely to be sharing in
very much traditional ones — sung
this special programme. I believe that
each week by a featured choir,
one of the purposes of a hymn must
which is always a good one. There
and foremost be the praise of God. I
are always a few dedications and a
think it’s true that the vast number of
closing prayer to finish.
churchgoers remember the hymns
It was first broadcast in 1940; for its
when the sermon slips their memory.
first fifty years a large number of
We British people tend to be a bit shy
presenters took part, the longest
when it comes to talking about our
serving of these being the Revd
faith, but in our hymns we can
Roger Royle, an Anglican priest who
express happily, publically and
was host to the programme from
together, our love for, and faith in
1990 to 2007. Readers of ‘Woman’s
Christ and our response to His call.
Own’ may have come across Roger
Another contemporary and popular
Royle; he wrote a regular article,
hymnwriter, Graham Kendrick(1)
which was always interesting and
also gave a short message on that
readable and carried a Christian
programme:
‘there’s
something
message. Roger Royle retired in
unique about hymns and I hope we
2007.
never lose them and I hope that we
The current presenter is Father
never stop hearing them on the radio
Brian D'Arcy, a Passionist priest
because I think they reach part that
based
in
Enniskillen,
County
nothing else really reaches in
Fermanagh. Father D’Arcy serves as
connecting us with faith with God
Rector of St Gabriel’s Retreat, the
and with one and other’.
Graan in Enniskillen and is a noted
I have been listening to Sunday Half
author,
newspaper
columnist,
Hour, on and off, for the best part of
broadcaster and preacher. His
sixty years. It was one of my
weekly column in the Sunday World
mother’s favourite programmes and
has been running for over 30 years.
it has certainly added to the number
He has his own music programme,
Sunday With Brian D'Arcy, on BBC
of hymns with which I am familiar.
Radio Ulster.
(1) Well-known hymns by Bishop
Father Brian has broadcast for
Dudley-Smith include: Lord, for the
Ireland's RTE Radio for the past 35
years, Name of all majesty, Tell out,
years.
His
recently
published
my soul, and some of Graham
memoirs, A Different Journey, was a
Kendrick’s hymns are Lord the light
number one best-seller in Ireland
of your love, The Servant King, Make
last Christmas.
way, make way for Christ the king
The seventieth birthday programme
and Meekness and majesty.
of Sunday Half Hour was broadcast
Music Technology
Music notation programs can save
the church musician a great deal of
time and even novices will find them
easy to use. Philip Good looks at
some of the options available
I recently re-watched Amadeus, the
film about the life of Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, as seen through
the eyes of rival composer Antonio
Salieri. Towards the end of the film
there is a scene in which Mozart is
very ill in bed and Salieri is in the
room with him writing down his
music by hand. Mozart is ‘dictating’
the music to him and Salieri is
transcribing all the notes. But that
was then and this, I'm glad to say, is
now.
Music notation has been around for
centuries — people have long sought
to preserve for prosperity the music
they have created. However, since
the advent of the computer age in
the 1980s, this had become
considerably less of an ordeal than
in Mozart's time. A scorewriter, or
music notation program, is a
computer software program used for
creating sheet music. Put simply, a
scorewriter is to music notation
what a word processor is to text.
Scorewriters have made the process
of transcribing music considerably
easier. Today, we can click a mouse
and a note will appear on the stave
on the screen. We can even play the
music — through a midi keyboard,
for instance — and the music will
appear on the screen.
In the early days, two main
programs dominated the music
notation market, Sibelius and
Finale. Now, however, the list of
such programs is considerably
longer and includes Noteworthy,
Encore and Capella, to name but a
few.
All of these brands offer various
versions of their music notation
programs, from full programs to cutdown versions with limited features,
and, of course, the price varies
depending on the version you
choose. A word of warning: the full
versions of the more popular
programs
can
be
expensive,
particularly if you're only going to
use it occasionally. For example, the
full version of Sibelius retails at over
!700 in Ireland. So it might be
worth considering some of the less
expensive programs or the cheaper
versions
of
the
mainstream
programs, depending on your needs.
There are even educational versions
of some of these programs for
teachers and students.
The Organs of Former Churches
1.!St Mary’s Church, Mary Street, Dublin 1
St Mary’s Church in the city closed
for public worship in 1986, owing to
diminishing congregations. It first
became a home decoration store
before it was purchased in the early
2000s to be turned into a
bar/restaurant. The ‘tower’, which
houses a lift, was built to provide
wheelchair access to the restaurant
which is situated on the gallery.
The organ would have been a fine
one in its day and the case is still a
significant feature of the building. It
is good that the present owner of the
building decided to leave it there.
The organ was taken down when the
church was refurbished and it was
re-erected by Stephen Adams in
2002-03. There was no point in
rebuilding the innards — they were
in tatters.
The case is by Renatus Harris who
built the original organ, and which
dates from about 1713. Most of the
organ that was scrapped, after the
church closed in 1986 was built by
Telford & Telford of Dublin.
Music Technology (continued)
The basic version of Sibelius is
called Sibelius First and this retails
at around £129 for the download
version. You can download a trial
version
from
their
website,
www.sibelius.com. In fact, most of
the brands listed above have trial
versions of their programs for
download, generally on a 30-day
basis, so you can try the software
before forking out any money. I
would recommend trying out a
couple of programs before making a
decision, to
ensure that the
program/version you do buy has all
the features you require.
The details shown on
what’s left of the console
reads:
Great
Double Open Diapason
Great Open Diapason
Open Diapason
Stopt Diapason
Principal
Twelfth
Fifteenth
Sesquialtera
Pedals
Swell
Hautboy
Trumpet
? (stop label missing)
Flute Swell
?
Cornet
Stopt Diapason Swell
Coupler
Open Diapason Swell
Bourdon
?
If you're still sceptical about using a
music notation program, it might be
worth trying the free one called
Muse
Score
(http://musescore.
org/) This is an ‘open source’
program, and is still very much in
the early stages of development, but
I'd recommend downloading and
trying it. It may not be for you, but
what do you have to lose by trying it
out? Indeed, the same is true for the
trial versions of the commercially
available programs, too. However,
one drawback with Muse Score is
that any work you do on this
program cannot be transferred to
another
program if you decide to go with
something else down the line.
So, if you're still living in the age of
Salieri and transcribing music by
hand, maybe now is the time to try
one of these easy-to-use music
notation programs instead. Make a
note of it. !
Philip Good is organ scholar in
Castleknock Parish.
[email protected]
CHURCH MUSIC IN KILTERNAN
Ann Keary
are classical in style, others are
more contemporary. Last year I
purchased the RSCM Season by
Season folder which contains a
wealth of accessible and interesting
music, generally easily learned by a
small parish choir and very suitable
for a gradual or communion
anthem.
When I first took up my post as
organist and choir director in
Kilternan in September 1984, little
did I think I would still be involved
25 years later! I imagine I can speak
for other church musicians when I
say that I have never reached a time
when I have felt completely satisfied
with how I direct the music each
Sunday; there is always so much
room for improvement. The everchanging patterns of life itself and,
consequently,
in
worship
and
people’s
expectations,
greatly
challenge the role of the Parish
musician.
Choir membership has changed so
many times over the last 25 years
also. We have had fallow periods
when little or no leadership in
singing took place at worship. These
last few years, however, have seen
an improvement. We now enjoy the
presence of a small but hardworking
and committed choir, some of whom
have sung in choirs before, some
who have no experience. A full
attendance means we can divide into
4 sopranos, 2 altos, 2 tenors (one of
whom is a versatile lady borrowed
from the altos, the other a versatile
gentleman
borrowed
from
the
basses!!) and 3 basses.
We meet every Tuesday for rehearsal
and learning of new music. On
Sundays we meet for a warm-up
before the service. I’m a firm believer
in spending time with technical
exercises for the voice and for the
body — much to the consternation
of the choir at times!! Tuning,
blending of voices, voice projection
etc. all improve with exercises. We
have even been known to play ball!
Practically all the music is learned
by rote. I believe in spending a good
period of time in preparing the
hymns so that the choir feels
confident
in
supporting
the
congregation. However, we don’t
allow the congregation to sit on their
laurels, as they must sing verses
alone from time to time. On other
occasions ladies only or men only,
will sing a verse. I feel this
encourages a greater awareness of
the words. For communion we sing a
suitable anthem of varying styles,
ranging from easy but effective
unison pieces to 3 and 4-part. Some
Also, since the launch of Psalms for
Singing, we have used it as a bridge
between the Anglican Chant format
and simply saying the psalms. As
there is a growing population of
young
families
from
mixed
traditions, familiarity with Anglican
chant is a rare thing now, as indeed
it is with a number of the hymns. To
reach out to a congregation of such
diverse backgrounds is a healthy
challenge to all leaders of worship.
The first Sunday of every month
sees a more contemporary angle to
worship, with a couple of guitarists
and some percussion contributing a
more informal approach to hymn
singing. The very presence of such
instruments opens opportunities to
sing more ‘modern’ hymns/songs,
thus including the young members
of the congregation. However, we
still have to successfully reach out
to the teenagers and young adults in
our community; something that will
hopefully
materialise
in
the
foreseeable future.
The Junior Choir is made up of 16
lively and very enthusiastic children,
ranging from 7 to 12 years. We
practise at 8.15 a.m. twice a week
for 25 to 30 minutes, beginning with
stretching exercises, singing games,
lots of rounds followed by learning of
repertoire for Church and events,
such as singing in our local nursing
home, competing in Wesley Feis
(where we were highly commended
this year!), taking part in the school
assembly every month, etc. The
support of the parents is crucial to
the survival of this choir.
Something I must keep reminding
myself is the fact that these
members are committed on a purely
voluntary basis. Meeting over a meal
in a local restaurant, travelling to
participate in worship in another
parish outside Dublin, having a
Christmas party at the Rectory
(thank you David and Isabel!!) all
greatly contribute to helping the
choir to ‘bond’ and feel comfortable
with one another.
I feel privileged to be part of this
warm, friendly community. !
Ann Keary is a member of the
Church Music Committee
[email protected]
Do You Know Your Music?
1. The walls of which biblical city
fell down when the trumpets
were blown?
2. Which composer named a
quintet after a fish?
3. Which fish?
4. In which of Ketelbey’s
compositions is the Kyrie
chanted?
5. Whose song is the Nunc
Dimittis?
6. What is a virginal?
7. What is a timbrel?
8. Which queen favoured Handel
with her patronage when he
arrived in London?
9. Which composer died on Good
Friday, according to his wish?
10. For which popular sacred
composition is Stephen Adams
noted?
11. Who said ‘Music is the only
sensual pleasure without vice’?
12. With what instrument do you
associate the name Cremona?
13. What is a chanter, in terms of a
musical instrument?
14. What is the name of the Barber
of Seville?
15. What is tintinnabulation?
16. Who composed the music for
Onward, Christian Soldiers?
17. What is a shawn?
18. Who composed the tune for The
Church’s One Foundation?
19. Who composed the music for
Land of Hope and Glory?
20. Who wrote the music for The
Lost Chord?
21. For what profession was Handel
originally intended?
22. Which famous musician was
Prime Minister of Poland at one
time?
23. Into which of Beethoven’s works
did he introduce the British
National Anthem?
24. Who wrote the song Where’re
you walk?
Answers in Notes & News
It's July! It's Maynooth! It's Summer School!
Fran Scott
The
first
Monday
of
July
each
year
brings
joy to my
heart. Several
hundred
people of all
ages involved
in
Church
music
ministry will
descend
on
St
Patrick's
College with
a bounce in
their
step
and a song in their heart. Following
registration they can be seen
clutching
coloured
folders
containing an abundance of music
which they will sing throughout the
coming four days. First-timers
struggle to familiarise themselves
with names of rooms such as Middle
Loftus, Callan Hall, Pugin Hall and
Bewerunge. Some teenagers look in
awe as they describe the college as
“real life Hogwarts!” And so, the
Irish Church Music Association
Annual Summer School begins.
This year saw the 41st such
Summer School open. As we prepare
to host the International Eucharistic
Congress in 2012, the theme of this
year's Summer School was 'Lord
Jesus Christ, gather us together'.
This year's guest director was
Christopher
Walker,
an
internationally renowned composer,
conductor and lecturer who last
directed this annual gathering in
1999, and prior to that in 1984. I
was one of the 'unfrozen chosen,' as
he often referred to those of us
involved in liturgy, who was also in
attendance in 1999. Chris was born
in England and began life as a boy
chorister
at
Bristol
(Anglican)
Cathedral.
Following his
master's
degree
in
music
composition,
he
became
director
of
music
at
Clifton
Cathedral,
Bristol
and
director
of
music for the
Clifton diocese. He now lives in Los
Angeles and is music lecturer at
Mount St Mary's college and director
of music and worship at St Paul the
Apostle Catholic Church.
The summer school commences on
the
first
afternoon
with
rehearsal/Eucharist in the College
Chapel. Official opening follows the
evening meal with rehearsal and
evening prayer taking us to the day's
close. Each day the summer school
begins with Morning Prayer followed
by breakfast and registration for day
attendees. Then follows a talk/
presentation related to the theme of
the summer school given by the
chosen lecturer for the particular
year. Rehearsal of the music for that
day's Eucharist takes us to coffee
break. Each participant can then
select two tutorials to attend before
lunch from a given list and one
tutorial in the afternoon.
Tutorials are offered in:
• Music in the classroom
• Cantor Training
• Parish Repertoire
• Contemporary/Gospel music
The celebration of Eucharist in the
College Chapel each day is very
special. The liturgy is always
uplifting and inclusive. The music
learnt that day is sung with great
enthusiasm by all and accompanied
by the organ tutors and scholars.
Instrumentalists
attending
the
summer school are also invited to
provide accompaniment on selected
pieces throughout the week.
Each
evening
brings
different
celebrations ranging from evening
prayer in St Mary's Church of
Ireland, to Taizé prayer and diocesan
gatherings, quizzes, céilithe and
concerts.
The summer school closes with final
Eucharist at noon on Friday.
Friendships have been formed,
mobile
numbers
and
email
addresses exchanged and promises
to support each other during the
year, regardless of the distance
between dioceses, will be kept.
I have been privileged to be a
member of the Irish Church Music
Association since 1998 and, with the
exception of one year, have attended
each summer school since then. The
summer school would not happen
without the dedicated work of the
staff of the National Centre for
Liturgy and the hard work of the
members of the Council of the ICMA.
Míle buíochas le gach duine. !
[email protected]
Fran Scott is co-founder and codirector of Whitehall Parish Youth
Choir, 1999 — 2006.
more of a connection than we might
realise, for at the root of both
Charismatic and Orthodox liturgy
is a grasping for the transcendent,
for the numinous.
What makes much of the best
Charismatic and Orthodox worship
so attractive to Western Christians
is this 'non-rational' grasp for the
numinous - the ability to 'let go' in
the face of transcendent mystery. So
much of Western worship is rational
and didactic, a time for teaching and
explication aimed primarily at the
intellect — appealing to the rational
mind rather than to the soul.
As
explicated
by
German
theologian Rudolf Otto (18691937), the numinous is that nonrational, non-sensory experience of
the
divine,
primarily
located
outside
of
oneself
—
the
transcendent power of divinity, a
mystery at once both terrifying and
fascinating, fearful yet compelling.
The best Charismatic and Orthodox
worship taps into our Western need
to 'let go' in the face of the mystery
of God. In the case of Charismatics
this is primarily through an
openness to the Spirit (and the
Spirit's gifts), the joyful use of music
and the loss of that human
inhibition that too often holds us
UNLIKELY BEDFELLOWS ?
The Revd Michael Johnston suggests that Charismatic and Eastern
Orthodox worship have more in common than may appear at first sight.
It has been noted that two
branches of the Christian Church
that currently are experiencing
growth in the Western world are
Charismatic Churches and Eastern
Orthodoxy. One of the reasons
given for this growth is liturgy —
their forms of worship seem to be,
at present, particularly attractive.
We might wonder what relationship
there could possibly be between
such, seemingly, vastly differing
liturgies: one using modern worship
songs and the latest technology, the
other steeped in centuries old
tradition. However, there may be
• Organ
Liturgical Composition
• Chant
• Choral Direction/Conducting
• Special Choir
(continued over —>)
ORGAN RECITALS
Randal Henly suggests a more populist approach to programming
It was talking to David Bedlow in the
National Gallery on the recent
Culture Night, that sowed the seeds
for these thoughts about organ
recital programmes.
The White
Elephant in
Earlsfort Terrace
Every time I enter the National
Concert Hall, I admire the great
white elephant in the gallery. How
often in the course of a year do we
have a recital on the NCH organ? In
most (all?) European capital cities,
you’ll find weekly (some much more
frequently) daytime organ recitals,
certainly throughout the summer —
except in Dublin. Last month I spent
three days in Prague. On each of
those days there was an organ
recital in a city-centre church. The
NCH in Dublin’s city centre has a
versatile organ that can make a very
fine sound, and Dublin has lots of
competent organists (including some
amateur ones) that could easily play,
say a 45 minute programme every so
often.
Some years ago, I wrote to and sent
similar thoughts to the NCH’s
Director Judy Woodworth; her reply
was that organ recitals don’t attract
sufficient attendances to make them
viable. Maybe so, but I would
suggest the reason is that too many
organ recitals are composed of pure
organ music, and will not attract
‘ordinary’
concertgoers.
To
appreciate much ‘real’ organ music
fully,
one
must
have
some
knowledge
of
harmony
and
counterpoint, and as for modern
organ music ...... few can relate to it.
Carlo
Curley
draws
large
attendances at his recitals, the
reason
being
that
he
plays
‘listenable-to’ programmes that are a
bit of everything — music that the
ordinary person can relate to. Peter
Sweeney played some ‘popular’
recitals shortly after the NCH organ
idea of mounting a series of recitals
by top-class players, with free
admission. ........... The playing was
phenomenally
good,
the
organ
stupendously impressive; but there
the superlatives must end. The
programme was uncompromisingly
severe:
Hindemith
Symphonic
Metamorphosis, Judith Weir Ettrich
Banks and Vierne Symphonie V.’
‘ ......... the entire evening lacked
anything that that would be regarded
as a tune by anyone other than
cognoscenti or musicologists. After
the first 30 minutes of unrelieved
dissonance, some of the visitors gave
up hope and ‘voted with their feet’
‘ ...... I left feeling very sad that such
a bold and imaginative (and free!)
series should have contained an
entire evening where the music was
so
unapproachable
and
the
atmosphere so impersonal.’
And in another letter:
was installed, and my memory was
that they were exciting and well
attended. I seem to remember that
they included Lefebure-Wely, Handel
and Sousa amongst the offerings.
And as part of Culture Night a year
ago, Mark Duley (in the NCH) played
a lively programme (ending up with
the Widor Toccata). I reckon there
were about 400 attendees — and I’m
sure this wasn’t just because it was
free.
And
Gerard
Gillen’s
programmes too, are always easy to
listen to.
During the last year or so, there has
been much correspondence in the
(quarterly) Organists’ Review about
this matter. Letters in two recent
issues
express
the
general
sentiments
of
the
whole
correspondence:
‘Recent correspondence has made
interesting reading. I noted with
approval Westminster Cathedral’s
‘ .... the audience’s powers of
endurance were tested to the limit.
The choice of music was unfortunate
in that two modern works opened the
programme, lasting some 40 minutes.
..... This is NOT what an organ recital
should be about, and there MUST be
points of contact between the
audience and performer, which were
sadly lacking at this recital. Organ
recitals should be a mixture between
that which is educational and that
which is entertaining. I will conclude
by asking why it is that so many
recitalists persist in thinking that
their
audiences
are
composed
entirely of other organists?’
Personally I would much prefer to
listen to a recital by a local organist
playing a tuneful programme than
by
some
internationally-famous
person playing a tuneless one.
Organ recitals should be enjoyed,
not endured. So, recitalists, how
about making organ recitals become
appealing to the populace once
more. !
[email protected]
(continued from previous page)
back
from experiencing God.
Within Orthodoxy it is that assault
on the senses through icons,
vestments,
incense,
repetitive
chant, bodily posture - the creation
of another world within which we
can let go in the face of the
numinous.
Perhaps in our Western Churches
we need to pay more attention to
our primal human need to 'let go'
in the face of the divine; to shift the
balance
from
the
rational,
intellectual and controlled, to
include more of the non-rational,
the sensorial and the uncontrolled
— dare one even say 'dangerous',
for the power of the numinous, the
power of God, is both attractive
and terrifying. The writer Annie
Dillard perhaps sensed this when
she wrote:
“On the whole, I do not find
Christians,
outside
of
the
catacombs, sufficiently sensible of
conditions. Does anyone have the
foggiest idea what sort of power we
so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect,
does no one believe a word of it?
The churches are the children
playing on the floor with their
chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of
TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is
madness to wear ladies' straw hats
and velvet hats to church; we should
all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers
should issue life preservers and
signal flares; they should lash us to
our pews.” !
Michael Johnston is rector of the
Shinrone group of parishes, Dioceses
of
Limerick
and
Killaloe.
[email protected]
N
otes
and
ews
LIVING WORSHIP
A course in liturgy, music and
worship
The annual Living Worship course
will be held again on four Saturday
mornings early in 2011, starting on
15 January, when Bishop Michael
Burrows, will speak about liturgical
space and the re-ordering of the
interior of churches, with particular
reference
to
recently-approved
Church of Ireland guidelines. On 22
January, Róisín Dexter and some
members of the Discovery Gospel
Choir will lead a workshop on gospel
music. On 29 January, Archdeacon
Ricky Rountree will explore the
various ways in which music may be
used in A Service of the Word and
other non-eucharistic worship; and
the final session on 5 February will
be led by the prominent Belfast
musician, Harry Grindle, who will
draw on his wide experience when
discussing the role of the church
musician and the concept of the
ministry of music.
This course is always well-attended.
It aims to place the work of the
church musician in the wider context
of liturgy and theology. Venue:
Mageough Hall, Cowper Road (beside
Cowper Luas). Course Fee: !100.
Booking and further information:
[email protected]
and
087 668 3998.
HOW TO CHOOSE AN ORGAN
VOLUNTARY
(Reprinted from Vivace)
There is such a wealth of organ
music that it is sometimes difficult
to select suitable voluntaries.
The first rule is never choose a
piece which is beyond your ability!
By all means extend your technique
but never go beyond its limits.
Allocate sufficient practice time and
don't be tempted to play without
enough rehearsal — this is a recipe
for mediocrity and disaster.
Don't choose music merely from
one period — use as wide a selection
as possible. Always publish your
list and plan ahead for three or six
months. Keep abreast of new music
and choose from it what is suitable.
You can listen to CDs and see if
they contain usable works.
New first-year ACCM students: Richard Whittern, Margaret Stokes, Jamie
Boshell, Inga Hutchinson and Beth Burns (Absent: Hugo Stewart).
ACCM COURSE 2010—11
In September, six students entered
year 1 of the Church Music
Training Course. The sponsoring
parishes are Castlemacadam (Co.
Wicklow), Christ Church Cathedral,
Athlone, Boyle (Co. Roscommon)
and Geashill (Co. Offaly). There are
now fourteen students altogether in
the three years of the course.
This
session's
choir
training
module for the church music
students
took
place
during
September/October.
The
four
sessions were led by Peter Parshall
(St
Bartholomew's)
and
Ite
O'Donovan, founder of the Dublin
Choral Foundation, and director of
The Lassus Scholars and Piccolo
Lasso. There was a particular
emphasis on the role of the cantor
as it seems probable that this role
will become increasingly important
in Church of Ireland parish
churches.
Continual education in the organ
repertoire is essential. Don't close
your mind to new ideas always keep
it open. Make sure that your organ
is sufficient for what you choose.
Messiaen, played on a one-manual
organ with 5 stops is not a good idea!
Start making your list by looking at
the liturgy of the Sundays on which
you will be playing. Is there a
voluntary appropriate to the day?
What length is most suitable? A
large church will probably need a
long voluntary, a small one a
shorter piece.
Above all, play music that you enjoy.
Your pleasure will communicate
with the listeners and add to their
appreciation of your work. The
voluntary is a very important part of
the Service: it needs to be chosen
and practised with care.
Colin Mawby KSG
LETTER TO EDITOR
Michael
Johnston’s
article
on
Posture (Soundboard, No. 21) is
timely.! While it is clear that our
modern liturgies expect a greater
amount of standing than those
based on mediaeval practice, the
Book of Common Prayer has few
instructions
about
where
to
stand/sit/kneel.! Therefore, those
leading worship need to develop
skills in indicating what to do,
without unduly interfering with the
flow of the liturgy. In my experience,
Roman Catholic clergy tend to be
more sensitive and adept about this
than those of the Church of Ireland.!
In our Anglican tradition, there is a
deeply embedded worship-memory
that insists that worshippers must
kneel at the words ‘let us pray’, even
if this is not necessary. Therefore
phrases such as ‘we remain standing
as we pray’ or ‘I invite you to stand
for the intercessions’ need to be
substituted.
Most liturgists recommend that the
entire
Introductory/Gathering
section at the Eucharist should be
done
standing.!
Rather
than
introducing the Collect with the
traditional ‘let us pray’, how much
more effective it can be if the
presiding priest regards this as a
high point that sums-up the
gathering of God’s people, and
encourages the entire assembly to
stay standing while s/he offers the
Prayer on their behalf.
David McConnell,
Zion Church, Rathgar.
VACANCIES FOR MUSICIANS
Are you aware that vacancies for
organists, cantors, singers and other
musicians may be advertised on our
website? If you wish to advertise,
send
the
information
to
[email protected].
N
otes
and
ews
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S CHURCH
An interesting exchange of roles has
taken place at St Bartholomew's
Church, Clyde Road: Since 1
September, Peter Parshall is Director
of Music and Fraser Wilson is
Assistant Director of Music. Fraser
tells us that he will now have more
time to follow his interest in music
composition. Peter, meanwhile, has
been concentrating on recruitment
with the result that the boys' choir
now numbers twenty-six and the
girls' choir, eighteen. Significant
dates in the St Bartholomew's
musical calendar during the coming
period are Tuesday 2 November,
Solemn Eucharist of All Souls at 8
p.m. at which the choir of boys and
men will sing Fauré's Requiem. The
annual
concert of
carols and
readings featuring Alan Stanford and
the choirs of boys, girls and men,
will take place on the evening of
Sunday
12
December.
Further
information
can
be
had
on
www.stbartholomews.ie
RSCM IRELAND
Peter Parshall also is co-ordinator for
RSCM Ireland. Recently, choristers
who have achieved success in the
RSCM's Voice for Life choral training
scheme came together to sing Choral
Evensong in St Patrick's Cathedral,
under the direction of Stuart
Nicholson, Organist and Master of
the Choristers. During the service,
choristers were presented with their
certificates by the Dean of St
Patrick's. The next RSCM event in
Dublin is a Choral Singing Day on
Saturday 20 November at St Mary's
Pro-Cathedral. This will be a joint
event with the Pro-Cathedral Choral
Department at which church and
school choirs come together to
explore new repertoire under the
direction of Blánaid Murphy before
singing at an evening Mass. Further
details
will
be
found
on
www.rscmireland.com.
SINGING PSALMS, YEAR A
The lectionary moves to Year A on
Advent Sunday (5 December) and
Singing Psalms - responsorial psalms
set to simple chant -Year A (The
Columba Press) will be launched in
Dublin and Belfast during November.
This will be the third and final
volume in the series. Keep an eye on
the church music website for details
of dates and venues.
ANSWERS TO
DO YOU KNOW YOUR MUSIC
1. Jericho
2. Schubert
3. Trout
4. In a Monastery Garden
5. Simeon
6. 16/17th-century instrument of
the harpsichord type but smaller
and of different shape.
7. A tambourine
8. Queen Anne
9. Handel
10. The Holy City
11. Samuel Johnson
12. Violin
13. The pipe of a bagpipe on which
the melody ips played
14. Figaro
15. A ringing or tinkling sound
16. Sullivan
17. Obsolete double reed woodwind
instrument, forerunner of the
oboe
18. S. S. Wesley
19. Elgar
20. Sullivan
21. The Law
22. Ignacy Jan Paderewski
23. Wellington's Victory, or the
‘Battle Symphony’
24. Handel
The Church Music Committee supports and resources music and musicians
in the local church. The Committee is appointed by the Church of Ireland
Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough. Website: www.churchmusicdublin.org
CONGRATULATIONS!
Tom Gordon has been a popular
speaker at the Living Worship course
in the past (and, we hope, will be
back with us in the future). We
congratulate him on his recent
appointment as Dean of Leighlin
Cathedral and Adult Education
Officer for the dioceses of Cashel
and Ossory.
BERT KAVANAGH (1922-2010)
We record with sadness the death on
3 September of Bert Kavanagh, a
church organist for over 70 years. He
served most of this time at Wicklow
Parish Church and before that at St
Saviour's, Arklow.
JAMES QUINN, SJ (1919-2010)
We also regret to record the death in
Edinburgh on 8 April 2010 at the
age of 90, of the well known hymnwriter, Father James Quinn. An
examination of his many hymns
shows the breadth of his subject
matter, his love for the worship of the
Church, and the range of metres in
which he wrote. James Quinn joined
the Society of Jesus in 1939 and was
ordained in 1950. From 1972 to
1976 he was a consultant to the
International Commission in English
for the Liturgy. Eight of his hymns
are included in Church Hymnal
2000, including Forth in the peace of
Christ, we go, Christ be beside me
and a translation of the Maundy
Thursday Liturgy, Ubi Caritas / Here
in Christ we gather.
DO WE HAVE YOUR (CURRENT)
EMAIL ADDRESS?
Our email alert service gives
information about concerts, courses
and other events of interest to
church musicians. We already have
a large number of addresses on our
circulation list. But recently we
notice an increasing number of
returned 'undeliverable' messages or
'bounces'. Many people change their
email supplier from time to time. To
be sure that you are still on our list
or if you wish to sign-up to it, please
send a quick message from your
current
email
address
to
[email protected].
Chairman: Archdeacon Ricky Rountree, Powerscourt Rectory, Enniskerry,
Bray, Co Wicklow.
Secretary: Mrs Jacqueline Mullen, 23 Ludford Park, Ballinteer, Dublin 16,
Tel. (01) 298 8923., Email: [email protected]
SOUNDBOARD is published by the Church Music Committee. Views in it are
not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Committee. Annual Subscription:
!15/£13
Editor: Randal Henly, 81 Offington Avenue, Sutton, Dublin 13.
Tel (01) 832 3647; Email: [email protected]
Assistant Editor: Maedhbh Abayawickrema,
Tel (01) 822 6298, Email: [email protected]
NEXT SOUNDBOARD
Number 23
February 2011
The deadline for receipt of
material for the next issue is
31 January 2011