October 2006
Church Music in Castleknock & Clonsilla Parish	Show Menu

Raymond Russell, Organist

On a typical Sunday I play in Clonsilla for a 10.00 a.m. service and in Castleknock at 11.30 with a cuppa of tea and a chat with the congregation of Clonsilla. We have no official choir in either Church and when asked how large the choir is—I usually reply that the congregation is the choir. In practice the singing is led by a nucleus of good singers and the congregation joins in. Bishop Colton, who was the previous incumbent in the parish, held occasional congregational practices to learn new hymns and communion settings and I have continued the practice of introducing new music in this way. Both church congregations sing the communion settings to the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei and the new Church Hymnal has given us a variety of settings. One setting worth mentioning Sanctus set to an Argentinian melody, No 715, has proved very popular. The Gloria we use is a setting by Fintan O'Carroll.

Broadcast Services are usually an ideal opportunity to introduce some new music to the congregation when special practices are held. Although we have not had a broadcast service for five years, I always found it a great way of making the worship come alive under the direction of a good producer. Every year a Songs of Praise is held in one of the churches and I hold two congregational rehearsals to introduce new hymns and settings. I follow up on this by choosing these hymns regularly for the months ahead.

The music is chosen by a meeting with the Rector, the curate and three months in advance. Occasionally I will begin the service with a chorale prelude (circa two to four minutes) after the rector has processed up the church in the Lutheran tradition.

In Castleknock the organ is a Forster & Andrews mechanical action instrument of 1895 which was restored by Wells Kennedy in 1991. It sounds well but the action is uneven and particularly heavy in the bass. In Clonsilla there is an Allen two-manual digital organ situated in the middle of the congregation where it is easy to lead the congregation.

Both congregations manage the canticles and the same chants are chosen for each canticle. We are fortunate in having a printed sheet with the pointing shown for the canticle in the old style. The psalm is usually said. If there is a new Hymn tune to be learned, I hold a five-minute practice with the congregation just before the service and this works well. I sing a phrase and they repeat it and we build up the phrases until the Hymn tune is learned. I usually transpose a Hymn so that the highest note is d.

I am very fortunate in being able to call on a number of very good sopranos for festivals who are good sight readers and they learn works in two parts and descants for Hymns without much difficulty.

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