May 2005
Notes and News (Soundboard May 2005)	Show Menu

COMPANION TO CHURCH HYMNAL

As we go to press, Edward Darling and Donald Davison’s Companion to Church Hymnal has been published. What a marvellous resource this is! More detailed comment must wait for our next issue but we can say without reservation that this is something every Select Vestry must buy for their organist and choir — yes, put a copy in the choir stalls. Every organist has some knowledge of the provenance of hymns and their tunes. This book will increase information, and therefore understanding, instantly. And in addition to the commentary on the hymns, the chapters on Hymnody in the Church of Ireland and Liturgy and Music are essential reading. Warmly recommended. Companion to Church Hymnal, Darling and Davison. The Columba Press, Dublin, €53.

ORGANISTS ON THE MOVE

Note from Editor: It is hoped to keep readers up to date with organists’ appointments, relocations, etc., but to do this he needs to be informed. Please pass on news as appropriate; everything is not heard on the grapevine!

Kerry Houston will leave St Catherine’s and St James’ at the end of May to concentrate on his academic career.

Raymond Russell is on leave of absence from Castleknock & Clonsilla until October next and is willing to do deputy work in the meantime.

Aiden Scanlon has moved from St Brigid’ Stillorgan to St Ann’s Dawson St.

Ciaran Judge has been appointed to St George & St Thomas, Cathal Brugha St.

ORGAN PROJECTS

Zion Church, Rathgar, has commissioned Trevor Crowe Ltd, to carry out a programme of refurbishment and tonal enhancement on their two-manual, west gallery organ, built in 1897 by the highly-respected firm of Norman and Beard, Norwich. The Pedal Organ pneumatic wind chests will be overhauled and releathered. The principal ranks throughout the organ will be re-voiced and regulated and some treble pipes replaced to correct problems arising from excessive cutups. The Swell department will be enhanced by the addition of a 4' Flute; and a Quartane and a Fifteenth will replace the three-rank Mixture. Opportunity may be taken to enhance the scope of the Pedal department. This work will maintain the organ in its current sound working condition and widen its versatility. The cost will be in region of !40 000 and an appeal for funds will be launched shortly.

It is hoped that the work will be finished by the end of 2005.

ORGANISTS’ MAILING LIST

Do you circulate SOUNDBOARD to your choir and clergy? Additional copies are available for a small charge. Contact David McConnell on (01) 497 3745, or e–mail him at info@churchmusicdublin.org

HAVE WE GOT YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS?

More and more people have Internet access. We already have 120 e-mail addresses of musicians in the Dublin region and we send information to them from time to time. If you have gone online recently or are in any doubt as to whether we have your e-mail address, please let us know. All you need to do is send a short message to info@churchmusicdublin.org.

ORGAN RECITALS

Christ Church Cathedral

1 June Peter Barley (Bach, Frescobaldi David Liddle, Carl Nielsen
22 June Luigi Tagliavini

St Patrick’s Cathedral

25 May Michael Quinn
8 June Lewis Brito-Babapulle
15 June Huw Williams

St Michael’s Dun Laoghaire

Sunday evenings, 8.30 p.m.
12 June: Peter Sweeney
19 June: Balint Karosi (winner of 2002 Pipeworks)
26 June: Pieter Dirksen (Netherlands)
3 July: David Leigh
10 July: Harry Sparnaay (Bass clarinet) and Silvia Castillo (Netherlands)
17 July: John Butt (UK)
24 July: Robert Quinney (Westminster Abbey)
31 July: Leo Abbott (Boston Cathedral)
7 Aug: Michael Quinn and Pauline

Graham (Soprano)
14 Aug: Anne Leahy
21 Aug: Gerard Gillen
28 July: Charles Pearson
4 Sept: David Adams

Admission is €10 (concessions €5)

CHURCH MUSIC IN ...........

Any volunteers to write the next article in this series? Articles should include what musical services are held and when, what music is sung, how the music is chosen, how many are in the choir, when choir practices are held, how practices are conducted, the organist’s Sunday routine — in fact, anything that might be of interest to other organists! About 1000 words, and preferably with a photograph, fills a page.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

Would like to recommend some organ music I have just come across namely — Five Postludes by John S Dixon comprising Rondo Benvenuto, Gaudemus in Musica, Joyful Hymn, Trumpet Tune & Paean. These are attractive easy pieces with pedals. It is published by Zimbel Press http://www.zimbel.com/ at $15 plus postage — great value!

Mervyn Cooper.

Dear Editor,

There is an old Roman Catholic hymn tune commonly known as 'Queen of the Sea' which is tempting with a few variations when you are having difficulty with the clergy (and they're not all perfect) — it meanders along nicely to the chorus where it arrives at the chorus "Pray for the wanderer, pray for me" Not quite suitable for the current funeral list but it will give you a smile at that difficult moment when the preacher has changed the hymns and the celebrant is thumbing through the Psalter to find a psalm to confuse you.

Philip Lawton.

Dear Editor,

Around the month of June, many churches think of Saint Columba, whose feast day falls on the ninth of the month. Columba is one of the three Patron Saints of Ireland, the others being Patrick and Brigid. The words of Hymn 560, Alone with none but thee my God, are attributed to Saint Columba, and the tune commonly used is Emain Macha.

In the 1940s I was a pupil at Saint Columba’s College, where Joe Groocock was Precentor or, as the Hymn Book describes him, Director of Music. Naturally we tended to have our celebrations and prize-day on or near St Columba’s day, and this hymn would be used about then. Joe Groocock composed a lovely tune for this hymn which many of us enjoyed singing, but I never saw it written down and I feared that like so much of his music for Chapel and the school stage it may only have existed in his head and was therefore lost. I was delighted when I saw that it is included in the new Church Hymnal under the title Tibradden, and introduced it successfully in 2002 to St Thomas’ Church.

I would urge other congregations to give it a try; it is a lilting and quite easy tune with an "Irish" flavour.

Tibradden, on the slopes of the mountain of the same name, was the district where Joe Groocock, his wife Rhoda, and their family lived for many years.

Adrian Somerfield

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