June 2006
Notes and News (Soundboard June 2006)	Show Menu

PIPE ORGAN SOCIETY OF IRELAND

The POSI held its AGM in Dublin in November 2005. Professor Gillen was elected President
and Norbert Kelvin Secretary. An organ day is being planned, and details will be available on the website: http://www.irishpipeorgans.com/, in due course.

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! We have not heard of any movements since the March issue of SOUNDBOARD.

ORGANISTS’ HINTS & TIPS 7

Randal Henly
This is not my tip, but when taking to Hilary Dickinson, she mentioned that one of her teachers has said it to her.
When teaching a new choral piece to a choir, make sure, beforehand, that you yourself can sing right through all of the different parts, an octave up or an octave down as appropriate.

Any more hints & tips from readers? Keep them coming.

HAVE WE GOT YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS?

More and more people have Internet access. We have the e-mail addresses of many church 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.

WILL YOU HELP US?

Sixty people sent donations in response to the letter enclosed with the last issue of SOUNDBOARD. We hope that we will hear from many more. The Church Music Committee needs additional resources if it is to consolidate and develop its work. Donations received in 2005 enabled us to publish SOUNDBOARD regularly, promote one-off events and maintain a website. We make no apology for asking for donations from individuals. Over the past ten years the Committee has secured significant increases in the recommended rates of remuneration for musicians. While these minimum remuneration scales do no more than keep in step with pay inflation, older organists will remember a time when increases were seldom given and when it was embarrassing and ‘not the done thing’ to request a few more crumbs. We believe that many will be glad to share their good fortune with us. So, please read the enclosed letter (if you’ve already responded, there is no letter) and see what you can manage. And we extend a big thank you to those who have signed standing orders!

SPREAD THE WORD …

There is something in SOUNDBOARD for everyone. What do you do with your copy when you have finished reading it? Do you circulate it to your choir, give it to your rector? We will send extra copies for a small charge. Simply let us know how many.

Comment

It is unusual for pipe organs, their builders and players, to feature in national media news, but such was the case in recent months, with the EU issuing its fatwa on the lead component of pipe organs, both in their electric circuitry and, more critically, in pipe content. In these islands major organs of opinion such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Irish Times, not to mention national radio and television, took up the story, resulting in our beloved but much misunderstood instrument receiving some public attention. But as the saying goes, ‘there’s ne’er an ill wind’…

Fortunately the threat of this crazy and unintended effect of the EU directives has passed, with a derogation being given to the pipe organ industry in the matter, but the focus on the complexity of the craft of organ building and its centuries-old position of eminence in European high-cultural art history, brought to the attention of the wider public (who normally regard the organ as an antiquated hymn-churning machine of little artistic merit to be played by parish worthies as opposed to talented artists) something of the glory and wonder of the instrument to which we are so devoted. Hopefully as a result there will be a new respect abroad for the craft of the organ, its designers, builders, composers and performers.

In Ireland we still operate in a cultural deficit as far as the organ is concerned. In continental Europe in particular (especially north and central Europe) pipe organs are regarded as essential elements of a church building, more often in time to be replaced by a new organ. As a people we tend to be horrified at the cost associated with pipe organs, whereas our continental (and American) peers take the costs involved in their stride. Our sense of shock is due entirely to our lack of appreciation of the complexity of the organ building process and of the greatness of the music composed for the instrument, and the training and dedication required of its players, if they are to do justice to the instrument.

Hopefully the recent publicity will be a first step in redressing this public education deficit. A public aware of the beauty and centuries-old heritage of the instrument and its music that (hopefully) adorns their local church can only encourage and foster community appreciation of all that we in POSI stand for. And it is up to us organists — so often consumed with internal discussions on issues such as the merits of mechanical action as opposed to electric action, and the niceties of conservation as opposed to innovation etc. — to respond to this opportunity with relish and enthusiasm in inculcating a sense of local pride in that instrument down the road which all may have taken for granted for so long!

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Correct entries to  Organists’ Crossword 9 were received from Eric deCourcy, Harry Grindle, William Yeoman, Derek Seymour, Anne Corry, and Ken Shellard. The lucky one whose name was pulled from the proverbial hat was Anne Corry, to whom a musical prize has been sent. Lack of space in this issue means that Crossword 10 will have to wait!

<<Previous | Next >>