SOUNDBOARD December 2004

December 2004

Editorial Comment

Organists’ Workshop

As mentioned in the editorial of the last issue of SOUNDBOARD, several of the organists’ ‘wish lists’ identified in the 2003 questionnaire are being addressed. Details of the forthcoming workshop for organists (January 22) are to be found within, and it is hoped that this morning session will help organists who wished (i) for training sessions on church music, (ii) to be able to view organ and choir music, (iii) the facility of being able to meet and talk to other organists. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Organ Personalities
This issue contains another article in the series of Organist’s Profiles in the person of Eric de Courcy: teacher, choral conductor, cellist, and organist of Waterford Cathedral from 1944 to 1991. He looks back over 75 years of music.

SOUNDBOARD
Positive feedback about SOUNDBOARD keeps coming, which is very encouraging, certainly to the Editor anyway. He would like to point out, however, that he can only publish what he receives, and while there are a number of regular contributors, there must be many who have something to say and perhaps are hesitant to make their views known.

All we can say is “don’t be shy” — perhaps you can contribute to the lists of voluntaries that are currently being published, perhaps you have something to say about the psalms, perhaps you can report on some interesting musical activity in your parish — there are many such “perhaps”! We look forward to having some new contributors in the next issue.

From next year, it is intended to publish three issues of SOUNDBOARD each year, the first scheduled for April, and the deadline for material is March 15. You have therefore three months to prepare your contribution!

Psalms

At practically every meeting of the Church Music Committee, the singing of the psalms crops up, specifically the difficulty experienced by some congregations in singing the psalms (and canticles) to Anglican chants.

There are certainly three reasons for this. First of all, the psalms don’t have their own unique tunes, such as hymns do; most of the psalms can be sung to any of the 781 chants that appear in the Irish Chant Book. Secondly, since the verses of the psalms are of varying lengths, the tune lengths have to be made to fit the words — and this is what chanting is all about. Finally, to chant properly, one has to learn the meaning of the various signs and symbols that are mixed up with the words of the psalms, as set in the Book of Common Prayer.

There are of course other ways of singing the psalms and in the next SOUNDBOARD, we hope to publish an article, by a number of well-known people, on the psalms. Can we ask for information about the following? 

• Is the psalm for the day said or sung in your church each Sunday?
• If so, how: said, Anglican chant, plainsong, or sung metrical version? 
• Does your choir like the psalms? 
• Have you had any comments from members of your choir or congregation about the psalms? 
• How do they feel about saying or singing the psalms? 

 All information supplied will be useful. We look forward aring from you!

1. Editorial Comment
2. Talking to Eric de Courcy
3. A ‘Top Ten’ Introductory Voluntaries Here are some ideas for voluntaries — from ten amateur organists
4. Learning to Conduct Four students write about this year’s CNC course in Cork
5. Church Music in Dun Laoghaire Ruth Maybury writes about the music in her church
6. The Pipes of the Organ Aidan Scanlon describes diapasons
7. Jesus shall reign, where’er the Sun Adrian Somerfield raises an interesting pointabout Watt’s hymn
8. Organists’ Workshop Details of what is on offer, and how to book