SOUNDBOARD. A Newsletter for Church Musicians. Number 11 March Editorial Comment

SOUNDBOARD A Newsletter for Church Musicians Number 11 March 2006 Editorial Comment Deciding what to put into SOUNDBOARD is one of the main challenges of producing each issue. Some items arise by default, so to speak notices of forthcoming events, reports of courses and so on. And then one hopes for another article in the series Church Music in... which we believe to be of benefit and a source of ideas to others. There are also a small number of regular contributors, to whom we are indebted for items of interest. But there must be many others who have something to say, or perhaps have ideas for what they would like to find in the pages of SOUNDBOARD. So, never hesitate to let us have ideas or better still, to put pen to paper (to use a now old-fashioned phrase) and let us have something for publication, as Ann Coulter has admirably done for this issue. Since acquiring Broadband some months ago, we have spent (wasted?) more and more time wandering around the Internet. It is just a superb source of seemingly-limitless information. Open Google and insert something like church organs, free organ music, choral music or whatever, and suddenly appears dozens (no indeed, hundreds!) of interesting-looking sites all with links to lots more interesting sites! Starting with organs, we soon found ourselves reading about the wonderful new four-manual Klais organ (2001) in Birmingham s Symphony Hall. The two photographs below came from that site. Coming back to earth again, we must record that the Committee is grateful to the Diocesan Councils for increasing their financial support this year. However, this will do no more than meet the cost of the Three Year Church Music Training Scheme. We hope that organists will again respond positively to the letter accompanying this issue asking for the usual contribution to the Committee s funds. Last year we were pleased to be able to meet the cost of a series of guitar lessons for members of the Discovery Gospel Choir, which is based in St Thomas & St George's Church, Cathal Brugha Street. On page 8, we give information about the Church Music Training Scheme. Please bring this comprehensive course to the attention of everyone in your church. The first step for those interested is to talk to the rector and seek the support of the parish. One of the biggest 32 ft pipes arriving at Symphony Hall by barge. WHAT S IN THIS ISSUE? 1. Editorial Comment 2. Talking to Alison Young, well known organist, accompanist and conductor 3. Church Music in Monkstown Parish, Siobhán Kilkelly describes music in her church 4. George ( Daddy ) Harrison, Ann Coulter recalls her early mentor 5. Where are your Music Records? Raymond Refaussé writes about the RCB library 6. House Organs, Visits to three organists who can practise at home! 7. Own your own Pipe Organ James Pasley has the next best thing to a home pipe organ 8. The Archbishop s Course in Church Music, Frequently asked questions about the course 9. Enjoying Plainchant, David McConnell describes how he introduced plainchant in Zion 10. Notes & News 11. An Organist s Crossword SOUNDBOARD is published by the Church Music Committee of the Dublin & Glendalough Diocese of the Church of Ireland. Views expressed in signed articles, letters and advertisements are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Church Music Committee Website:www.churchmusic.dublin. anglican.org Thomas Trotter and Carlo Curley prepare for The Ride of the Valkyries before the Organ Extravaganza fund-raising concert in March 2001. Secretary: Ms Ruth Maybury, 28 Lakelands Close, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, Tel. 01 283 1845 E-mail: churchmusicdublin@eircom.net Editor: Randal Henly, 81 Offington Avenue, Sutton, Dublin 13, Tel. 01 832 3647; E-mail: rhenly@eircom.net

2 Talking to Alison Young Organist, Accompanist, Conductor While Alison Young must be personally known to hundreds of musicians and students, her name must be familiar to literally thousands of concertgoers as will the name of her late husband William (Bill). When the Editor met her in her house in Rathfarnham, she rambled on (as she said she would!) about her very full and interesting musical life. Tell me first of all about your early musical education. Did you grow up in a musical family? Yes; my mother who came from Glasgow was very musical. She came from a home where there was a harmonium. They would sing hymns around it on Sunday nights. My father s family grew up in Crumlin in the days when it was a village, and I think some of his sisters played the organ. So there was that sort of musical background. Well, when did you start to learn to play? I started piano lessons at about the age of six. I loved them straightaway and always found it easy to read music. I kind of drifted along but sort of gave it up but when I was 10 or 11. However, at about 13 I went back and started in the Municipal School of Music (as it was then) where I had piano lessons with Sidney Grieg. When I was about 17 he said to me one day Alison would you like to learn the organ. I had never thought about that, but he said to come to the Abbey Church next Tuesday where he would give me an organ lesson and that was the start. I went in for the Junior Organ competition at the Feis Ceoil a few months later and won it. I did however take my piano diplomas later. And did you go any further with the organ? I won all the organ cups that were going in the Feis. But accompanying is what I always loved. I was learning the organ for about six months when Mr Grieg said one day There s an organist s job going in Clontarf Methodist Church and I think you should go for it. I was appointed and was there for about two or three years before going to York Road Church Dún Laoghaire. I had met Bill at this stage. He applied for the job of Vicar Choral in St Patrick s Cathedral. I started in York Road and he started in St Patrick s the same day. We became engaged on the strength of his new job! He was working in insurance but was able to leave each day in time for Evensong at 4.00 p.m. He had a very busy singing career and over the years we did many concerts together. After ten years in York Road I went to Adelaide Road Presbyterian, succeeding Professor T H Weaving, who had died. I had a wonderful choir in Adelaide Road Church. (I didn t realise how good it was until I left!) We did an anthem every Sunday morning and every Sunday evening. We won the Lennox Braid cup twice and the Stanford cup too. Adelaide Road Church had a strong connection with the Trostan Singers whose conductor was Molly Dunlop and over a period of about 25 years I played many of the major oratorios for them, including Elijah, Creation, the Brahms Requiem, and Messiah every Christmas. I had wonderful times there, but eventually the church began to change, and after 21 years I felt it was time to retire, which I did in 1989 I think. In 1977 Dr Veronica Dunne had asked me would I go to the College of Music as an accompanist and repetiteur. I was there until two years ago, working with third-level singing students. I recall Patricia Barden who now sings all over the world, Imelda Drumm and Liz Nolan of Lyric FM fame; most of the students still keep in touch with me. I had a privileged career there. Tell me about setting up the Seafield Singers. In 1990 Bill was approached by John Rowden who told him that there had been a choir in the Clontarf area, now without a con-ductor, but who were keen to stay together. Bill was interested in being their conductor as he had just retired from business life Bill started the choir in September of that year and ran it for ten years. However, in 2000 Bill became ill some months before the May concert. The choice was to abandon the concert or for me to take over. I took all the rehearsals and I conducted somewhat nervously, as I had never stood up in front of such a large choir before. Sadly Bill died in March 2001. The funeral was in his beloved St Patrick s Cathedral and he is buried in the adjoining graveyard I felt that I owed it to Bill to continue his work. Eric de Courcy helps me regularly. The profits of all concerts go to charity. After last Christmas s concert, we were able to send 4000 to Christian Aid. Over the years we have collaborated with the East Cork Choral Society, whose conductor is Colin Nicholls and we have performed Messiah, Elijah and the St Matthew Passion. However, at the end of the day if I were given the choice, I d rather be playing than conducting! So you re still as busy as ever? I do lots of deputy work in churches and a great deal of freelance accompanying including being official accompanist for the Feis Ceoil What about your family? I have three children and six grandchildren. Granddaughter Jane, aged 15 and living in Scotland is a cellist and last year got through to the quarter finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year. She studies at Chethams School Manchester. Two years ago she performed in a Seafield Singers concert. What non-musical activities have you? Well, I play bridge and I do a bit bowling and I am on the board of Brabazon House. I go to many concerts. The love of my life was my marriage to Bill and the music we shared. Since his death, it is music that keeps me going. The next Seafield Singers Concert is on 5 March in Clontarf Parish Church (7.00 p.m.), when the Fauré Requiem will be performed. The organ accompaniment will be played by David Adams.

Church Music in Monkstown Parish Siobhán Kilkelly, Organist and Choir Director Siobhán Kilkelly with the Monkstown Choir in Bath Abbey last year One word that is frequently used to describe the singing in Monkstown is enthusiastic! Since I have become the organist in Monkstown, following in the path of Bill Ebbs the former organist for forty-nine years, I have relied on enthusiasm as an ally on many occasions. It works! We have a mixed choir of approximately twenty members and a junior section currently consisting of about ten young people and we probably defy logic on many occasions to sing the repertoire that we do. The Choir sings at the main Sunday morning service (Communion on two Sundays, Morning Prayer and Service of the Word on the other two) and the Junior Choir sings at the Service of the Word on the fourth Sunday of each month and on festivals. The Junior Choir rehearses on Mondays at 7, and is followed by the rehearsal for the Adult Choir at 8. One aspect which is vital to retain the interest of the choir is the choice of music. I try to choose music in varied styles, mix up the level of difficulty and always aim to select music which is musically rewarding. The choir sings an anthem every second Sunday and that, apart from the major festivals, helps to maintain the choir s interest and momentum. I notice the choir makes a special effort to attend when they have something particular to sing they don t want to miss it! We are also fortunate in having an assistant organist who accompanies the choir on two Sundays a month. This gives the choir the opportunity to perform accompanied music with the advantage of a conductor. The benefits to this are that the choir learns to breathe together and produce a better sound, is generally more confident, and overall it allows greater possibility to shape a musical performance. Over the years we have gathered a core of singers who join us for certain occasions, such as the Church Festivals, special Evensongs, choir trips away and this also helps in determining the music we do. To know you have a group of experienced choristers, willing to supplement the choir is very reassuring. Some people have joined the choir for a once-off occasion and stayed! We have undertaken annual trips to sing at Harvest Festivals throughout Ireland for the past ten years or so and twice recently we have had choir trips to England, first to Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire and last August we sang the services for a weekend in Bath Abbey. These trips, while in some ways terrifying for the choir and life-shortening for the organist and choir director (!), have helped greatly in urging the choir to perform at a higher level and ultimately singing more music in a weekend than would be normal over a period of six months! The opportunity also to sing in those wonderful buildings was really inspiring. The junior choir is an essential adjunct to the musical life in Monks town, but maintaining the numbers needs constant work. We rely mostly on word of mouth for recruitment, friends, cousins, neighbours etc. but this year we have put together a choir brochure and have planned an open evening to try and attract more young people. It is always worth the work however, because when the junior choir sings well, the congregation melts! I think we are lucky in Monkstown, music has always been a high priority and as organist I get just the backup I need from the Rector and Select Vestry to meet the challenges of today s church choir. 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! No more than 1000 words, and preferably with a photograph. How many days in Lent? Forty Days and Forty Nights is a hymn that is frequently used on the first Sunday of Lent. Everyone knows that there are forty days in Lent. But is this really true. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (this year it is 1 March) and ends on Easter Saturday (15 April this year). Forty days from Ash Wednesday brings us to the Monday of Holy Week, five days before Easter Saturday. So why forty days in Lent? Although I have known of the discrepancy for a long time, I never sought an explanation until this year. The Rector of Howth immediately came up with the answer. The five Sundays of Lent are not regarded as part of Lent, and since forty five minus five equals forty, the number of official days in Lent is forty. So if you re off chocolate (or whatever) for Lent, you can splurge on any (or all!) of the five Sundays during the 45 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Saturday. (RH)

George ( Daddy ) Harrison 1878 1970 Ann Coulter I first heard of George Harrison in the mid-fifties when I was a student in Coláiste Moibhí. At that stage I knew of the nickname given to him by generations of students in the Church of Ireland Training College. Daddy Harrison was known and loved by a devoted group of admirers and is still remembered with great affection. The Harrison family had arrived in Dublin from Wigan in 1829. George s grandfather moved to Dublin to manage an engineering works. The business was based in Sackville Place. George s brothers continued in that tradition. All members of the family were involved in music but George was the only one to make a career of it. George s father was an amateur organist. One brother, Richard, was a fine tenor singer who had trained in Germany and also played the piano. Another, Tom, was the organist in North Strand Parish Church and St Mary s Chapel of Ease (known as the Black Church). A third brother, William, was an electrical engineer and he played the violin. He owned a Joseph Guarneri (1680-1730) fiddle. George was a first-class musician. Early in his career he won the Coulson Scholarship in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. While there he studied for a time under Esposito and he delighted in introducing his students to Esposito s compositions. George Harrison was organist in the Black Church for a short time while he was also deputy organist in St Patrick s Cathedral. He moved to St Aidan s and from there to St George s Parish Church, Hardwicke Place, where he remained as organist until his death in 1970, creating a record of 75 years service. During this time he trained the choir and they performed many oratorio, including one work by Mendelssohn, now rarely heard Athalie. He gave numerous recitals, he was always in great demand as an accompanist and he was renowned for the brilliancy of his extemporising. He was an exceptional and gifted player of the organ works of Bach, Mendelssohn, Guilmant and Rinck. He was music master in Mountjoy School and in King s Hospital school. He was also President of the Leinster Society of Organists and Choir Masters. In 1911 George Harrison was appointed to teach instrumental music in the Church of Ireland Training College, and held the position for 53 years. He served under four principals Rev H Kingsmill-Moore, Dr E C Hodges, Dr G O Simms and Canon R J Ross (who was also an accomplished organist). In a career which spanned six decades in the college he taught and encouraged the students, many of whom were to provide the music in country parishes where they were teaching. In those long gone days it was considered the norm for a teacher to be the regular organist and to train the choir without pay. Daddy Harrison treated everyone with great dignity and courtesy, never addressing a student by Christian name. During his years in the college there were many recipients of the George Harrison Organ medal, awarded to the best student-organist of the year. These were and are greatly treasured. George Harrison was a member of the Masonic Order and occasionally he escorted small groups of students from the Training College in Kildare Street to the Masonic Hall in Molesworth Street to see and play the organs there. He was given permission to use one of the organs in Molesworth Street for teaching the students during the college s move to Rathmines. A visit to St George s Church was another annual treat. To watch that small, dapper, elderly gentleman move fingers and feet over the keys of that pneumatic organ with such speed and accuracy was moving and memorable. One student in particular gave him immense satisfaction, when she competed at Feis level and was awarded a medal. Her name? Phyllis Reid (née Somers), now the organist in Donadea Church, Co Kildare. It was my pleasure to meet George, only child of Daddy Harrison, ten years ago. He supplied me with much of the above information. On my final visit to him, I asked the question Why the nickname Daddy? With a smile he told me Because of me! Father was a devoted and proud dad, he talked of his small son so frequently that the students nicknamed him Daddy and it stuck! IN PLACES WHERE THEY SING Kildare Cathedral Choir launches CD On 29 January last, the choir of St Brigid s Cathedral, Kildare launched its first CD. The date was that of both the Cathedral s patronal festival and also the farewell service of the Dean, Very Revd Robert Townley, who was due to retire. The CD features a wide selection of music to suit all tastes, and is sure to be extremely popular. Included are psalms and anthems such as Bach s Jesu joy of man s desiring in a special performance with solo violin (Constance Gardiner). Also featured are arrangements of traditional Irish tunes by past and present choir directors: Mark Armstrong s Ag Criost an Siol and O comfort my people by Derek Verso, who was also responsible for the overall music direction of the CD. What makes this CD unique is the inclusion of extracts from a 15th century setting of Matins for the Feast of St Brigid. This is the earliest setting known to exist and is in Trinity College Library, Dublin. Research of these medieval manuscripts was undertaken by Dr Ann Buckley, NUI Maynooth to whom the choir is indebted for permission to use her unpublished edition. The CD is available at 15 from Cathedral Choir CD, St Brigid s Cathedral, Co Kildare or call 04697 30149 or 087 0515859

Where Are Your Music Records? Raymond Refaussé, Librarian and Archivist Representative Church Body Library, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14; e-mail: library@ireland.anglican.org The Representative Church Body Library is the theological and reference library of the Church of Ireland and the principal repository for the Church's archives and manuscripts. In pursuit of its archival responsibilities the Library currently manages records from over 900 parishes, 20 cathedrals and 18 dioceses as well as holding almost 800 collections of manuscripts. These sources are used for a variety of research purposes historical, genealogical, architectural, legal and, insofar as they allow, musical. The most substantial musical archive in the Library is that of Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, which together with the other records of the cathedral was transferred in the second half of the 1980s. The score books were indexed by Eamon O'Keeffe as part of a UCD MA project in 1993 and the collection was more generally indexed by title and composer, by Sue Hemmens, the Christ Church music librarian in 1995-6. These invaluable projects, which made the collection intellectually accessible, complemented the transfer of the collection to the RCB Library where it was, for the first time physically accessible after years of lying in piles on office floors and stuffed in presses in various parts of the cathedral. This new accessibility resulted in the collection being used for research purposes. MA dissertations by, among other, Andrea Moran and Carol Cunningham began the process of highlighting the importance of the collection for Irish musical studies, a process which reached fruition in the groundbreaking research of Barra Boydell both in his contributions to the history of Christ Church, which appeared in 2000, and in two subsequent volumes which concentrated on the cathedral's music. Yet despite the benefits which have undoubtedly flowed from transferring the Christ Church music collection to the Library no other cathedral has followed suit. The St Patrick's collection, which is the only other substantial manuscript collection, is still being used as a research tool in the cathedral notably by Kerry Houston but of the musical holdings of the other cathedrals, little is known. At parish level the documentation of musical activity is, as is the case in most aspects of the life of the Church of Ireland, decidedly mixed. Denise Neary's 1995 Maynooth MA on music in late seventeenth and eighteenth century Dublin churches dissertation showed how vestry minute books could be successfully mined for details of musical activity and similar research projects might be feasible for city parishes in Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway or parishes in older town parishes like Kilkenny. However, the most obvious conclusion from Neary's work was the absence of any parish musical archives, which, had they survived, might have been expected to surface in the major Dublin parishes which she studied. A greater sense of parish musical life is apparent for the 19th century when printed orders of service for special events became more common and parishes which produced regular magazines began to print monthly schedules of worship thus revealing the hymns, psalms and canticles which were used. But even so it is frequently nigh impossible to discover what, if any musical dimension there was for many Church of Ireland parishes. Recently we received an enquiry about the musical repertoire of a rural parish. The parish had a Telford organ and the supposition was that it must, therefore, have had a musical diet which was more sophisticated than that which would have been normal for a country church but, quite literally, we could find nothing to assist the enquirer. We, in our day, cannot, of course, be held responsible for the informational deficiencies of the past but we can ensure that there is, for the most part, an adequate record of church musical activity in our own time. Parishes should keep a record of services, concerts, recitals. For those which produce their own orders of service it should be a simple matter to keep two copies of each, one for the archives and one for reference: for those which do not generate orders of service, a manual record should be kept. In larger parishes where there is a choir there ought to be records of membership and attendance and a chronicle of the choir repertoire. Similarly, information files should be kept on organs and other parish instruments. And, of course, if you are fortunate enough to be able to make recordings ensure that you keep file copies of the tapes or CDs. From the perspective of a church archivist such suggestions are elementary but in the 5 context of parish life where, all too often, a lot is left to a few, I am acutely conscious that someone has to undertake these responsibilities. Much will inevitably depend on the organist/ director of music to ensure not only that during his/her tenure of office musical records are kept but also, as far as possible, to ensure the survival of records of previous musical regimes, and to make appropriate arrangements before resignation/retirement for the safekeeping of current records. The transfer of choir records from Christ Church, Leeson Park, and from Rathfarnham by David McConnell are examples of good practice in this respect. The Representative Church Body Library, as the Church of Ireland's archival repository is more than happy to take custody of musical records which we regard, for the most part, as part of parish or cathedral archives. Most material which is transferred to the Library can be speedily catalogued and therefore readily made available for research purposes. There is more interest and curiosity about the Church of Ireland today than ever before; more students anxious for research topics; more academics looking for new angles; more genealogists seeking for interesting details of family members. The records of the musical life of the Church of Ireland are a vital part of this intriguing jigsaw. Organists Hints & Tips 6: Singing from memory David McConnell Children s choirs usually sing from memory but adults keep their eyes glued to music. This is not always necessary, particularly for parts of the liturgy sung frequently. In recent times I have committed short pieces (e.g. a simple Sanctus) to memory and then, by example, demonstrated to my singers that they too can do so! Once they are convinced, I remove the music from the choir stalls. It is a wonderful liberation to sing without any books in the hand, everyone looking upwards. Try it and enjoy the improvement in the sound. Literally, a breath of fresh air! Another memory piece could be the first five verses of the Venite at Morning Prayer to a well-known chant say, Havergal in E flat. Some items go even better if you dispense with instrumental accompaniment.

6 House Organs (Part 1) The Editor recently had the brainwave (or so he thought!) that an article on house organs might be of interest to readers of SOUNDBOARD. He knows of six such instruments and the owners of these were quite happy to have him come and see them for which he is grateful. Here are the details of three of these instruments, all of which have full 32-note pedalboards. The remaining three instruments will feature in the next issue. Peter Sweeney has two organs, a Ken Jones two-manual pipe organ and an Allen Protégé Digital Organ. At the moment the Jones organ is with one of his students, Aaron Marchant. Peter would prefer the pipe organ any day, but the Allen digital organ provides more scope for practice than the Jones instrument. The specification of the Allen organ is as follows: Pedal Bourdon 16, Lieblich Gedackt 16, Octave 8, Flute 8, Choral Bass 4, Mixture lv, Posaune 16, Clarion 4, Great to Pedal, Swell to Pedal (Midi on Pedal). Swell Gedackt 8, Viola Pomposa 8, Viola Celeste 8, Octave Geigen 4, Traverse Flute 4, Nazard 2 2 /3, Clarinet, Piccolo 2, Orchestral Flute, Tierce 1 3 /5, Cor Anglaise, Fourniture lv, Basson 16, Trompette 8, Clarion 4, Tremulant, (Midi on Swell). Great Lieblich Gedackt 16, Diapason 8, Harmonic Flute 4, Flute Celeste 8, Octave 4, Octave 4, Spitzflote 4, Fifteenth 2, Mixture lv, Chimes, Tremulant, Swell to Great. General Bass Coupler, Melody Coupler, Alternative Tuning On, Tremulants Full, Console Speaker Off, External Speaker Off, Swell Solo Voices, 5 Generals Pistons on 4 Levels, 4 divisional Pistons to Great and Swell. Peter improvised a most interesting selection of music, to demonstrate the scope of the instrument including a solo on the 4 pedal stop. Raymond Russell has a pipe organ built by Paul Neiland (Wexford), which was completed in 2004. The two manuals are independent but the pedals can be coupled to the Great. The pedal board is straight, which Raymond says is great for practice. The case is of white oak and the organ specification is as follows. Pedal: Bourdon 16; Swell: Stopped Diapason 8, Flute 4, Gemshorn 2; Great: Open Diapason 8, Principal 4; Ann Coulter has a Conn electronic organ which was formerly owned by the late Douglas Williams (who had two other organs plus as well as a grand piano in his house!). Ann Coulter was formerly organist of Howth Presbyterian Church (and is now available to deputise). The specification is as follows: Pedal: Contra Bourdon 32, Principal 16, Bourdon 16, Octave 8, Rohr Pommer 8, Choral Bass 4, Zauber Flote 2, Posaune 16, Great to Ped, Swell to Ped, Swell to Ped 4; Swell: Flote Conique 16, Geigen Principal 8, Rohr Flote 8, Celeste 8, Salicional 8, Nachthorn 4, Nazard 22/3, Block Flote 2, Tierce 13/5, Sifflote 1, Trompette 8, Vox Humana 8, Swell to Swell 16, Swell Unison Off, Swell to Swell 4; Gt: Principal 8, Spitzflote 8, Celeste 8, Erzahler 8, Octave 4, Koppel Flote 4, Super Octave 2, Wald Flote 2, Mixture II, Great to great 4, Swell to Great 16, Swell to Great 8, Swell to Great 4, Chimes; Other devices: Tremulants 1 & 2, Chorus off, Flutes pp, Celeste ff, Geigen ff, Trompette ff, Reverb. 1, Reverb. 2, Flute Reverb, Flute sustain, Flute Chiff, Five Swell pistons, Five transpose up and five transpose down pistons.

Own Your Own Pipe Organ James Pasley Most of us have the experience of selecting the Pipe Organ setting on an electronic keyboard or synthesiser, in order to practise a hymn or two at home. While a good synthesiser will have a few different organ sounds, it usually falls short of providing the experience of playing a real pipe organ. Electronic organs that do achieve this have been prohibitively expensive. That has now has changed thanks to the clever use of a little technology. Now you can turn the volume down on your old synthesiser, connect it up to your computer, and have it faithfully recreate the sound of a pipe organ. The key to this is a computer program called Hauptwerk, which simulates pipe organs. At the heart of this program is a very simple idea: the sound of every pipe on a pipe organ is recorded so that it can be loaded into your computer. This could be over a thousand recordings, even for a small organ. Then, by connecting a synthesiser, this program can recreate the sound of the original organ as you play. The quality of the sound is truly superb, which makes this a musthave for anyone with a computer and an interest in playing the pipe organ. Hauptwerk contains all the features needed to transform your computer into a pipe organ. In addition to playing the sounds, it displays the stops and couplers for you to select, as shown below. It can support several keyboards and can simulate a swell box. It also provides advanced features, such as the ability to record a sequence of stop changes through which you can progress at the press of a single button during a performance. It really does manage to provide the authentic experience of playing a pipe organ. The organ sounds are provided separate to the Hauptwerk program. This means that you have access to a large number of organs representing different sizes and styles of instrument. Having started Hauptwerk, you select from the list of those sounds that you have installed on your computer. For added realism, most organs are recorded with the original acoustics of the church. There are currently over thirty organs listed on the Hauptwerk Web site, representing baroque, romantic, and symphonic organs from across Europe and America. Some small organs are available for free, while larger ones are available to purchase. The process of recording and preparing the sound for use may represent months of work, even for a relatively small organ. The market for organs recorded in this way is growing and has led to companies offering to service and tune organs for free, in return for the rights to make and sell these recordings. Other recordings are made and distributed by individuals whose motivation is purely to share the experience of playing the pipe organ. So what do you need to get started? You probably already own a synthesiser and a computer. The synthesiser can be very basic: the only requirement is that it has a The Hauptwerk console, as displayed on a computer MIDI-out connection. Then you need a MIDI-to-USB cable to 7 connect the two, which enables the computer to know which notes you are playing. Finally, you need the Hauptwerk computer program itself. The computer does all the hard work, so you will need a reasonably powerful one. If you ve bought your computer in the last three years, it s probably good enough to get you started, although you might need to add some extra memory. Hauptwerk will work on a wide variety of Microsoft Windows computers, but the more powerful the computer the better. There is a very simple rule to apply: the more memory in your computer, the more stops you can have on the organ; the faster the computer, the more notes you can play at one time. You can adjust settings to help you get the most out of less powerful computers, and the organs provided often enable you to load a subset of stops for computers will less memory. The best advice is to start with the computer you have and gain some experience using the program. There is more information on the Hauptwerk Web site that can help, and you will probably want to consider upgrading your computer before long. With the basic system in place, there are a number of other accessories that can be added. Using a good set of headphones or connecting the audio output of your computer to a home stereo system is recommended, because typical computer loudspeakers won t do justice to this system. The most significant accessory is a full thirtytwo note pedal board. Of course, adding the pedal board means that you will also need a special keyboard stand and an organ stool. The result is a complete recreation of a pipe organ. There are further accessories such as swell pedals and proper organ manuals the possibilities are limited only by your budget. In order to assemble all of this, I went on a virtual shopping trip (courtesy of the Internet), which spanned several countries. This started in the UK at www.hauptwerk.co.uk where I purchased the Hauptwerk program itself and downloaded a few free organs. This Web site contains all the information you need and links to all the other Web sites referred to in this article. The MIDI cable also needs to be purchased over the Internet. If you are connecting more that one synthesiser, be sure and choose a cable with the appropriate number of connections. My next

purchase was the Casavant- 8 Frères Organ from the Grace Lutheran Church Champaign, Illinois, USA. My pedal board came from Classic Organ Works in Canada, because they seemed to know the most about Hauptwerk and responded promptly to all my queries. However, if importing a pedal board from outside the EU, you will have to pay excise duty and VAT. After a marathon Internet search, my wife found the EL260 Proel keyboard stand, which came from Italy and appears to be the only one on the market that allows the pedal board to fit under it. Luckily, I already had an organ stool that I acquired years ago and that has finally been put to good use. The most expensive component you will be tempted to buy is the pedal board. This has motivated a number of people to build their own, which can be achieved by dismantling a cheap MIDI keyboard and connecting the keys to a home-made pedal board. There are a number of Web sites where people have documented this process, including photographs of the resulting organs. Such a project requires good woodworking and basic computer skills. Wouldn t this make an excellent Transition Year project for any secondary school with classes in these subjects? The keyboards and computer required could be very basic for the initial project and could always be upgraded in the future, should the project prove to be successful. While the construction would make a fascinating project, the resulting instrument would also be a great asset to any school and a wonderful way of promoting the pipe organ as an instrument. Hauptwerk is a program that deserves your attention and will probably require only that you purchase Hauptwerk itself and a cable in order to get started. Once you have done this, I am confident that the quality of the sound it produces will tempt you to invest further. The Web site contains links to many classical pieces played on Hauptwerk in order to demonstrate this quality. Even if you go no further, just listening to these demos could make for a pleasant few hours on the Internet. James Pasley is organist of Lucan Parish and Chief Technology Officer, Cape Clear Software. He will be very happy to answer questions from prospective organ builders. Contact him at 087 051 5859, or by e-mail at james.pasley@capeclear.com What is the Archbishop s Certificate in Church Music? It is awarded by the Archbishop of Dublin to those who satisfactorily finish the three-year church music training course run by the Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Church Music Committee (DCMC). What is the purpose of the course? It aims to provide the range of skills and knowledge required by musicians working in local churches. What does the course cover The course provides tuition in organ playing, training in choral conducting and rehearsal techniques and tutorials on the structure of the Church s liturgy and the role of music in it. What are the requirements for joining the course? Students need to have reached at least Grade 4 or equivalent in piano. They must be sponsored by a Church of Ireland parish and acceptance on to Year 1 is by written application and interview. Are there age limits? No. Archbishop of Dublin s Certificate in Church Music Some Frequently-asked Questions I do not belong to the Church of Ireland. May I join the course? We will try to include you but different financial arrangements will apply. Discuss with the Secretary. Where do I learn the organ? An organ tutor will be assigned to provide individual lessons. Some students attend the Royal Irish Academy of Music. When do the choir training and liturgy sessions take place? Weekday evenings or Saturday mornings. Are there examinations? There is an organ exam at the end of each academic year and there may also be tests associated with the choir training and liturgy modules. Students must progress satisfactorily in the previous year before entering Years 2 and 3. What is the cost? In 2006-07 the cost will be shared by the student (approximately 260), the sponsoring parish ( 660) and the Church Music Committee. I do not wish to involve my parish? Your parish will be glad to support you. It is in the long-term interests of church music. Your rector will be pleased to talk to you. Yes, I am interested. What do I do next? Talk to your rector and then download an application form from www.churchmusic.dublin.anglican.org/ appform.doc, or write for one to the Secretary. The closing date for the 2006-07 academic year is 15 August 2006. I have further questions. Send an e-mail to churchmusicdublin@eircom.net, or contact the Secretary, Mrs Ruth Maybury on (01) 283 1845, Address: 28 Lakelands Close, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. Dublin & Glendalough Church Music Committee The Committee provides a range of training and information programmes. Our mailing list includes (we hope) all church musicians who work in Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches within 120 km of Dublin. If you feel you are not on our mailing list or have changed your address, please let us know (address on page 1). If you are on the Internet, please include your e-mail address. The Committee Archdeacon Edgar Swann (Chairman), Rector, Greystones Parish; Ruth Maybury (Secretary), Organist, Christ Church, Dún Laoghaire David McConnell (Treasurer), Organist, Zion Church and the Church of the Three Patrons, Rathgar; Randal Henly (Editor), Organist, St Mary s Howth; Peter Barley, Director of Music, St Patrick s Cathedral; Judy Cameron, Organist, Powerscourt Parish, Enniskerry; Hilary Dickinson Guter, Director of Music, St Brigid s Church, Stillorgan; Greg Fromholz, Director, 3Rock Youth; The Revd Dr Alan McCormack, Chaplain, TCD; Donald Maxwell, Organist, St Matthias, Ballybrack; James Pasley, Organist, Lucan Parish; The Revd Alan Rufli, Rector, Holmpatrick and Kenure, Diocesan Liturgical Officer; Derek Verso, Director of Music, Christ Church Bray and Kildare Cathedral Singers.

Enjoying Plainchant David McConnell describes how the introduction of plainchant has added value to a choir s work 10). During that week we also 9 experienced the recent RSCM publication Night Prayer: Compline, which sets the version in Common Worship (the Church of England s prayer book) to traditional chant. I mentioned all this to Zion Church choir last September, when outlining my plans for the season. While sceptical, they agreed to try Compline. One of the greatest challenges I face as choir director in a local church is how to provide satisfying SATB music when one or more voice parts is not present. Singers enjoy part singing. Basses and altos often find unison singing difficult. So there is little point in explaining to choirs that to sing with a part missing does not make musical sense; nor do they wish to hear that Erik Routley believed that singing in unison increases Christian zeal and that the German theologian Bonhoeffer supported unison singing on theological grounds. When a voice part is absent, is it ever possible to maintain musical integrity and at the same time retain the interest of a small local choir? The solution may lie partly in regarding (reluctantly) the organ accompaniment as an aesthetic crutch, a musical prosthesis, and then working to demonstrate that to sing some items in unison is neither boring nor demeaning. This line of thought naturally leads to considering Plainchant. Unison singing is fundamental to its philosophy and a group of even five singers can use it effectively to add value to worship. Early influences Even as a beginning organist, plainchant fascinated me. My formal introduction was the course of church music lectures given in the early 1960s to divinity students in TCD by Canon J Purser Shortt, who was responsible for the wealth of plainchant in CH4. Most of the students seemed bored by these dry presentations by an elderly and somewhat eccentric priest but a young organist who sat in on them lapped up what he said. The Canon used an excellent teaching method for both anglican and plain chant. At that time, much Church of Ireland worship tended towards a bland uniformity. Plainchant was almost unknown in parish liturgy. It was, of course, part of the magnificent midsummer festivals of liturgy and music in St Bartholomew s, Ballsbridge, and the warm incarnational worship of All Saints, Grangegorman and St John s, Sandymount. I experienced mainstream Anglican plainchant at a Gregorian Association festival service in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford in 1963 and the delights of London s All Saints, Margaret Street, a year later. Plainchant in Zion Church Fast forward to Zion Church, Rathgar, in the late 1990s. Singing is led by a small, deeply committed group of singers. When twice monthly eucharists at the main Sunday worship slot became the norm, we had increasingly to concentrate on supplying quiet items, sung while holy communion was distributed. I insisted that these performances must reflect some degree of quality assurance if they were to fulfil their purpose. To sing a four-part piece with one or more parts missing was unacceptable. The plainchant in the current and previous editions of the Church Hymnal was an obvious resource. I recalled, too, Tom Gordon telling me that he had successfully rescued the singing in St Nicholas Collegiate Church, Galway by using a mix of plainchant and Taizé-style music. I adopted a pragmatic approach and quite quickly the choir became familiar with and sang with style melodies such as Verbum supernum (242), Veni Creator (296) and Adoro te (449). With the arrival of CH5, we added Conditor alme (121), now an established choir favourite. All these are primarily syllabic. In 2005, with Passiontide in mind, we tackled the more melismatic but very beautiful Vexilla Regis (243). This proved to be quite a hurdle. To shorten the teaching process, I enlarged a melody-and-words-only version to A1 size. This enabled us to learn the music without the use of books. Everybody simply kept their eyes on a flipchart. RSCM influence At the RSCM International Summer School in York in August 2005, plainchant was included in the music sung by all delegates at the short prayer service in the Minster each day. This simple morning worship had a profound effect on everybody (cf. Soundboard, Issue Celebrating St Brigid s Day We worked at the service consistently during November. Affirmation came from one of the older members of the choir who recalled with pleasure his experience of Compline at the school he attended in England. Another man remembered his schooldays at Glenstal Abbey. The attractive RSCM booklet supplied context and credibility. We returned to Compline at the rehearsal on 4 January, at the end of which I recognized that our struggle was over. We were singing the chant with personal ownership, enjoyment and some style. I was quick to affirm my singers in their success. Four weeks later, on 1 February, the Festival of Saint Brigid of Kildare, sixteen singers and their director walked into the church at 8 o clock to sing the Office. The plainchant needed no accompaniment. Word had spread, and forty people from various faith communities locally had come to join us in offering praise and prayer at night to the Triune God. Stretching the boundaries In one respect, to be able to sing a monastic office to simple chant is not something worthy of special comment. But for us, it represented both a step outside the normal limits of our work and also something completely new. Above all, the experiment was eminently successful. The sense of achievement and pride was palpable, repertoire had been expanded, people outside the immediate faith community were aware of what our small group was doing. Choirs of all kinds need stimuli such as these. I recommend to others who lead church choirs to seek out new ways of doing things that stretch the expertise and expectations of their singers. It is part of the process of life-long learning! David McConnell is organist and choir director at Zion Church, Rathgar and organist at the Church of the Three Patrons, Rathgar.

10 RELAUNCH OF ROYAL SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC (IRELAND) Peter Barley writes: On Saturday 25 March in Christ Church Cathedral there will be a seminar and service to celebrate the relaunch of the RSCM in Ireland, and in St Anne s Cathedral Belfast, a similar service is to take place at the same time. N and The day will begin at 11 a.m. with workshops on training children's voices (aimed primarily at children) and on new ways of singing the psalms (for adult participants). After a break for lunch, the rehearsal for the service takes place, and after a tea break, the service is to begin at 5 p.m. The preacher at the service in Christ Church Cathedral will be Very Revd Patrick Towers, Provost of Tuam, and the combined choirs will be directed by Judy Martin, the Director of Music at Christ Church. The organist will be the acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher. The costs are 9.50 for adults from churches with RSCM affiliation, and 2 for children. These costs include a copy of the music to be sung. The RSCM is very keen to attract singers from across the Republic (and indeed Northern Ireland for the Belfast event). Do also consider becoming an affiliate or member of the RSCM. There are many significant benefits of membership, including the quarterly magazine Church Music Quarterly and its associated guide to choosing music, Sunday by Sunday, the RSCM Press (music and training resources), advice lines, website and courses for singers and organists. An appealing range of music will be sung as part of the service, including Andrew Carter's Mary's Magnificat, John Tavener's spacious and moving Hymn to the Mother of God and Richard Shephard's Walsingham Magnificat. Further information can be obtained from Peter Parshall, pparshall@rscm.org and (01) 671 2426 REMUNERATION GUIDELINES The 2006 guidelines on fees for church musicians have been circulated (electronically) to organists and parish offices. If you haven t received a copy, send us an e mail or a stamped addressed envelope. The guidelines are also obtainable on the CMC website. SUCCESSFUL LIVING WORSHIP COURSE Twenty people booked for the course on music and liturgy held on four Saturday mornings during January and February. Participants included in-post organists, singers, clergy, ordinands and church music students. The success of the course demonstrated a clear demand for training of this kind and the Church Music Committee plans a similar course in 2007. 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 churchmusicdublin@eircom.net. SING TO THE WORD This useful reference book, published in 2000, is consulted widely by those choosing hymns to fit in with the three-year lectionary. It is currently out-of-print but its author, Bishop Edward Darling, tells us that an updated version will be available on-line later this year. otes ews 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! Des Cox has been appointed organist to St Catherine s, Donore Avenue. Hilary Dickinson Guter has been appointed Director of Music to St Brigid s Church, Stillorgan (formerly at Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church). Derek Verso has been appointed Director of Music to Christ Church, Bray (formerly at Dún Laoghaire Methodist). CHORAL IRELAND Choral Ireland is an informal on-line information, discussion and upcoming events publicity resource. It is aimed at enthusiasts throughout Ireland of choral singing of all genres from opera to barbershop and oratorio to musicals. Subscribers include performers, leaders, music lovers and media in fact, all enablers and ennoblers of our choral music traditions Choral Ireland is a great way to keep in touch with what s going on. To sign up, you simply send an e-mail to choralireland-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. It s absolutely free. Send your e-mail today and then sit back and wait for the messages! You won t regret it! REPORT 'SILENT WORSHIP?' NOW ON LINE In 1990 the Joint Committee for Church Music in Ireland (which was disbanded in 2000) published Silent Worship? A report on music in the Church of Ireland, with some recommendations for the future. This excellent report never received the publicity it deserved and very few copies of the printed report seem to exist. It is now available on the Church Music website: www.churchmusic.dublin.anglican.org/silentworship.htm. Well worth investigating! CHARLES WOOD SUMMER SCHOOL 2006 The dates for this year s school are 21 to 28th August. The week will start with a concert given by the Swingle Singers for organists. There will be two resident tutors who will lead workshops and give individual tuition. The organ recital will be shared by three young Northern Irish organists, Darren Hargen, Ian Keatley and Claire Cousens (hopefully). For the Friday evening choral concert, the Charles Wood Singers and Boys Choir will be joined by the Alberti Brass Ensemble from London. More details in the next SOUNDBOARD. RSCM COURSES Easter Course for Organists, 18 to 21 April; Course for Volunteer Organists, 20 to 22 June; Summer Course for Organists 31 July to 5 August; Choral Courses various. Full details from the RSCM, Cleveland Lodge, Westhumble, Dorking, RH5 6BW, England, Tel. 0044 1306 872807, E-mail education@rscm.com, Website: www.rscm.com/courses.

Sing a New Song to the Lord David McConnell Church music of all styles was under the microscope at a day long conference Access All Areas in Stillorgan on Saturday 12 November. This was a joint venture organised by the Diocesan Church Music Committee and the Diocesan Youth Programme (3Rock). The event brought together those working with traditional type church music and those involved with the newer and younger styles, to explore shared skills, repertoire, values and understanding. The principal speakers were Geoff Weaver, the freelance conductor, animateur and composer, and Eoghan Heaslip, who specialises in contemporary church music and is closely connected with CORE Church, Thomas Street. During his presentation, Eoghan referred to Psalm 33 and its injunction to sing a new song to the Lord. He suggested that some songs lose their appeal over time, as they were written for a certain place and time. Others endure for many years. Eoghan argued that contem-porary music should not be used as a bait for young people.only when music becomes part of expression does it become genuine. Geoff Weaver referred to the various types of hymns and songs sung in church. What we sing, he said, defines what we are. Tell me what you sing and I ll tell you who you are. Hymns can express the deepest feelings of a community. Negro spirituals reflect a background of slavery and a search for identity. Many songs of the Iona Community point to a commitment to peace and justice. The psalms, Geoff said, are full of sentiments of prayer, praise and protest, reflecting the history of the Hebrew people. Taizé music continues to have great appeal. Short repeated song helps us to go deeper and deeper into the meaning of the words. What we do in church must be done with passion, Geoff continued. The more I go on, the more I am convinced that singing is one of God s gifts to us all. We should open to having our horizons expanded and should avoid classifying music as being good or bad. What is more important is whether it is fulfilling its purpose within the context it is used. Later, Geoff talked about leading worship and reviewed the skills required to be an effective cantor. Congregations, he said, should be encouraged to sing from memory and to sing from the belly. He demonstrated his excellent method of teaching congregations new music and emphasised that much music of worship originated in dance. A lot of church music is unbelievably tedious, because we have made it too churchy, we ve forgotten dance. Christians from African countries find it hard to understand how people can sing without moving. Geoff had already met some of the participants the previous evening in Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church, when he discussed with thirty clergy and organists the issues they need to think about when working together. An Interesting Swiss Organ Randal Henly 11 On the first Sunday of October last, I was in Switzerland, and attended the Harvest Festival service at La Côte Anglican church in Gingins, not too far from Geneva. The organ in the small church has a quite unusual but very interesting specification. Although small (but quite adequate for the church) I was quite surprised at the volume it could produce. I imagine the organist had all stops out for the last verse of Come ye thankful people come. The recessional voluntary was one of the Handel organ concertos. All the congregation stayed for it, and applauded at the end, whereupon the organist closed his book and literally ran, so I didn t get a chance to talk to him (I learned afterwards that he was dashing to his next service). However, the rector of the church told me I was welcome to examine and play the organ. It dates from 1958 and was built by Grandes Orgues of Geneva. The following is its specification. Great: Montre 8, Fl a fusseau 8, Prestant 4, Plein Jeu 1 1/3; Recit: Quintaton 8, Fl a chem 4, Doublette 2; Trompette 8; Pedal: Soubasse 16; RCO type pedalboard 3 Couplers, operated by miniature lever-type sort of swell pedals. The Plein Jeu is quite powerful and added a lot to the overall volume. The sound of the full Great gives the impression that there is more mixture present than there actually is. The Trompette sounds fine both as a solo reed and a chorus reed. Had I not seen the organ in advance of hearing it, I would certainly have though that it was much larger than it is.

Organists Crossword 9 Solutions to this issue s prize crossword should reach the Editor by the end of March. Be sure to include name and address! Clues Across 1. The tune to which the hymn Now thank we all our God is set (3,6) 6. Musical symbol that adds 50% (3) 8. Composer of Panis Angelicus (5,6) 9. Give... to my supplication says the psalm (3) 10. One to Herr Bach (3) 11. There are two brother organists of this name in Dublin (3) 12. Smoothly, as distinct from staccato (6) 13. In the style of, perhaps Handel (4) 16. Brass instruments in organs (8) 17. Psalm or antiphon sung while the priest approaches the altar (7) 18. Jane, 18th-century English novelist (6) 20. Beethoven s sixth symphony(8) 22. Symphony by Richard Strauss for Switzerland? (6) 23. Masses for the dead (8) Clues Down 1. Tune for the hymn Holy, holy, holy (6) 2. Stopped wooden organ pipe, generally of 4 pitch (5,5) 3. Tune for the hymn The Church s one foundation (7) 4. He composed a choral improvisation on 1 across (4,5) 5. Such a fork is musical (6) 6. Tune for the hymn Fight the good fight (4,6) 7. Interval between the first two notes of an arpeggio (5) 14. Let us break their bonds... in Messiah (7) 15. Caleb, English Victorian organist and composer of simple organ music (6) 16. Organ stop of 1 3 /5 ft pitch (6) 18. Dear me! (4) 19. Slangy ladies in the choir (4) 21. A Greek letter found in East Austria! (3) Songs of Praise Britain s Favourite Hymns In October 2005 BBC Songs of Praise broadcast the Top 20 hymns selected by viewers. Here they are, with the names of their authors: 1. O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder Carl Boberg/Stuart K. Hine 2. Dear Lord and Father of mankind John Greenleaf Whittier 3. The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended John Ellerton 4. Lord of all hopefulness Jan Struther 5. Love divine, all loves excelling Charles Wesley 6. Be still, for the presence of the Lord David J. Evans (b.1957) 7. Make me a channel of your peace attrib: St Frances of Assisi 8. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah William Williams 9. In Christ alone my hope is found Stuart Townend (b.1963) 10. Lord, the light of your love is shining Graham Kendrick (b.1950) 11. And did those feet in ancient time William Blake 12. O love that wilt not let me go George Matheson 13. Thine be the glory Edmond L.Budry 14. And can it be that I should gain Charles Wesley 15. Great is thy faithfulness Thomas Obadiah Chisholm 16. What a friend we have in Jesus Joseph Medlicott Scriven 17. I vow to thee, my country Cecil Spring-Rice 18. Abide with me; fast falls the eventide Henry Francis Lyte 19. Praise, my soul, the King of heaven Henry Francis Lyte 20. Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound John Newton Seventeen of the hymns are in CH5. Just three of the authors are still living. It may be useful to know what at least one section of the British public is thinking!