March 2017 The Newsletter of The Royal School of Church Music Waikato Branch RSCM Summer School 2017, Adelaide Notes March 2017 Page 1
Chairwoman s comments Dear RSCM family, We have begun 2017 with the sad losses of two very valuable branch members: Patricia Raynor and Guyon Wells. Both have been long serving and loyal supporters of RSCM Waikato, with Patricia attending many events and summer schools, and singing in several Waikato-BOP choirs over the years. Guyon, of course, was our founder and Patron and has left Hamilton and the wider Waikato a much richer place for his presence. Read Obituaries for Guyon and Patricia on pages 3 and 4. On a more positive note, our long serving Secretary and RSCM member Rhonda Gibbison has been awarded a Certificate of Special Service by the International RSCM Council. This is a just recognition of the service she has provided for this branch for many years. Congratulations Rhonda, and thank you! I was also surprised and honoured to see my own name in that list, receiving an Associate of the RSCM (ARSCM) award. Thank you very much to whoever nominated me (these things are done in the greatest secrecy!); I see it as a very important task to help keep church music alive and flourishing in our neck of the woods. We are fortunate here to have many good people who volunteer their time and talent to further this aim also. So, for the year ahead we can look forward to the AGM on May 6 th at St. Peter s Cathedral, preceded by a short organ recital from Huw Morgan, a visiting musician and former Education Officer of the RSCM in the UK. As in recent years, we are trying very hard to unite our branch and as such, will continue to take events on the road. Please do try and join us if we come to your neighbourhood, and if we are out of town, fill a car and make it a road trip! January 2108 sees the RSCM Summer School in Auckland, so please diary those dates and watch this newsletter for updates as they come to hand. Notes March 2017 Page 2
All the best for the Easter season Rachael Guyon Wells Members and friends of RSCM Waikato, along with a great many people involved in music in the Waikato and nationally, were saddened to learn of the recent death of Guyon Wells. His contribution to music has been outstanding; perhaps the most significant aspects being his foundation of the teaching of music at the Universty of Waikato and his direction of the Hamilton Civic Choir for some 26 years, during which the choir gained preeminent status nationally. His close friend and colleague of many decades standing, Bob Armstrong, writes of his involvement with RSCM: 1961 was a year of many things for Guyon Wells. He had recently arrived back home to New Zealand from England where his extensive post-graduate music studies included time at the headquarters of the Royal School of Church Music at Addington Palace, near London. His first New Zealand appointment was as Organist and Director of Music at St Peter s School, Cambridge. It was during this year that, amongst the many other activities involving his busy life, he founded the Waikato Branch of the RSCM. The Branch continued under his chairmanship for 25 years. During that time, it became pre-eminent among the other RSCM branches that had been established throughout New Zealand. Many were the festivals, services, sing-ins and other functions that he organised and ran, all for the betterment of Church Music in the Waikato Branch area. It was particularly fitting that, in the year that he retired as Branch Chairman, the RSCM New Zealand held its Summer School here in Hamilton. Dr Lionel Dakers, the Director of the Notes March 2017 Page 3
Royal School of Church Music, came out from the United Kingdom to take that Summer School. During the end-of-school dinner on the final night, the large gathering of school attendees, their partners, and many of Guyon s other Waikato friends were called to order by the evening s Master of Ceremonies. Guyon, and his wife Sonia were asked to come forward. All present were told of the 25 years service that Guyon had given to the RSCM by founding and then nurturing the Waikato Branch were to be marked by something very fitting. It was then announced very much to Guyon s surprise that a trust called the G R Wells RSCM Travelling Fellowship had been established in recognition of his sterling services. Adding to the splendour of the occasion was to have Dr Dakers act as the witness to Guyon s signature on the Trust Deed. (Members will have noted that, to personalise the Trust more, its name was changed in 2013 to the Guyon Wells RSCM Fellowship ). His retirement in 1986 from chairing the Branch did not diminish his interest in RSCM matters. To the contrary, he continued to be involved with many of the activities of the Branch and was a regular attendee at the Branch Annual General Meetings. His services to music in Hamilton, the greater Waikato, and indeed New Zealand were fittingly acknowledged at his Funeral Service at the Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter. Here, the music was led by a choir of over 55 singers, very many of whom were members and former members of the Waikato Branch of the Royal School of Church Music. It was indeed so appropriate that the choir was able to sing, a capella, both Psalm 121 and that fine Parry work My Soul to show its respect to Guyon Russell Wells. His name, and the boundless service that he gave to the Waikato Branch of the Royal School of Church Music, will continue to be recognised through the Guyon Wells RSCM Fellowship. Notes March 2017 Page 4
Patricia Raynor The branch was also saddened to hear of the death of Patricia Raynor. Patricia was the branch s contact with the Methodist Church in Tauranga for many years, from which she travelled every week to Hamilton to sing with the Civic Choir. RSCM Waikato Branch activities 2017 Your committee has identified the dates and venues for branch activities this year. We are trying to ensure that these events occur more widely within our region, in the hope that more people outside Hamilton will have the opportunity to take part. The first is the AGM, which will be held at 2.00p.m. on 6 th May. The business meeting will be preceded by an organ recital by Huw Morgan. Huw and Emma Morgan are visiting Hamilton, and have been valued members of the St Peter s Cathedral Choir since last year. Unfortunately, they will be returning to the UK not long after this meeting. Huw is a very accomplished organist and choir director. Music Sunday this year is the 18 th June. As in past years, we plan to celebrate this with an all-comers Choral Evensong. The Ven. Christine Scott, vicar of St Bride s Otorohanga, has invited us to her church for this service. We ll meet early in the afternoon to learn the music, and the service will follow. Details and times TBA. Our Choral Festival is scheduled for 30 th September from 1.00 to 5.30p.m. The venue will be the Wesley Methodist Church, 100 13 th Avenue, Tauranga. More details later in the year. This year, we are not organising our own Youth Festival. However, Tim Carpenter, a music teacher at St Paul s Notes March 2017 Page 5
Collegiate School in Hamilton, is planning to run a workshop for church school choirs on Mozart s Requiem. We ll keep you informed on developments and on RSCM involvement, if any turns out to be welcomed. Royal School of Church Music. Australasian Summer School, Aquinas College, Adelaide. 4th-11th January, 2017. David Brookes attended the school and has provided this report: Ninety enthusiastic church musicians attended the Summer School at Adelaide, including myself and eight other New Zealanders. This College has five-star accommodation, food, and facilities, including air-conditioning, much appreciated in temperatures reaching 40c. Malcolm Archer Director of Music at Winchester College, proved to be a wonderful musician in many ways. He conducted choral workshops for three to four hours each day; presented a wonderful organ recital one afternoon in the Wesley Uniting Church Kent Town (pictured left); tutored Conducting workshops which I and eight other people participated in; and conducted the choir for three inspiring services of worship. Malcolm also has a very amusing way of identifying errors in choral singing, with such suggestions to basses that more resonance is needed, I suggest you drink more beer tonight. Another comment to the altos was that you sound like a bee who is buzzing around a flower trying to find the centre. Notes March 2017 Page 6
During the week of the Summer School we had ten Anthems to rehearse, and a booklet of other music, most of which was used for the three church services. Some of this music was very difficult, and one in particular- J.S.Bach s Motet: Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Sung in German) required a lot of rehearsal to the stage that Malcolm remarked that this Motet is usually sung by a professional ensemble, and a small number of choristers. Personally, I would have preferred that the time used to prepare this work for one performance in a church service could have been used to study and rehearse new anthems for the average Parish Church choir, possibly with no tenor; and also new hymns and songs for congregational singing. During the week, there were numerous workshops available for selection, and I presented one titled Starting afresh, using the experience of a new church choir starting up last year in All Saints, Matamata. This workshop, and the repeat later in the week was attended by only a few people, but they showed great interest and enthusiasm in how our choir was formed, the choral services and concert we organised, and the music we used during the year. My invitation at the conclusion of the workshops for suggestions of activities and music for 2017 produced excellent suggestions, giving me some ideas to discus and plan for this year. The highlights of the week for me were the services of worship, all based on Kindle the flame of Pentecost, and held in Wesley Uniting Church Kent Town; Bethlehem Lutheran Church (both with wonderful pipe organs), and the concluding service in St Peter s Anglican Cathedral (pictured). During this concluding service in the Cathedral I had the privilege and honour to represent New Zealand by reading J.K. Baxter s Notes March 2017 Page 7
poem - Song to the Holy Spirit. Having met and talked with Baxter many years ago, and recently reading an article in a magazine about his commune in Jerusalem, I could put the appropriate expression and feeling into the wonderful words of the poem. We were given the option of wearing choir robes, or formal dress, and I took my robes from All Saints choir, and wore them for the final service in the Cathedral. The red cassock was very appropriate for the theme of the week and the service. As usual during these annual Summer Schools of church music there are opportunities to meet people from many places who participate or lead music in Cathedrals, parish churches, and small country churches of many denominations, this time from Australia and New Zealand. It was a great opportunity to not only make new friends, but to discuss how music is presented in churches, and the problems that arise. I was able to get some interesting ideas for different forms of worship and music in All Saints Matamata, using traditional and contemporary music and readings. The next RSCM Australasian Summer School will be held in Auckland, from 9 th -16 th January 2018, directed by Andrew Lumsden, Organist and Choirmaster at Winchester Cathedral, UK. Plans for the programme are already under way, with a trip to Waiheke Island planned one afternoon. Further details can be obtained by email: barriec@xtra.co.nz David Brookes. All Saints Church, Matamata.. Cantata Vespers at the Cathedral 18 th March: Telemann, Wandelt in der Liebe ( middle voice, flute, violin and continuo) 16 th April (NB Easter Sunday, not Holy Saturday/Easter Eve): Bach, Christ las in Todesbanden (soloists, chorus, Baroque orchestra) Notes March 2017 Page 8
20 th May, Rogation Sunday: Stötzel, Gelobet sei Gott. 17 th June: Schütz, Magnificat 15 th July: Bach, BWV 93 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten 19 th August: Graupner, Jesus Augen thränen voll Cantata vespers services all occur at 5.00p.m. at St Peter s Cathedral on the third Saturday of the month (except this April, see above). Since they are religious services, there is no admission charge, but there is a retiring collection towards the organ fund. Music resource Long-time readers of Notes will call the resource which Peter McMillan, formerly of Matamata, now living in Blenheim, has very generously prepared particularly for those churches which would like to include music in their services, but have no musicians. Recently he has added more hymns to this resource. A complete list of what is on the several DVDs in the set is available on the website at: http://rscmnz.org.nz/?p=40. If then you would like to order one or more of the DVDs, send the right number of blank DVDs to the Editor, RSCMNZ Waikato Branch, c/- St Peter s Cathedral, PO Box 338, Hamilton 3240, with an appropriately stamped package for return postage. Concert by Dr John Wells. All Saints Church, Matamata. Sunday 12 th March. A fantastic concert of a wide variety of music, presented by Dr John Wells was enjoyed by an enthusiastic and appreciative audience in All Saints church. This concert concluded a nine-day tour of the North Island, and was the fifth concert given by John Wells. It was an amazing experience to watch John perform and play on the Roland C-330 digital organ, and listen to the music presented with such a high degree of musicianship and skill. This was particularly evident in the nine variations on a theme by Paganini played by the feet on the pedals. Notes March 2017 Page 9
John s rendition of Cantilena by Josef Rheinberger, using a solo oboe on the organ was absolutely spellbinding. The programme concluded with a powerful rendition of The Dam Busters March. The audience requested an encore, and were delighted to hear John play Tchaikovsky s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, with an amazing selection of sounds, such as a xylophone, and orchestral accompaniment. The Roland organ, which is completely portable, and can be transport anywhere and be ready to play 45 minutes after unloading, is proof of the technological progress made in sound reproduction today. With such a small compact instrument and speakers, John could produce the sounds of such pipe organs as in the Auckland Town Hall to many people on his nine-day tour, including here in Matamata. We were indeed fortunate to be able to hear such a skilled musician play such a wonderful instrument. David Brookes. Notes March 2017 Page 10
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Passiontide and Easter services and music at the Cathedrals and Churches of our region Taranaki Interim Cathedral Thursday 13 th April - 7.30p.m. Maundy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper Music by Saint Saëns, Bruckner & Plainsong Friday 14 th April - 12.00 midday Good Friday Last Three Hours Liturgy Music by Purcell, Stainer & Plainsong Sunday 16 th April - 10.00a.m. Easter Day Choral Eucharist Music by Shephard & Guilmant Also on Easter Thursday 20 th April - 12.15p.m. Lunchtime Organ Recital Music by Archer, Bach, Guilmant, Nixon & Rawsthorne. St Peter s Cathedral, Hamilton Palm Sunday 9 th April: 9.45a.m. Liturgy of Palms, Stations of the Cross and Choral Eucharist. Tuesday of Holy Week: 12.00 midday Chrism Mass: Maundy Thursday: 8.00p.m. Commemoration of the Last Supper, Institution of the Eucharist, Foot-washing. Good Friday: 2.00p.m. The Last Hour on the Cross; 8.00p.m.Tenebrae Easter Day: 9.45a.m. Choral Eucharist; 5.00p.m. Cantata Vespers Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hamilton Tuesday of Holy Week 11 th April 7.00p.m. Chrism Mass Maundy Thursday 13 th April 7.00p.m. Holy Thursday Eucharist Good Friday 14 th April 3.00p.m. Good Friday Service Holy Saturday 15 th April 7.00p.m. Easter Vigil Easter Sunday Masses at 7.30a.m. 10.30a.m. and 6.00p.m. Notes March 2017 Page 12
For your diaries 6 th May: Branch AGM, 2.00p.m., St Peter s, Hamilton. 18 th June: Music Sunday. St Bride s, 54 Haerehuka Street, Otorohanga. 30 th September: RSCM Waikato Choral Festival, 1.00p.m.,Wesley Methodist Church, Tauranga. 9 th -16 th January 2018: RSCM Australasian Summer School, Auckland Editor s column It was really great to see on the RSCM website and in Curch Music Quarter that Rachael and Rhonda s huge contributions to the running of RSCM Waikato has been acknowledged by the RSCM internationally. Heartiest congratulations to them both. Many thanks yet again to Dave Brookes for his report on the Summer School, and to those who have sent information about services and concerts around our region. A few issues ago, I put in a brief book review in the hope that this might encourage others to let us know of books, performances, anything in fact, that might be of interest to readers. Contributions of any kind relating to church music not just in our region but globally would be most welcome. Deadline for material for the next issue: 30 th June 2017 Chairwoman Secretary Treasurer Editor NOTES OFFICERS Rachael Griffiths-Hughes, 70 Nixon St, Hamilton. waikatochair@rscmnz.org.nz Vaughan Chetwynd, 16E Titoki Drive, RD3, Hamilton. waikatosecretary@rscmnz.org.nz Virginia Gallagher, 6 Cambrae Road, Raglan. waikatotreasurer@rscmnz.org.nz Ray Harlow 24 Marama St, Hamilton 3204. editorwaikatonotes@rscmnz.org.nz 07 856 6365 07 829 5319 027 5657724 07 825 7443 021 02748951 Notes March 2017 Page 13
Chaplain Rev d Peter Lord Cowell, Sister Colleen Morey Paula Spiers Rhonda Gibbison David Brookes COMMITTEE 37C Clyde Street, Hamilton East 3216 moreycolleen260@yahoo.co.nz 142 Summerset Village, 206 Dixon Rd, Fitzroy, Hamilton 3206. paulaspiers@xtra.co.nz 166B Tramway Road, Hamilton. rhonda.gibbison@gmail.com 11 Sharp Place Matamata 3400. dave.brookes273@gmail.com RSCM (NZ) Website http://rscmnz.org.nz RSCM (England) Website http://www.rscm.com 07 856 6583 07 981 1460 07 855 7363 07 888 7005 021 0392 191 Notes March 2017 Page 14