Mustering the parish for a project.

[oopsorganist]

Is that the right word? Mustering? It doesn't look quite right.
Anyway, having let myself be convinced that we do indeed need to restore the organ and that this can be a focus of renewal and cohesion in our parish (and not setting fire to the organ and using the monies raised so far for the relief of the poor or whatever good deeds, which I think is a better idea) I am miffed, disappointed and probably a bit downright cross. Actually.

But I am trying not to be cross because there goes unreasoned debate eh? And in anycase, personally, I have only invested a little time and energy and some printing ink and paper and time and energy. My PP however is a bit more upset and that does make me cross.

Our primary school B of G's does not want to support our funding bid. There are conflicting interests going on. They have developed other loyalties in terms of funding projects. Especially musical ones.

It really is a shame.

Now I have to tackle the HT and see if I can limit the damage. Without being cross because there goes unreasoned debate. I suppose all I can say is that from where I stand and what I see, things look different to how they look from where other people stand and what they see.

[Mithras]

I'd be very interested to know what the musical priorities are which occupy your B of G, though I can guess. In my experience the schools attached to the parish are the least likely to support anything to do with organs, 4-part choirs, or indeed any music written prior to 1965, though such enthusiasm as may be evident generally ends with music written in about the mid 70s.

There is much work to be done, and believe me I've tried.

And so we have an emerging generation which havsnever sampled the great heritage of Christian music. Bach? That's what dogs do. Palestrina? Ah yes, that's some sort of pasta isn't it? I'll have mine with chips.

Yet when the little dears think they are old enough to get married, it's Waggoner's Walk on the way in and Wydor's Staccato on the way out, because they found it on YouTube - but that's often a compromise anyway, once they've been steered away from I Watch the Sunrise, Light up the Fire and Morning has Broken at 3 in the afternoon.

Next time round I'll ask to be a Buddhist. No music, no choirs, no cler- oops, sorry guys!

M

[JW]

Is your Primary School not part of your parish then? Isn't your PP one of the B 0 Gs? What are your foundation governors saying/doing about this?

[from the pews]

Our primary school B of G's does not want to support our funding bid.

I wondered what was meant by 'support' for the funding bid? I'm a secondary school teacher and we have a fantastic relationship with our local parish but, to the best of my knowledge, we've never fundraised as a school for them. Or did you mean a different kind of support?

[oopsorganist]

We were not asking for fund raising. I do not think that PP is on the BoG anymore - not sure about this but definitely remember some troubles a bit back around this. PP was at meeting trying to explain the creative and community aims of our organ funding bid - which we might be successful with anyway.

The Chair has kinder of school age who have joined a choir in a neighbouring parish - which does sing Bach and Palestrina - or whatever. For years I have begged this family to help with music but they were always too busy - like I am not, so that is OK. Ha ha. So it turns out that this family would like "better" music and are prepared to travel to hear it and happy for their children to take part. And so the BoG have passed a motion - now I think this is what has happened - a motion to the effect that any kind of fund raising should be for this other parish and choir and that since there is limited funding etc available, this particular venture should have priority because it aims to help poor children.

So a big thumbs down for all my efforts over the years!

[oopsorganist]

and I meant to write unsuccessful not successful - OOPS!

[oopsorganist]

We have been advised ( paid for this) that if we -
develop and widen the project and /or
revive the musical traditions of yester year

that our application for any kind of funding will be more likely to succeed.

Reviving tradition is about cultural interests. It feels a bit like, as if, Catholic ritual could be viewed as well, cultural activities and this idea does seem to knock around. A bit like we have to cherish the morris dance or we will lose this tradition. Just the way it feels. In our area, we already have Council that views religious bookings in public buildings as business bookings. But that is not what we wish to go for.

If we are to preserve the organ as a historic instrument and treasure of the church it has to be doing its function - supporting singing.

We're not the old curiousity shop.