Post of Director of Organ School and Organ, Diocese of Leeds

[oopsorganist]

SC the monies available were being used for music sessions in all schools. And I guess, for extended services after school music activities. Like the Gospel choir in Leeds 11. Schools could have a music teacher for half or one day a week, or for a big sing, or for violin, guitar and keyboard tuition in a small group. That sort of thing. Most school had a visiting peripatetic pianist - our primary school certainly did, and some schools choose a music teacher instead of a pianist. Every school in Leeds certainly, took part in a Christmas Carol concert sending choir children to rehearsals and performance at the Town Hall.

At my kiddlies school, free flute lessons were offered. These were at the nearest high school - which was suffering from admissions failure in that most children from our primary school did not want to go there and this was a clever move to try to get them in the door before the age of 11. It was clever then and that is some years ago.

So in fact, the Diocese has annexed the music services that were already available. The difference is that they send in a Diocesan controlled person rather that a local authority controlled person. And I am sure they are very good and lots of fun.

The clever bit here, is that they can then feed kids into the Cathedral choirs. Which means that some parishes lose their musically inclined families to the cathedral. And Mass attendance in the diocese is falling - from 35,700 in 2007 to 31,014 in 2013.

[oopsorganist]

Ouch

as far back as the reports go, 37,200 in 2005 (38,000 in 2006) to 31,014 in 2013.

The fastest dip was between 2009 and 2010.

Ouch