Planning versus pragmatic solutions...

[oopsorganist]

A happy joyous Easter to all.

I have been living hand to mouth during this week, partly because the school holidays have moved and caught me out, and partly due to parish conditions - no choir and no music group, but a great lot of really good singers. Ah ha. Ta Lord.
What has struck me most about this not quite being planned in time but being ready for plan a and plan b and plan......
is that quite often I plan, and then arrive and suddenly know I have got it wrong.
This is often because I am looking for certain individuals who will lead or deliver what I have planned. If they are not there, it is often a good thing to abandon plan a because it will fall flat on its nose.

I do plan very very very long term. I am planning to introduce a sung Taize (beautifully sung at summer school once) and I know they know it because I have played it during many many communions.... but I either need a good strong singer who also knows it or, I need an opportunity to sing it myself.... these are few and far between. I chip on always.

But there are so many days when I am caught out by how many people are there and how many of them I do not know or the other situation is, in this group, there are many good singers who would respond better to x than y.
Does anyone have a method to deal with this?

[Nick Baty]

Dear Oops,
From what you say, I'm not 100% certain who you are planning for.
So forgive me if I'm misinterpreting this, but might it be easiest if you planned for the principle singers – the assembly.
They're always there.
Yes, it will knock out some of the repertoire – but there's so much to choose from I'm sure you will be able to find the right things for your folk.
Wishing you a happy, holy and peaceful Easter.
N