CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY SEPTEMBER 2019 UNITY THROUGH PRAYER CONTENTS 5 EDITORIAL 40 HYMN MEDITATION Gordon Giles discusses For all the saints who from their labours rest. 6 IN ACTION A look at Music Sunday celebrations across the world 43 NEWS FROM 6 PUBLISHING Information about the forthcoming 8 WHAT’S ON publication Light on the Way, by Highlights of RSCM events Timothy Dudley-Smith. across the UK, September 2019 to January 2020. 44 SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW 14 STRIVING FOR A A look at an evangelical and GERMAN HYMN BOOK a BCP congregation rubbing Gunter Kennel looks at the long- shoulders in London. standing efforts to create a German national hymn book. 47 ANNIVERSARIES 14 The anniversaries of notable 20 HEAD REGISTER church musicians and composers AND DESCANTS FOR coming up in 2020. SOPRANOS AND TREBLES Adrian Lucas offers advice on 48 EVERYTHING teaching higher voices how to HOLDS TOGETHER discover and use head register. A look at a new song commissioned for Creationtide. 24 FROM THE DIRECTOR Hugh Morris talks about not shying 50 READERS’ LETTERS away from innovation. 20 51 HELP WHERE AND 25 RSCM NEWS WHEN IT’S NEEDED News and reports from across the David Duvall talks about local RSCM’s international network. support networks in Wessex. 30 BRANCHING OUT 52 CLASSIFIED ADS Janice Eichner provides an account of the RSCM America National Choir. 53 PUZZLES 33 LOOKING TO THE 54 THE MUSIC AND THE FUTURE CAMARADERIE 24 Hannah Gill writes about church A look behind the scenes at the musicians and the gig economy. Three Choirs Festival. 36 CONGRATULATIONS 57 OBITUARIES Members’ successes and RSCM awards. 30 EDITORIAL Autumn is upon us. Season of mists and of Area festivals. some German hymns and hymn books played in maintaining Take a look at this quarter’s What’s On (or visit www.rscm. a common Christian culture across the geographical and org.uk) to see if there is an event taking place near you. political divide between East and West in the decades They’re wonderful opportunities to meet like-minded following the creation of the Berlin Wall. Even those people from your Area, so why not go along? interested in German history and hymnody may not realize On 16 June, RSCM churches around the world took part that the struggle to create a single, national book of hymns in Music Sunday 2019. We are grateful to the many active has been going on for centuries. Perhaps, as Dr Kennel RSCM members and affiliates who sent us accounts of their suggests, 21st-century digitization will provide a solution. events, and regret that we have space to reproduce only a Also in this issue: a look behind the scenes of the Three small number of them in this quarter’s In Touch. Nonetheless, Choirs Festival; the creation of a North American RSCM we hope the reports presented give you some flavour of what choir; a tale of evangelical and BCP services meeting in the went on across the world and perhaps provide you with Square Mile; and an entertaining and informative article on inspiration for your own Music Sunday events in 2020. teaching head register and descants to sopranos and trebles Moving on to more historic matters, on 9 November – it seems that financial bribery, relaxation and ‘keeping it 2019 it will be 30 years since the Mauerspechte, or wall steamy’ are the answers! woodpeckers, began their joyful demolition of the Berlin Wall. In this quarter’s feature article, ‘Striving for a German hymn book’, Professor Gunter Kennel considers the role that CONTRIBUTORS Photograph by by Photograph Mena Alfredo Roderic Dunnett has written for publications Hannah Gill is a graduate of the Guildhall School of RSCM Staff contributors: including The Independent, the FT, Opera Music & Drama. Based in St Albans, she is active as Adrian Lucas, Head of Choral Studies Magazine, and Classical Music Daily. He was Arts choral conductor and organist, and teaches at Dame Hugh Morris, Director Critic of the New Statesman, has presented for BBC Alice Owen’s School. Hannah is an Associate of Tim Ruffer, Head of Publishing Radio 3 and is currently principal music reviewer for the Royal College of Organists. the Church Times. Gunter Kennel is Landeskirchenmusikdirektor (head David Duvall is chairman of RSCM Wessex Area. of sacred music) for the Protestant Landeskirche He was director of music at St Andrew, Sonning- (diocese) of Berlin and Brandenburg, as well as on-Thames and ETO of RSCM Berkshire Area. organist of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche in Are you receiving all of your membership He is now organist of two rural churches. Berlin. In 2011 was appointed honorary professor for benefits? We rely on our members to keep sacred music at the Humboldt-Universität, Berlin us up to date with their contact information. Janice Eichner is communications coordinator for where he teaches in the faculty of theology. If you’re not sure if your information is current, the RSCM America National Choir. Formerly an please check the details on your membership editor and corporate communicator at Canada’s Eirene Palmer is a published writer and is currently renewal forms (issued to the registered Billing largest bank, she studied voice at the Royal undertaking an MA in Creative Writing at Derby Contacts for the Affiliate and Affiliate Plus Conservatory, Toronto and sang tenor in church and University. She is a member of Derby Cathedral memberships), or contact the Membership Dept community choirs and the vocal group The Canadian where she co-leads Café Writers and sings in the on 01722 424841 or [email protected]. Singers. Cathedral Voluntary Choir. Gordon Giles is Vicar of St Mary Magdalene, Enfield David Shreeve is the Environmental Adviser to CORRECTION and Director of Post-Ordination Training for the the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. The photograph of New Zealand Prime Minister Edmonton area of the Diocese of London. He has He holds a Lambeth Degree and is a founding Jacinda Ardern that appeared in the June issue written many books on church music and hymnody, director of The Conservation Foundation. (p. 29) should have been accompanied by an and was one of the editorial team for the new acknowledgement of copyright ownership. Ancient & Modern. Charlie Skrine is currently associate rector at The photograph, taken by David Walker, is St Helen, Bishopgate, Area Director of Ordinands copyright the news agency Stuff/The Press. for the Two Cities Area and priest in charge of All rights reserved. St Michael, Cornhill. 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I was no mountain high enough, which was to be included comfortable with the evensong part, but jazz? I have in the service as the anthem. Alexander urged us to always found jazz baffling. I never know where it’s concentrate on communicating the notes on the going, and end up in a cul-de-sac without any satnav page to the congregation. We were told to think of to help me find my way out. But ever one for a ourselves as orators sharing a message with someone challenge, I was prepared to be educated and inspired, else, communicating words that happened to have and inspired and educated I was! Alexander a tune attached. And it worked. It gave us the L’Estrange led a two-hour workshop in preparation confidence to take our noses out of the copies for the evening service with panache, ability and and trust ourselves to the harmonies. enthusiasm. Indeed, by the time we were ready for the Next, we rehearsed Alexander’s composition service, I’d forgotten I didn’t know much about jazz Service with a Smile, comprising the canticles of and was doing it anyway.