CHURCH MUSIC QUARTERLY SEPTEMBER 2020 APART AND TOGETHER Tradition, Quality, Innovation, Style. We offer four brands of organ each with their own identity, sounds, appearance, technology and style. All our brands share valuable characteristics such as technological innovation and the best sound quality, which is never a compromise. All provide the player with a unique playing experience. A great heritage and tradition are our starting points; innovation creates the organ of your dreams. Makin | Copeman Hart | Johannus | Rodgers www. .co.uk For more details and brochures please telephone 01706 888100 CONTENTS 5 WELCOME 33 CONGRATULATIONS Members’ successes and RSCM awards 6 IN ACTION A look at the RSCM’s virtual events and webinars during lockdown 34 SOLITARY KARAOKE 12 Jonathan Robinson considers the lessons we can learn from singing 8 WHAT’S ON in virtual choirs. Highlights of RSCM events across the UK, September 2020 to January 2021 36 FRIENDS OF THE RSCM How your generosity can 12 HYMNS AND help support the RSCM NATURAL DISASTERS Professor Richard Watson reflects on how hymn writers have responded 38 KEEPING YOUR to natural catastrophes over VOICE IN SHAPE the centuries. DURING LOCKDOWN 18 Hilary Llystyn Jones offers some useful advice for those singing 18 FROM THE DIRECTOR in cyberspace. Hugh Morris on digital innovation 42 OBITUARIES 20 SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL Sal McDougall, the RSCM’s new 42 CLASSIFIED ADS Deputy Director of Education and Mission Delivery, introduces herself. 44 HYMN MEDITATION Gordon Giles looks at ‘Sweet 22 RSCM NEWS Sacrament divine’. 27 News and reports across the RSCM’s international network 47 READERS’ LETTERS 27 UNRELIABLE FRIENDS Professor Martin Ashley explores the 48 SINGING FOR PEACE science behind the ban on choir and IN THE HOLY LAND congregational singing in church. Geoff Weaver recalls time spent among Palestinian Christians. 32 STAFF PROFILE Interviews with members of the 51 REVIEWS RSCM team CMQ evaluates the latest church 38 music books and CDs. 48 ORGAN BURSARIES The Nancy and Sidney Hibbs Organ Accessible Choral Music for Scholarship Fund is available to offer bursaries to assist with tuition fees of organists-in-training who Parish Choirs are learning to accompany Prayer Book services. It is a requirement that at least some of the services at which the student will play are BCP services; and also that the by Ian Hubbard applicant’s tutor is sympathetic towards and knowledgeable about BCP services and the requirements upon organists who accompany them. BROWSE - PREVIEW - AUDIO SAMPLE - Anyone wishing to apply for a grant from the scheme is invited to ORDER - DOWNLOAD contact the Prayer Book Society on 0118 984 2582 or pbs.admin@ pbs.org.uk www.banksmusicpublications.co.uk/ For information about The Prayer Book Society or to join please ring the above number or go to www.pbs.org.uk publishers/ian-hubbard-titles Registered Charity No. 1099295 and Co Limited by Guarantee No. 4786973 THE OUSELEY To advertise in the next issue of CHURCH MUSIC TRUST A Registered Charity has supported the Anglican choral tradition for over 20 years by making grants totalling more than £2½ million to churches and choral foundations. either on page or loose insert We help with school fees where a child is singing on contact Stephen Dutton via a regular basis in a cathedral choir. Please see our website at 020 7776 1011 or [email protected] www.ouseleytrust.org.uk WELCOME THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF CHURCH MUSIC According to the Big Choral Census, there are more than 40,000 choirs in the UK comprising Registered Charity No. 312828 more than two million people who sing regularly. All of those choirs, both secular and sacred, Company Registration No. 00250031 have been silenced. 19 The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EB Virtual services have allowed church musicians to keep in touch with friends and to retain www.rscm.org.uk some sense of togetherness, but for many there remains a profound sense of isolation and of Director: Hugh Morris lost companionship. People who have sung together for decades now find themselves singing Deputy Director (Operations alone to a computer screen. Jonathan Robinson describes this phenomenon as ‘solitary & Finance): Stephen Mansfield Deputy Director (Education and karaoke’, and on pp.33–34 he asks what lessons we can learn from our singing in isolation. Mission Delivery): Sal McDougall As he points out, the present situation reminds us how much our worship is enhanced by Head of Publishing: Tim Ruffer gathering together in song. EDITOR The official advice regarding who can and cannot sing in church and under what Stefan Putigny circumstances has drawn much criticism. Under current guidance, no group singing should take place when worshippers are present; small groups of professional singers may sing GENERAL ENQUIRIES T +44 (0)1722 424848 outdoors, for example in a churchyard; while inside churches, where essential to an act of F +44 (0)1722 424849 worship, one individual can sing or chant, ideally standing behind a plexiglass screen. In E [email protected] addition, groups of professional singers may rehearse and record in churches for broadcast. MUSIC DIRECT But what justifies such rules and distinctions? When it comes to the science behind the ban, T +44 (0)845 021 7726 the landscape appears foggy. In ‘Unreliable friends’ (pp.27–31), Professor Martin Ashley lays F +44 (0)845 021 8826 out the evidence used to rationalize the rulings and explains some of the gaps in our under- E [email protected] standing. Does singing pose a greater health risk than speaking loudly? Are amateur singers EDUCATION AND COURSES more effective spreaders of the virus than professionals? And do sopranos pose more of a T +44 (0)1722 424843 threat than tenors? These are just some of the questions still unanswered and, as Ashley E [email protected] explains, more research is needed before the government will revise its advice. ACCOUNTS In the meantime, singers, much like athletes, need to keep in shape. On pages 38–41, Hilary T +44 (0)1722 424842 Llystyn Jones suggests some exercises to keep your voice healthy. She also signposts some E [email protected] of the pitfalls to avoid when singing in cyberspace. For more exercises, readers can visit the VOLUNTARY NETWORKS RSCM’s webshop (rscmshop.com) where a series of six vocal-coaching sessions are available T +44 (0)1722 424848 to purchase. E [email protected] We begin, however, with ‘In Action’, which this quarter focuses on the RSCM’s popular RSCM MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES UK and well-received virtual services and webinars that have been running since March. (INCL. IRELAND) T +44 (0)1722 424848 E [email protected] www.rscm.org.uk/get-involved/ Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and USA: STEFAN PUTIGNY Contact your local branch for details Other countries: See website for details www.rscm.org.uk/get-involved/ CONTRIBUTORS CMQ SEPTEMBER 2020 MARTIN ASHLEY worked in JONATHAN ROBINSON is Front cover photo: Nidaros Cathedral a variety of school and university a former resident musician of Iona Boys’ Choir. Reproduced by kind settings before retiring in 2013. He Abbey and spent 11 years as full-time permission. Nidarosdomens Guttekor has specialized in the adolescent male director of music at All Saints, & BERRE Kommunikasjon. voice and prior to Covid-19 was Lindfield. A graduate of the Theology, Design and origination by Smith & Gilmour working on the consequences of Music and Worship degree course Printed by Stephens & George Ltd earlier voice change for boys’ musical at London School of Theology, he is Views expressed in signed articles, letters maturity in mixed gender choral settings. As presently working in the Education Department at the and advertisements are not necessarily editor-in-chief of the Association of British Choral RSCM. He enjoys planning creative and alternative Directors’ journal he assembled a team of virologists worship with music from different traditions. those of the editor, publisher or staff. and public health professionals to produce a rapid Articles, letters, classified advertisements response review of choral singing and Covid-19. J.R. WATSON is Emeritus Professor of English, and members’ news for the December 2020 University of Durham. He is a Fellow of the RSCM. issue by 1 October 2020 to: GORDON GILES is Canon In retirement he is working at what has been described Magazines Editor, RSCM, Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral. He as ‘the impossible task’: co-editing The Canterbury 19 The Close, has written various books on church Dictionary of Hymnology, intended as a replacement Salisbury SP1 2EB music and hymnody published by BRF for John Julian’s Dictionary of Hymnology (1892, 1907). and SPCK and was on the editorial T +44 (0)1722 424845 team of the new Ancient & Modern GEOFF WEAVER has taught music E [email protected] and the Revised English Hymnal. in Hong Kong (as a mission partner Review materials to: with the Church Mission Society), the Reviews Editor, Ashleigh House, HILARY LLYSTYN JONES is directed music at Bradford Cathedral, Cirencester Road, Minchinhampton, well known for training many cathedral lectured at the Selly Oak Colleges in Stroud GL6 9EL choristers in England, Europe and Birmingham, oversaw the RSCM’s T +44 (0)7879 406048 America, and is the only person to educational work as Director of E [email protected] do such work on such a vast scale. She Studies, directed music for two Lambeth conferences, was awarded an ARSCM in 2002 and and taught and conducted in many countries. Display advertising copy/enquiries to: HonGCM in 2006 for her contribution He continues to direct three choirs in the Midlands, Stephen Dutton, Church Times, to music and worship in the church. and to be in demand as a composer and arranger.