SOUNDBOARD A Newsletter for Church Musicians Number 13 October 2006 Editorial Comment WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE? This issue contains quite a mix of articles, from serious 1. Editorial Comment musical ones to certainly one very light-hearted items that 2. Talking to David Adams, Professor of Organ, should make you smile. Do read and enjoy it! In fact, read RIAM the entire issue and let us know what parts were of greatest interest and which the least. Feedback is always 3. Music at Castleknock & Clonsilla appreciated. Raymond Russell writes One article in that highlights a matter of particular interest 4. The Priory Singers This Belfast-based choir is Promoting Young People's Participation in Congregational has launched new CDs Singing. Do read this if you are concerned about the issue— as all of us should be, and do down-load and read the entire 5. Worth a Guinea a Box This article should document. There are a lot of hard facts that we must act on. make you smile Has any reader tried out a solution to this problem or has any 6. Music in Worship Alan McCormack describes thoughts about it. In my own church, while I have given a list an approach where resources are limited of suitable hymns for children to the Sunday School teachers, the hymns that the children perform at the Family 7. Music Software Programs Peter Parshall Service are mainly the ditties that Ms Hannon writes about— describes several music software programs ditties that are unlikely to stand the test of time. So, let us 8. Blogs and Wikis James Pasley writes about have your ideas please! the CMC web site Encouraged by the success of the Living Worship course in 9. Promoting Young People’s Participation in music, liturgy and worship earlier this year, the Diocesan Congregational Singing This should be Church Music Committee will run a similar course on four Saturday mornings during January and February 2007. something of concern at the moment Designed to help (in particular) in-post musicians, singers, 10. Notes & News lay readers, clergy, these four Saturday morning seminars will offer a mix of theory and practice, including lots of The Church Music Committee supports and singing. The principles of Christian worship and the resources music and musicians in the local church. structure of the Eucharist and other services will be looked The Committee is appointed by the Church of at again, with a particular focus on a specific season of the Ireland Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. Church's year. The use of space when presenting the Chairman: Archdeacon Edgar Swann liturgy will be explored and the final session will be held in a church that has remodelled its interior to reflect Secretary: Mrs Ruth Maybury contemporary insights into worship. You will find the www.churchmusicdublin.org details on the advertisement on page 8. My most-used books of voluntaries SOUNDBOARD is published by the Church Music Committee. Views What “new” hymns have already become expressed in signed articles and letters are favourites in your church? (Howth: ......) not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Committee. Annual Subscription: 15 / £11 Editor: Randal Henly, Some of the students who attended the reception held on 13 September to launch the 2006 Archbishop’s Certificate Course. Back row: Committee Chairman Archdeacon Edgar Swann, Valerie Twoney, Breffni O'Byrne, Ruth Clinton, Kate O'Neill, Rachel O'Byrne, Front row: Heather Taylor, Paul Mullen, Lana Sokyrba (Photo: Garrett Casey) being asked to do things because I 2 Talking to David Adams could sight read. I worked with Professor of Organ, RIAM, and Organist, Taney Parish Church- Ensemble Recherché in Freiburg, Interviewed by Peter Barley and a few composers wrote pieces for me. When I came back to Dublin, in 1997 I had the idea that I would David, perhaps I could the voluntary caused the start up a cross-over ensemble, that start by asking you what hymn book to fall down would specialize in early and con- prompted you to start out across all four manuals, temporary music, but at that very in music and take up the with the full registration time Crash Ensemble was starting organ? I began my already drawn for my up, so they approached me to be musical training as a voluntary! their main keyboard player. I have chorister at St Patrick's now been with them for almost ten In what ways do you Cathedral. My uncle Billy years. think the whole business Boucher and my cousins of being a chorister Eric and Peter Sweeney How did your experience in influenced your later had all been choristers at Amsterdam compare to that in development? You must St Patrick's, and Freiburg? have decided at some subsequently all became It was mixed. Piet Kee, with whom I stage that you wanted to make a go organists. was supposed to be studying was of music? frustratingly elusive, although a So I suppose it was in some ways Because of the St Patrick's training I great player. When he broke his leg inevitable that you found yourself in was ahead of my contemporaries in in my second year Ewald Koimann the environs of the cathedral? some ways, so music was a subject was appointed as his substitute, and Yes, my choice was made for me at which I particularly excelled. The he is an excellent teacher. almost! I was programmed as an other thing that I gained from being I suppose it's the case that it isn't organist! a chorister was the ability to sight read, and I was handy enough to be always the greatest performers that You clearly come from a very musical asked to accompany other people, make the best teachers, and I'm sure family, so I'm sure they encouraged singers and instrumentalists. In you bear these experiences in mind you during your time as a chorister, 1978 I went to Trinity College as now with your own teaching. too. What would be your strongest Organ Scholar. There was a Director The most important thing is that a memories of those times? of Chapel Music, but he only lasted teacher has an open mind, and is Mr Sydney Greig was the Organist in for my first term, and then I was on not afraid to give his or her own those days, and Eric Sweeney was my own, although I later had some opinion. It's also important that the his Assistant. I remember freezing assistance. lessons are regular and that you set cold winter days, with those robes your students goals. that were very ineffective. The So I suppose it was a question of You have recently moved from DIT cathedral wasn't heated during the picking up things as you went along Conservatory of Music and Drama to week at that time. We had a lot in much the same way as you had as the RIAM. Tell me about your more to do in those days - the boys a young boy playing the organ at St experiences of music education in still sang on Saturdays, so it was a Patrick's? Dublin, and how things have full programme. Yes, there weren't the courses and opportunities to learn then that changed. I was about ten years old when I there are now. When I was a music student, there started to have organ lessons, and were very few places where you immediately Mr Greig made me play That's interesting, we'll return to that could study music full time at for Matins on a Saturday morning later. So after Trinity, were you tertiary level and very few people which was horrendous, because I exploring various different options, or took it as an option. There is a huge didn't have a clue what I was doing! was it fairly clear cut what you were choice now and a big intake. When I He didn't let me practise in advance going to do? was a student, you could be fairly on the organ—that was forbidden. I At one stage, I thought I might go sure that you were going to be don't know why he was so strict into piano accompanying, but it making music your career, and that about this, but it meant that I made became obvious that I should the people around you were very a bit of a mess of things until I concentrate on the organ more, and keen to do that—we fed off one began to get the hang of it all. I I won a scholarship to study in another. Now things are less certain remember sitting there sweating my Freiburg with Ludwig Doerr. He had for some people, it's a very different way through it, although there was just been a juror in the Dublin dynamic. Not all students will hardly anyone in the congregation Organ Competition. He had a system necessarily pursue it professionally. except perhaps one of my parents, that you couldn't bring the same Thinking of music students hoping to and Mr Greig sitting at the back. piece two weeks running, so it had to be a new piece every week! He enter the profession, you would So he was just listening, he was not made out a repertoire list for the presumably encourage conducting? year—his main interests were Reger, Yes, there are actually many more He hardly ever conducted the choir. Cesar Franck and J.S. Bach. opportunities—it's the norm now, Just in his last couple of years he but even during their undergraduate started conducting some un- At what stage did you begin to years they are much more mobile accompanied pieces.