Hatch, match and despatch – Music survey goes online; Abuse in UK music schools: More than 1,000 musicians call for inquiry; Benjamin Britten at St Patrick’s; Enniskillen Cathedral Convert; BBC Easter; Vacancy – Marlborough College; Releases
Hatch, match and despatch – Music survey goes online
The Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) has launched an online survey to gauge the different styles and range of music used in weddings, funerals and other special services held in churches.
The results will be published at a conference entitled Church Music: Sound Ministry on 20 April at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), who are partners with the RSCM in a Foundation Degree in Church Music.
The chances are that if you attend a special church service such as a wedding, you are as likely to hear music from Emeli Sandé or Robbie Williams as the familiar organ pieces by Wagner, Mendelssohn or Widor. The survey on the RSCM’s website www.rscm.com/survey attempts to gauge the extent of the musical change over the past decade or so.
The results will help to inform the Church Music: Sound Ministry? conference on the subject on Saturday 20 April 2013. “There is no doubt that churches have had to respond to the wishes of their communities who come to church for key services such as hatches, matches and dispatches,” says Chris Price, co-organiser of the conference at CCCU in collaboration with the RSCM. “Many organists for example, find that they are often required to press a ‘start’ button on a CD machine as well as play an instrument of some kind. That has enormous implications for the complexion and content of services such as funerals and weddings.”
The keynote speaker at the conference event will be the Revd Canon Peter Moger, Precentor of York Minster. In his former role as National Worship Development Officer for the Church of England, he produced liturgical resources for many public and family occasions. “There is no doubt that occasional and special services have a crucial part to play in the Church’s mission,” says Peter. “They challenge us to make connections through worship with many who normally never set foot inside a church.”
Further information about the conference on Saturday 20 April 2013 may be found here http://www.rscm.com/education/soundministry.php. The cost of the conference is £25 (including all sessions, refreshments and buffet lunch), and students may attend without charge. To register for the conference, contact Concha Hyde at the Department of Music, Canterbury Christ Church University, on +44 (0)1227 782579 or concha.hyde@canterbury.ac.uk
Abuse in UK music schools – More than 1,000 musicians call for inquiry
Classical Music reports that – A petition calling for an inquiry into the historic and current culture at UK music schools and conservatoires has closed with more than 1,000 signatories and will be sent to the secretaries of state at the departments of education, culture and the Home Office, their opposition shadows, and all heads of British specialist music schools and conservatoires.
The petition’s primary organiser, Ian Pace, has called for specialist music education institutions to support an independent inquiry ‘if only for the sake of taking some responsibility for so many ruined lives’.
Speaking to CM, he said that ‘if the schools are so confident that things are fine now, then I think they should want to cooperate fully with this sort of inquiry’.
Asked whether it was possible to be sure that a culture of abuse “of the sort which saw Michael Brewer, former head of music at Chetham’s school of music, convicted earlier this month” had been eradicated from today’s music schools, he said he was prepared to believe it had been.
However, he said: ‘They should not have anything to hide and so can be transparent about things now ‒ and it would strengthen all of them to address what went wrong in the past.
‘Any of these institutions will take credit for whoever has gone on to do great things. I think that if they do that, they also have some responsibility for other people whose lives have gone very badly wrong in ways that may be related to the school.’
Pace said that such an inquiry ‘should have the power to call senior and not-so senior staff’.
‘If so much was going on, in lots of schools” and lots of the accounts at least allege that there were processes of cover-up and collusion at the schools ‘then this needs to be addressed. This is important not least in order to be sure that this is not something endemic in the way that such institutions work.’
Benjamin Britten at St Patrick’s
2013 marks the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britt
en. Throughout the year St Patrick’s Cathedral Choir will be performing many of his works.
Britten was born in Lowestoft in 1913. His mother, a keen amateur
singer, was thrilled that her youngest was born on 22 November: the feast day of St Cecilia, the patron saint of music. She hoped he would – after Bach, Beethoven and Brahms – become the ‘Fourth B’. He did indeed become a global musical figure. In just 63 busy years Britten wrote some of the most appealing classical music of the twentieth century, was hailed as one of the all-time great opera composers, and – with his partner, the singer Peter Pears – performed around the world. The Cathedral choir will
be marking this great composer’s centenary with performances of many of his compositions throughout 2013.
Sunday 10th March 2013 at 11.15
BRITTEN Festal Te Deum in E
Sung by the Cathedral Choir (Boys’ & Men’s voices)
Sunday 10th March 2013 at 15.15
BRITTEN A Hymn to the Virgin
Sung by the Cathedral Choir (Boys’ & Men’s voices)
Sunday 31st March 2013 at 15.15
BRITTEN Festal Te Deum in E
Sung by the Cathedral Choir (Boys’ & Men’s voices)
Sunday 7th April 2013 at 15.15
BRITTEN Rejoice in the Lamb
Sung by the The Close Chorale
Sunday 12th May 2013 at 11.15
BRITTEN Te Deum & Jubilate in C
Sung by the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union
Saturday 8th June 2013 at 13.15
BRITTEN Missa Brevis in D, Friday Afternoons (op.7)
Enniskillen Cathedral Convert
Fermanagh Choral Society present Ecce Cor Meum by Paul McCartney and Vivaldi’s Gloria in St Macartin’s Cathedral, Enniskillen on Palm Sunday, 24th March 2013, at 7.30pm.
The conductor will be Donald Swain, Organist William McBride, Soloists Julia Frazer and Lauren Coulter, and Accompanist Matthew Murphy. Tickets are £5 and are available at the door.
BBC Easter
On Good Friday evening, BBC Radio 2 broadcasts Handel’s Messiah, with the Bach Choir and the BBC Concert Orchestra.
In addition, BBC Radio 3 will broadcast Choral Evensong live from Manchester Cathedral on Easter Sunday.
Vacancy
MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE
Position: Choirmaster/Academic Music Teacher
Location: Wiltshire
An outstanding Choirmaster/Academic Music Teacher is sought for August 2013 to join Marlborough’s renowned and vibrant Music Department.
This exciting and demanding position will include directing and inspiring the College’s Chapel and Chamber Choirs, alongside the teaching of academic music up to A level standard (and ideally IB).
A well-qualified graduate with a passion for music, the ideal candidate would also be an organist with pianistic and IT skills.
A commitment to promoting music learning across the wider curriculum and whole school is essential, and preference will be given to applicants who can evidence innovation in teaching and learning.
Marlborough College, a leading co-educational boarding school for pupils between the ages of 13 and 18, is renowned for the breadth and quality of opportunity afforded to our pupils. You will, therefore, need to demonstrate the intellectual rigour, emotional resilience and energy required to balance teaching commitments with an enthusiastic involvement across the pastoral and co-curricular life of the school community.
If your application is successful, benefits include a generous remuneration package, accommodation, support for continuing development and membership of a vibrant Common Room.
You will also enjoy living and working in this area of stunning natural beauty and historical significance.
Discover more about Marlborough College and the role of a music teacher by visiting our website at www.marlboroughcollege.org. Application forms can be obtained by using this link: http://www.marlboroughcollege.org/vacancies/teaching-vacancies/choirmaster-academic-music-teacher/
Completed applications, CV and covering letter should be emailed to msec2@marlboroughcollege.org
RELEASES
New music video from Andy Flannagan
Singer-songwriter Andy Flannagan has created a new video single starring hundreds of Londoners and tourists in the capital.
The video is for new single “The Reason” taken from the album Drowning in the Shallow. The single reached No3 on the Cross Rhythms chart this week.
For the video, Andy and his team took to the streets of London to ask people what they think the reason for their being is.
Some of the answers are light-hearted, such as to love boys, party and bake cupcakes.
The more thoughtful suggestions include “love and service” and “God”.
The answer of more than one honest passer-by answer is: “I don’t know.”
Another asks: “Would someone tell me!!!”
Andy is hoping the video will be used as a discussion starter in small groups or on Facebook postings to encourage people to think about the deeper things of life.
Sixth album release from Plumb
Singer-songwriter Plumb has released her new album, Need You Now.
The album features 13 songs about struggle, loss and restoration.
It’s her sixth album release and the first after several years away from the music scene to spend more time with her family.
The title track, “Need You Now (How Many Times)” spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Christian CHR chart.
“I Want You Here” went to No 1 on the iTunes Christian chart and “Need You Now” reached No 3.