Society of Saint Gregory

This group began less than a month ago, set up by Andrew Butler of Tenterden, Kent. It does seem to have a slightly different flavour from the SSG forum. One reason for that could be that the group appears to include a significant proportion of organists who are not Catholic but who are playing in C...

It was good to find the cctv inside the cathedral operating after several years of decline - but the locally vaunted new live diocesan YouTube broadcast failed after about 30 minutes. However, you can view a recording of the entire celebration at https://youtu.be/RWN_MG3nCVk Yes, the failure of the...

I'm having a go at learning to play the Gloria from the Psallite Mass, as I know it from the Cathedral and like it. (and on a separate point, looking at introducing it at my local parish church, to replace the Salazar setting we currently use.) Can I ask if I am playing the right chords here, in re...

The key thing to take away from organist 's comment is The Southwark Catholic Youth service team work really hard to animate these Masses, but I think it can be honestly said that they have a different agenda to what is being sung in many parishes and at diocesan events. That is probably very true, ...

I've heard the folksy version of it, but at both this church and at Salford we have sung it at a much slower pace, and it is better for it IMO. Here's a nice version of it; the same arrangement (and about the same tempo, I think!) that we sang in Salford. Yes, this tempo is good. The versions I hav...

Have to admit 'O Bread of Heaven' isn't one of my favourites, it somehow just came into my head! I do like a lot of the old Anglican hymns, but also quite fond of some of the stuff that came after the folky '70s era; things like the St Thomas More Group and Bob Hurd, Dan Feiton, John Bell, Michael ...

An organist plays: 1) in the church's premises (using the church's light and heating) 2) on the church's instrument, 3) at the time of the church's choosing. 4) Officially, the music they play is chosen or at least approved by the church. The only tool which might be their own is the sheet music th...

alan29 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 07, 2019 7:23 am

We have a bishop who never ever lets the final note of a song die before leaping in with what he has to say. Just plain bad manners in my book.

It's because he thinks it's all about him, presumably.

This whole area is fraught with problems because some organists want to have paid holidays and sick pay, and others don't. Traditionally organists' earnings were never taxed, but HMRC is now trying to insist that a regular organist is an employee and therefore needs to be taxed. Parishes, often at t...

Don't understand these mini processions. If each server processed up individually before a Sunday Mass, you'd never hear the end of it! It's an American thing. There are pre-processions of bridesmaids, groomsmen, and most importantly the MOTHERS of the bride and groom who will come in together, or ...

Perhaps recluse was too strong a word, but certainly in the years immediately following his departure John withdrew completely from public life. Perhaps as the bitterness receded he became more accessible, though still, as organist says, a very private person. He was seen at the SSG on one subsequen...

John East was offered the post as Director of the CMA at the end of April 1968, but did not start in post until the end of May/June as it took a little time to agree terms. Appointment was for one year initially. He embarked on a programme of 'campaign' in every diocese of England & Wales, starting...

Sadly, JME is no more. He passed away peacefully yesterday morning. We are awaiting details of the funeral from organist.

Very sorry to hear this.

Have heard about a number of Vigils that started in substantial daylight at 8:00pm, and one or two even earlier! The Vigil I played for was scheduled to start at 9:00pm, in practice was a few minutes later than that. Ended at 11:45pm, followed by a party for the newly-initiated which I did not stay ...