The wandering organist

Today I was back in Findon for Trinity Sunday (45 years a church organist today liturgically), which coincidentally was the visit of residents of Schney in Bavaria, who are twinned with Findon. It was also an all-age service. The Vicar had, since it was Trinity Sunday, put down St Patrick's Breastplate which is theologically wonderful but crap for congregations to sing. It wasn't helped by the Mayhew book omitting a few verses and the vicar omitting a couple more, so we had the first verse, Christ within me and the last verse with its utterly unhelpful organ accompaniment (pinched from AMR which, since it's Stanford (d.1924), is out of copyright). Sitting by the organ console there were two people who knew it, as did the vicar. I couldn't hear much coming from the rest of the church... The readings and sermon were in English and German. I just about caught one word in 10 of the latter. During communion I played the Walton Elegy  (from music written for Richard III ), ...

Well, as spring springs, and the beautiful sunshine makes the world a brighter place, I'm back to wandering. An old haunt, St John Findon , in its picturesque setting, and most of the blossom already gone. The wild primroses out in force and the daffs a little past their best. The service, a simple communion with the Murray setting and hymns, always appeals. Today it was taken by my former colleague, (now Rev) Colin Cox. I had forgotten he was attached to the parishes and when I was told it was "Colin" taking the service, thought nothing about it. Organ case on the west tower wall The organ, an unlovely-looking thing, skulks in the rafters of this fine and unusual church, which makes it awkward to photograph.  Sound-wise, it is a little on the reticent side, apart from the Trumpet, which is not subtle. The Swell stops are slightly louder than the Great, too. It has a 16' Open Metal, unusual for a village church. The Swell box is to the right of the gold-ish ...

Back again to St John, Findon this morning, and a Fambly Service which, with voluntaries (Bach, von Paradis arr Macdonald, and Charpentier) thrown in free, worked out at £12.50 per hymn. To dark and wet to take a picture of a splendid pine tree with all its cones on, so will try to pop back soon and get it before they get blown/rained off their branches. Lovely to look at whilst I sat in the car, listening to A Point of View, with Howard Jacobson on Difficulty . Update on the Revenue situation: Despite having called them twice, and been promised a 72-hour (3-day, to you and me) callback twice, I'm still waiting for them. Apparently they don't have enough Technical Experts any more. Bearing in mind my own experience of DWP Voluntary Release schemes, this doesn't surprise me. Recently they offfered VR to all the computer experts whilst advertising for more. We now have no-one actually closer than 20 miles away to sort out any server problems. Oh well. Only 21 months to go.

The lack of the fine organ in Finedon was the only regret. It was lovely. Path from gate to the North Door . A fine day, lovely weather, and up to 23 C. Only days ago it was 8 C. The organ behaved itself, as did the electricity supply, and a nice, very ordinary parish eucharist was celebrated. The only thing of note was that a bee landed on Revd Bucqué and seems to try to have some fun with the wireless microphone she was wearing. Nothing else to report. Just have a couple of photographs. I am so lucky to live so close to such lovely countryside. View of Lych gate towards the Downs Tree in blossom

St John the Evangelist, Findon  Sunday, and playing at the charmingly (and inconveniently) sited parish church of Findon. Inconvenient because it is far out of the village, beyond the old manor house, across the A24 which can be busy. Charming because it sits between fields and a wood, nestling in a fold of the South Downs. I turned up to play their recently overhauled (and somewhat indifferent) organ, which is not a thing of beauty, hung high on the west wall, with the console en fenêtre to the clergy vestry in the south transept. I was looking forward to playing there, as I like the service, very simple setting and hymns, and there is a peace about the building which is rare, even in churches. At quarter past nine, then I had selected the music play before, during and after, bearing in mind it was Lent I, so switched on the blower. At which point, all electricity died. No lights, heat, anything. So I earned my fee by humming the first notes of the hymns and sett...