Posted on 04/09/2017 4:10:22 AM PDT by NYer
From The Baltimore Sun:
When the longtime organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Havre de Grace announced her retirement last fall, the leaders of the small 200-year-old congregation faced a bigger challenge than they knew.
Music — particularly the music of the organ — is central to the life of the church. Members say the instrument’s rich sounds complement their liturgy, inspire congregational singing and even seem to invite the Holy Spirit into their presence.
But a six-month search has turned up just one potential applicant. Church leaders are trying every new strategy they can think of to get things moving.
Related: Organ envy — in praise of pipe organs in church
“We’re praying and trying to stay optimistic, but this we had no idea how challenging this would be,” says parishioner Casi Tomarchio, a member of the search committee. “There aren’t enough organists out there.”
At a time when fewer Americans describe themselves as affiliated with any religious denomination, the ranks of those who play the instrument long considered a mainstay of Christian worship — the organ, and most specifically, the pipe organ — are thinning.
The shortage has hit less hard in major metropolitan areas, where historic cathedrals and churches with bigger budgets can invest the funds it takes to buy and maintain a serviceable organ and offer a musician full-time work.
But smaller congregations — including those in rural and suburban America — are feeling the pinch.
I am thankful for the L’Organo festival here in Charleston SC at the end of May into June. Part of the Spoleto events. (Free)
What’s your point?
Ever organist I know is an old lady.
I don’t know any churches that use organs anymore.
We literally trashed both our organ and piano because we couldn’t even give them away.
Please realize that when my post said every one that it was a bit tongue in cheek. But many estimates put the number 70% on the proportion.
Urban churches are more likely, but honestly once I used to live in a very small county in rural Appalachia, with no cities, or even large towns. And even there the organists were homosexuals. In fact, they were the only ones in the county that I knew to be that way.
But, yes, not all church organists are homosexual!
I don't know much about the current organ scene, but I would recommend against a real pipe organ unless your church has deep pockets and the willingness to make a long term commitment. They require a lot of maintenance, and are very sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. For this reason many churches have an organ tuner come out every month, if not once a week.
Modern electronic organs are acceptable if the goal is to accompany the hymns, and praise God. The names you mentioned are well known and well respected. You would need to investigate their long term reliability and maintenance.
Forget an organist. I’m dying to find a church.
Since the two women organists I know clearly are not lesbians, I assume you are refering to men only.
At my parish, the vigil mass for Sundays and 3 of the 4 midimorning Sunday masses, there is an adult choir lead by a wonderful orgin/piano playing music director. The early morning mass for Sunday there an adult guitar music mass. One Sunday at midmorning there is a childrens and families Sunday mass and the guitar and piano is played.
My parish has electric organ, as old as the parish, 50 years and it must also be maintained.
Thanks, That was the first thing that came to mind upon reading the thread.
The parish music director of my church is single and cares for her aging mother. Plus she has a dog.
Piano is better than an ex-nun strumming a guitar, I guess...
My parish, I am an active Catholic, two of the three Sunday masses the organ is played. The guitar is played at the early morning mass. The pastor believes it is gentle on the ears. Once a month the children and families Sunday mass uses both guitar and electric piano. Again the pastor believes gentle on the ears.
I knew one who wasn't — in 1968. The guy who replaced her was, and he died of AIDS in the 80s. The whole organ and harpsichord community that hung around Philadelphia and played the Wanamaker organ were all gay. Even the tuners. All dead of AIDS by 1990.
Fired you both because of pointing that out? Wow. UMC?
Same here. So awesome.
PCUSA. One of the reasons I ended up LCMS almost 30 years ago now.
Yes, our small church organ is just gathering dust and taking up space. There is a large music school in the next town over, and even they can't find a student or practice instructor to buy it or agree to take it away for free.
Keith Chapman wasn’t; I was lucky enough to get to know him when he played the Frobenius at our church. When he stayed with us, he said his one dream was to get his own plane. He did, and crashed it a few years later.
LCMS still preaches the gospel, thank You, Lord!
Happy Palm Sunday, chajin, and all you church music fans on this thread!
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