The cathedral organist’s life- the view from outside.
If you ever thought that a cathedral organist has a glamorous life, ponder anew. True, a cathedral organist works in a beautiful place playing an organ that is bigger than the average parish church organ, meets nice people, and the choir always sounds terrific.
Let’s be real. The Director of Music does some, but not much organ playing. S/he is responsible for recruiting choir boys, choir girls, tenors and basses and it is an ongoing job. Adult singers frequently have other jobs to supplement their fees, and a deputy at short notice is stressful if the notice given is short. In addition the DoM is usually responsible for making sure they are paid, hence, much time is spent liaising with singers and the finance office. Choosing music is also a long job, done well ahead of time in consultation with the clergy, and published. On top of that the DoM conducts the choir, the visibly public part of the job. Hidden from view are the rehearsals, preparation for same, meetings with clergy, parents of children, organ builders, colleagues from similar establishments, composers, music retailers and somehow have time for family life.
The Assistant Organist, or Organist or Assistant Director of Music ( titles can vary) is the player on the team. S/he is usually responsible for training one of the choirs and the organ scholar, if there is one. That means long hours spent learning accompaniments, psalms, hymns and glorious arrangements ( once learned, not forgotten) as well as giving recitals. Guess what, daytime practice in the cathedral is strictly controlled lest the vergers, flower arrangers, and visitors who have paid to get in are disturbed. Loud practice is restricted to very early in the morning and after hours, so it can be dark, cold and spooky! And then there are the visiting organists and recitalists who want some time too! As a visitor, one’ s practice slot is very limited and may be cut down ( it happened once at St Paul’s when the fire alarm went off ), or by hourly prayers, and then you just have to manage. Managing the page turns on your own is part of the deal, as is also learning how to operate the sound system if there is one. The choir is a long way away from the organist, hence the sound system is crucial to your peace of mind, provided the operating instructions are clear, and the system is foolproof. Sometimes it is only one-way, the director can talk to you but you can’t reply, and you end feeling a bit of a fool because you are the only one that can can’t fully join in with the wisecracks. Playing at a distance is hard and disconcerting but the organist has to stay in time with the choir and vice versa. Choral responsibility away from the organ involves having a big sense of humour, not minding choristers being allowed to throw wet sponges at you or other forms of agreed fun at at permitted times and taking them on tour.
Being in a high profile place brings its pressures, meaning, presenting a first class service, everything in tune, organist sensitive, brilliant all the time. The same standard has to be adhered to in cathedrals in less glamorous locations. Sometimes recruitment has to be very creative if the local population is not aware of a such a culture and knows pop music rather than anything more refined.
In his days as DoM at York Minster, Francis Jackson would often play the organ while the choir conducted itself. Assistant organists were brought in if he was away. In Ripon Cathedral the famous hand on the screen is operated by the organist from the console so that the choir has a visible beat. Full time DoM’s and Assistants have become the norm in recent years as musical standards have risen, the result of broadcasts, recordings and inventive courses designed to get people going.
So what skills do you need to become such musician? You need to be able to play the organ to a very high, flawless and faultless standard. That means ARCO as a minimum and FRCO as an ideal, with skills in improvising and learning new music quickly. Choir training skills, conducting skills, knowledge of ancient and modern repertoire, and keeping abreast of new publications is also important. You need good interpersonal skills and a clear DBS. Cathedral organists and Directors of Music don’t have to come from within the choir stalls, it is possible to attain such from an ordinary background. You need to want to do the job, gain the qualifications, then get the experience.
Help wanted
On another note, a couple issues ago I wrote about loss in the wake of the untimely fatal accident that befell Nick Gale. Now the loss is mine to feel as a result of the passing of my elderly, frail mother from a big operation from which she did not recover.
As a willing pianist in her church she had way of playing her favourite hymns that the congregation liked, so choosing hymns for her funeral service is not a problem. For music at the start and end, however, the choice is much harder as we realised that her likes and dislikes were often governed by dad’s favourites. The limitations of the organ in the church also imposes restrictions, it is a single manual organ with no 16′ pedal or swell box. Now there’s a repertoire test for everyone.
Marilyn Harper
