Seán and sacred music

Seán has chicken pox and Ciarán, who has had it, was pointing out a spot thinking he might have it as everybody else seems to have done! Swam 22. Thinking about last night. It'a so important as Andrew Carwood said to put support into training church musicians especially young ones and pass on the tradition. I spoke against using CDs to replace live music. Andrew said hymn singing is in decline and looking at recent braodcasts one sees many people not singing the hymns which is sad. The decline of the Methodist church and churchgoing plus the move away from teaching children to sing has had an effect. RSCM is reviewing its education programme and there are gaps in that too. We need to get back the workshops where young people are encouraged to sing more. Michael Berkeley's new anthem for Canterbury was excellent and let's hope it gets taken up by Benedictine foundations. It started like Taverner's The Lamb - maybe that was deliberate? It is encouraging that cathedral choirs have such high standards and that more people and composers than since the Renaissance are writing and listening to sacred music but why does this not filter down into the parishes? The laity should ask for more not less. It is a little ironic that I am now in a situation where I have a choir of 3 who really are not very good and no potential for youngsters at all. True the organ is good but again my repertoire is curtailed. No Howells this Easter!