to be considering postponing DS3's Christening (again) - because I can't find a half decent organist???

[FAQ]

DS3 was going to be Christened in May - but our vicar was off ill, I wasn't well either, and it was cancelled.

It's now been re-booked for the 30th November. I've got the church hall booked for the afternoon so we'll have a faith lunch (bring and share) afterwards. Nothing else has been done yet, invites haven't been sent out, cake hasn't been made etc etc.

I'm the organist normally - but due to the position of the font - I can't really play for the service. I'm not a great organist - but I consider myself to be half decent. I had a fantastic organist that played for DS2's Christening and want someone of a half decent standard for DS3's.

So far my only 2 options can't do it, a 3rd may be able to (but tbh he's really not that good and lots of the congregation have to come up to me and commented about the slow hymns/wrong notes etc when he's played) - he's a really lovely guy though so I don't want to upset him.

My only other option is someone who is really a guitar player, with a little bit of piano knowledge, when she's covered for me before she plays the piano (and she herself admits piano isn't her thing and she struggles with it - and it shows).

I really want an organist, have some fantastic hymns in mind (the perks of being the organist - I get to pick all the hymns for my DS's christening ) , but don't want them played on the piano/badly.

I'm sorely tempted to postpone until I can get someone decent (my 2nd option would have been delighted to do it - but will be Norway and Sweden examining for the ABRSM)......

If I cancel now the only thing that has to be done is the extra reading added in (they usually drop one for the Baptism service) and un-book the hall........

I know Marina - but I didn't bank on my main 2 organists being unavailable (the one that played for DS2's christening has just become a father for the 3rd time and is about to take up a post as organist of a church in london, and the other will be examining for the ABRSM in northern Europe).

Oundle could be a possibility - they tend to have a lot of organ students - some of who I'm sure will either be day pupils (it's only 18 miles up the road from here) or will go home at the weekends - they can't possibly have them ALL playing the organ at the same time (although I seem to remember about 5 of us playing the chapel organ at the same time many years ago with the aid of numerous bottles of alcoholic beverage ) so I may ring them.

The local town private school may also be a possibility to try.

Would Rugby be too far? Do they, er, even have organists at Rugby?

muppet - Jesus would have moved the font to the front of the church near the organ, or the organ to the back near the font so that I could play and all would be well

I am sure you know this already...but does your church have a portafont tucked away in the vestry? We have a handsome little mahogany and silver one which is always used in preference to our trad hulking granite one at the back of the church.
You could conceivably be playing the organ while ds3 was dunked if your church is laid out like ours

Rugby is about 45 minute drive from here - don't know if they have organists - I've never met one from there.....but I'm sure they must do, just looked at their website and they have 6 different choral groups - and regular chapel services - so I guess so.

I assume the church has a piano? Why not move the piano.

I'm sorry to seem harsh but I do think you're missing the point of the Christening.

I understand the atmosphere/music is important to you but surely the welcoming your lo into the faith should take precedent?

To cancel just because you can't get what you want seems a little extreme to me.

What's more important? The date or the music?

muppet - he's already a massive part of the church family. This, to me, is just formalising it all - making it "official". I wouldn't be "canceling" it - I would be postponing it (again) to make it as special as I want it to be.

I can assure you I'm not "missing the point" of the Christening at all. But music/hymns at the church are a huge part of my spiritual life. I've had an extremely tough year, and many times I've sat playing the organ for services holding back tears as the words of the hymns have meant so much to me.

To have hymns which I love, and others which have helped me get through this year (I always want "In Christ Alone") ruined by a poor organist at my DS's Christening, on "Advent" sunday - the start of something new for me would be a bitter pill to swallow.

I'm still saddened to this day that our lovely Vicar didn't christen DS2 due to illness. It was a lovely service, he was officialy welcomed into the church family (again he has "grown up" in the church) but it meant a lot to me to have our Vicar welcoming him in.

In the same way it means a lot to me to be able to sing hymns which I have picked without constantly wondering how slowly/badly the next one is going to be played.

Hmm, for FAQ I am guessing the two are integral.
Advent is the Church's New Year, it is a time of happy anticipation, and the traditional music is some of the loveliest in the liturgical year.
You do need a competent organist to keep O Come O Come Emmanuel from slowing to a funeral dirge, and there is no point in having Lo, He Comes unless the organist can welly up the lovely accompaniment

dgs' christening was the Epiphany FAQ, for the same sorts of reason
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and the Carol of the Kings meant a lot to his parents

Cali - I wouldn't say I was a "great" organist - I used to be pretty decent - but a lack of regular practising means my regular repertoire is approx Grade 5, rather than my Grade 8 stuff . But I do cringe when I hit a wrong note, and I do know what a great organist sounds like. Although I'd be happy with a decent organist I wouldn't say no to a great one

Ceolas - this is the problem - they're both important to me, I can't decide which one is the greater [confused and realising that some people think I'm just being awkward]

Could you come up with an equally meaningful selection of hymns for another date if you really put your mind to it? If you really had to change the date?

Good analogy califrau

Yes I probably could - would have In Christ Alone regardless of when the Christening was. But then it would be trying to "forget" the significance (for me) of Advent....

Think I'm going to sleep (and pray) on this one and speak to my friends/church warden tomorrow and see what we can come up with. There is still time to find an organist (I hope) if we know where to look, and I suppose another week or so before the invites get sorted out wouldn't make too much different.

Thanks for all your thoughts on it

I can only add YANBU, and you are not being awkward at all. An unfortunate organ incident right at the beginning of my wedding (not crap playing, admittedly, but Green Blade instead of the gorgeous Noel nouvelet for Now the Green Blade Riseth) did cast a bit of a ashdow over it for me.

For me this would be an almost impossible dilemma Some hymns work outside their appointed seasons (I wasn't married at Easter, for example), but your choices don't really.

I thought of local undiscovered music students too as a possibility. Gosh, I'd come over and do it myself if I weren't a dreadful pianist and no organist at all

I understand. My mum's connections secured us a great organist (who does not usually do weddings), and it was marvellous. I hope you find someone who can make that difference for you.

FAQ - are you on Lay Clerks mailbase? If so you could put out a general request. Other than that, you could try this board - there are lots of organists on there.

You could also email the DoM at Oundle, and also, Peterborough Cathedral usually have an organ scholar, you could try emailing them too. In fact, I would try them first, as odds on their big Advent service will be an Advent procession in the evening. You'd obviously need to pay them, but the hymns should at least be good!

IMO YABU. A baptism is not about the music (although I admit, that plays a great part). I'm sure you are more than aware that a Christening is about welcoming a child into the family of Christ and promising as his parent to show him the right way to live and how to love God.

This could happen in a muddy field with the only music coming from the cows mooing nearby-but that's just me.

If it helps, dd1 had a big Christening ceremony, in the afternoon, just for her family and I chose 3 cracking hymns. Dd2 was Christened in the regular Sunday Eucharist. We chose one hymn, that was our only input into the service. But I know God loves her just the same

We also had a crane in the church for our wedding as they were doing repair works. We had no flowers decorating the pew ends either. The trimmings just don't bother me, as long as God is present!!

Thanks TS - I'm not on the Lay Clerks mailbase (didn't realise such a thing exists.......mind you I used to know the Lay Clerks of St. Mary's Episcopal Cahterdral very well and that may have put me off such a thing ).

Will email DoM at Oundle - and Peterborough (I'm sure I should know the DoM there......) tomorrow too. Will also look at that forum.

Thing is though, if you're a musician, the music being crap can REALLY wreck the whole thing for you. And if I were FAQ, I'd much rather be able to think about the christening side of it than be utterly distracted and distraught at horrid sounds coming from the organ! If that makes sense...

FAQ isn't talking about cancelling the christening, just changing the date. And the date is as arbitrary as the hymns as far as 'welcoming into the church' goes.

Now then, I've never dared enter the musical threads before...but as an organist myself I just can't resist. FAQ, you're absolutely right not to compromise on music. Hold out for a fab organist. I so wish I hadn't compromised for my wedding: the church's substitute managed I Was Glad amazingly well, but Lefebure-Wely was completely beyond her and I still wince to think about it. Nothing worse than someone trampling around on the keys who doesn't know his swellbox from his Mixture.

Some of those bigger Cambridge colleges will have at least two organ scholars (Trinity, King's eg, usually one in third year and one in first at the minimum) and they surely can't all be involved in services at the same time. Alternatively, if you did contact the organ scholars they will know of other keen undergrads who probably didn't want the massive time-commitment of being the official scholar, but are still skilful players. There were loads at my college, lurking in the cloisters hoping to leap on for a quick Trio Sonata or two. Hell, I'd come up myself (Grade 8 plus and fairly regular church organist available for weddings, funerals, bahmitzvahs... but rusty after not playing much since birth of 11-month dd) if I wasn't so terrified of bogging up Hills of the North. By the way, re last verse embellishment: you know you can get quite cunning hymn books that consist entirely of souped-up last verses? So even if your stand-in wasn't quite confident they could learn it in advance. I've got a couple of those and they're invaluable.

Peterborough is Andrew Reid, assistant Francesca Massey.

Betty - have you read the thread???

I have explained (several times) that DS3 is already a member of the family of Christ. He has attended almost every service since he was born - often with my missing out the tenor line so that I could rock him to sleep in his pram with my left hand, and I have even BF while playing the hymns too (I was apparently talked about at the Diocesan office in Peterborough as the "organist who nursed her baby while playing" ").

This is an hugely important event for me, not just personally (had an extremely tough year), but also spiritually. A major part of my spirituality is the music, and music is a major part of my life and therefore a major even such as my DS's Christening would not be complete for me if the music wasn't right.