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........

Yes I know - I feel I should know Andrew Reid.......think I met him at the Diocesan Choral Festival the other year.....

Tallis - your post made me LOL

I was going to post yabu - have a recording of yourself if its so important.
Then I remembered my friends wedding years ago that was RUINED by the terrible organist... the whole church full of people snickering into the order of service books and trying desperately not to laugh out loud.

Yes FAQ I read the thread! That is why I added my post. As I said, for me, as a fellow church go-er (is that even a word?!) the most important thing for me is the baptism-end of story. BUT, I totally get why music is so important to you as the organist of your church! I was answering on the basis of your AIBU-and as I said IMO, yes, it would BU to cancel for the sake of the organist-but that is solely my opinion! This is a hugely important event, as you have stated, and you must do as you feel is right. But the nature of this board will surely bring up other opinions. I never meant to offend you!

My dh wanted 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Quenn played on the organ as we walked back down the aisle at our wedding. The organist literally asked us, 'who is Queen? I don't like pop music'! But, to his absolute credit, he practised and practised daily (so I am reliabely informed by our vicar) until the wedding day, and he really did us proud! It was a great part of the day, and for that reason I can empathise with you-you want the music to be played well-but I still stand by the fact that the organist is not the most important part of the service-sorry!

By the way, are you in Northants? From your posts I gather you may live near to me...

Tallis - I don't mind a few duff notes - blimey I remember page turning for Timothy Byram-Wigfield (oooo we didn't get along when he was my teacher for a very short while) and stifling giggles when he hit a duff note or too.

My problem is when every hymn and voluntary has duff notes scattered all the way through.

Blimey Sunday night I did an aboslute corker - the type that makes you want to hide under the organ stool.

The hymn was "may the mind of Christ my Saviour" (number 447 in our book) - hymn was announced and I started playing the intro - got about 1 1/2 bars in and realised I'd started playing number 446 "may the grace of Christ my Saviour") - tried to jump from one hymn to the next - but 446 was in G major, and 447 in E flat major......realised it had all gone terribly wrong and just stopped. Mumbled an apology to the congregation and did the proper intro for 447.

In my defense I was trying to keep an eye on the DS's. DS2 was sat next to me at the organ, and DS1 was pushing DS3 (16 months) up and down the side of the church to keep him quiet - as I had no babysitter for them

Oh gosh flibbertyjibbet-that does sound awful!

FAQ-that sounds funny! I'm sure the congregation could see you were somewhat overstretched!!

Sorry betty - I didn't mean to be horrible to you. Just getting a little emotional over the whole thing .

I know I would find it hard to sing "in Christ Alone" (which has significant personal meaning to me) if I was hearing it played badly......and as I'm the only organist I don't often get a chance to just sing the hymns and choruses which mean so much to me.

Yes I'm in Northants

Totally reasonable.

DH and i met when playing in a local orchestra, he's a pro musician [ha ha i'm not] so were understandably very choosy about the music and players for our wedding.

It just has to be right.

We did all laugh about it afterwards, and as they know my DS's (and my situation being on my own with them) they were all fine about it too . Just one of those really mortifying moments when you wish the ground would swallow you up lol

Anyway, in the Blufers Guide to music, dear FAQ, Organists are described as

"...a strange race. Quite apart from their unusual physical make up which allows them to use their two hands and two feet independently, playing on several keyboards at once and manipulating countless stops, they are most definitely in the superman class"

(so what's up with holding baby at font whilst simultaneously playing the organ faultlessly at the other side of the church?)

giggle - problem is he's not much of a baby anymore - 12-16 months ago I could have done it - but he's a wriggly, writhing, climbing, running toddler now - who will be 18 months old by the time the Christening comes around (and that's presuming I don't postpone - in which case he'll be getting on for 2yrs old )

FAQ - last week I was playing for choral mattins, which is a fairly quiet service, was playing the hymn on the choir with the solo coupled through, and the organ RANDOMLY added the tuba...the congregation nearly shot through the roof and I nearly had a heart attack!!! It is VERY LOUD and VERY UNSUITABLE for mattins!

then postpone til he is house-trained

like about 14 [years]????

Really, I think i've got to go with the 'postpone til you find a decent organist' way of thinking. Personal choice and all that, but as music is an important expression of your faith, understandably, then all of the 'bits' have to be in place for you to all enjoy and remember the service. FWIW, I do think it is really lovely when slightly older children are baptised, they seem more involved as a little person and can take some of it in, at the very least knowing that it is a Special day for them and their church family.
Get it right then you don't regret it.

Tortoise - I used to play an organ many years ago that did that, and I have on occasions on the one at our church gone to grab the Swell 4ft Flute, and yanked out the 16ft Pedal Tuba (those pesky Tubas ).

Thankfully don't have the problem of syphoning (sp) as it's an electronic organ

I have on regular occasions gone to reach the hymn book off the music stand so I can flip through to find the next hymn without obviously leaning over the keyboards - and dropped it - often during the sermon - certainly wakes them all up

LOL - actually that reminds me I did have the equivalent of syphoning on our church organ. Electric problems meant that one note kept sounding constantly - except it only started half way through the service.

at the bf - I had no choice, he was hungry, I hadn't yet got him taking a bottle from me (let alone anyone else apart from exH) so the only option was to tuck him under my left arm and hope for the best during the hymns..........it was fine until he decided to yank my top upwards and flash my nork to half the congregation (mid-hymn too)........

We did not have any organist. We had a choir of nuns. They sang beautifully, they "made" the service. Music is important to you, so dont feel bad about postponing, if that is the best solution. Can you meanwhile have Father read a blessing over him?

PMSL Califrau - that's fantastic - that really has made me (literally) LOL

In fact I can't actually stop laughing

PMSL Califrau - that's fantastic - that really has made me (literally) LOL

In fact I can't actually stop laughing

see I laughed so much (still am giggling to myself ) I had to tell you twice

I had no idea organs could be so funny. LOL

PMSL Califrau!!! Fantastic story!
I'm not an organist but I've played the celeste in accompaniment to the sugar plum fairy... because we were in a huge hall with rubbish accoustics it was decided at the last minute that the celeste had to be backed up by a piano and the pianist was given the part to sight read. The accoustics were terrible and you could just make out the chime-like celeste notes between the blurring but hey presto and thank you sod's law the acoustics were perfectly attuned for the amount of resonance in the pianist's hissed "oh fucking hell" which rebounded as clear as a bell halfway through the arpeggios...