VERY VERY long shot - but anyone have at hand the RSCM recommended rates for weddings????

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

(and funerals) for organists - although the latter is less important.

Try posting on ship of fools - or I could for you. How soon do you need to know?

ASAP - vicar called today and asked me as she's meeting with a couple tommorrow wants all the details at hand........but you have to email the RSCM to ask for the info (which I've done but knowing the RSCM it'll take about a week to get back to me ) and I can't for the life of me find any RSCM stuff which has those details on it (I can find every other useless piece of info they've ever sent me as the person who gets the stuff - but not the flipping rates )

I've posted the question. Watch this thread:

forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008232

I'll see if I've got our organist's phone number as well...

Of course it now means you've know my altar ego on SOF

(deliberate pun )

thanks Mary

Mary - can you tell that person who's responded that I know the RSCM only gives it to members - our church is a member (I get all the rubbish information through for it) but they're taking for ever to reply to my email asking for info

Done... now, where's the number of our organist...

I've just spoken to our organist. He said the RSCM no longer gives recommended rates, because the government outlawed it a couple of years ago, due to unfair competition.

The rate is up to the church/vicar whereever you are.

He said he is paid £60 for a wedding, if that helps...

Did you see the latest comment on there? That the website that is linked to does show the RSCM recommended rate...

nooo those rates on the link are old old old.

If you look at this page you'll see that they still offer the list of rates to RSCM members .

Thanks anyhow - having read other threads I've been googling extensively for it all day, in between trying to find a nice but not "over-the-top" hotel for Friday night in Bristol LOL. A lot of people seem to charge a flat rate (ie don't take notice of the recorded/videoed thing as so many people end up sneakily recording on their mobile phone etc).

I think I'm going to pick a figure that I am happy to be paid for my time and tell the vicar - at the end of the day it's the bride and groom that the money is coming from not from the church directly and in the grand scheme of things the organists fees are one of the cheapest things to pay for LOL.

Sounds good to me...

I found an organists website, with this discussion going on, which says about the "competition"

forums.abrsm.org/lofiversion/index.php/t22686.html

The relevant bit:

"Before the ISM decided that thanks to some new competition legislation it could not publish recommended fee structures, it said this for organists ...

Weddings, Memorial Services, Requiems and other Special Services
Playing/Directing: At least £100.75 per service including a rehearsal
Playing only, major church or synagogue: At least £72.00 per service
Playing only, small church or synagogue: At least £55.00 per service

It also said ...

The rates do not include private recordings of services, for which an additional fee (50% for audio recordings and 100% for video recordings) is payable.

And ...

• Organists who regard themselves as amateur should be paid no less than two-thirds of the professional rate for organists? posts, weddings, funerals and other services."