Forth in Praise
Liturgy Commission Music

Music Newsletter Number 14
Spring 2009

Events this Spring

ORGAN DAY Saturday 14 March 2009 Led by Simon Nieminski and Brian Gill St Columba's, Upper Gray Street, Newington, Edinburgh EH9 1SN 10.45 for 11.00 am until 3.30 pm. Bring packed lunch. Cost: £8 (£7 concessions).

SINGING DAY Saturday 16 May 2009 Led by Misia Paul Featuring the Archdiocesan Choir (director John Holden) St John the Baptist, St Ninian's Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh 11.15 for 11.30 am until 3.30 pm. Bring packed lunch. Cost £8 (£7 concessions)

Enquiries and booking for both events:
Katherine Cameron, 01324 612034,
Katherine.Cameron@forthinpraise.co.uk
PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE TO HELP OUR PLANNING

MORE ABOUT FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

14 MARCH - FORTH IN PRAISE ORGAN DAY
The organ day on 14 march at St Columba's, Newington, should appeal to experienced organists a well as to beginners. Simon Nieminski, organist at St Mary's Cathedral, and Brian Gill, organist at St Columba's will take sessions on registration and hymn-playing, with a look at voluntaries, while Evelyn Stell will lead a discussion in which everyone can put across their views, especially about hymns. Participants are invited to bring along a piece of music or the name of a hymn they would like to try out. The main hymnbooks will be available.

16 MAY - SINGING DAY
Misia Boron will be back with us to lead a day for singers and choirs, although she is now Misia Paul, having got married since we last met up (best wishes from all of us, Misia!). A special feature of the day will be a chance to sing along with the Archdiocesan Choir (director John Holden). One point to note about the arrangements for the day is that the church hall at St John's will not be available for us to eat our packed lunches until 1.30, but the late morning start should give participants a chance to have a breakfast big enough to tide them over!

FOR ORGANISTS: A SCOTS TRAINING DAY
The Scottish Churches Organist Training Scheme (SCOTS) is holding a training day on Saturday, 21st March, in Lanark, with Cadzow Parish Church, Hamilton, as host church. Workshops will include: using the colours of the organ, how to go about refreshing the hymn repertoire for your congregation, and two other sessions to be confirmed. Contact the membership secretary for booking form, Susan Wilson 01592 874748 susanwilson@scotsorgan.org Future days are planned for Dumfries (May), and Edinburgh (September).

A NEW EDINBURGH SCHOLA
We are pleased to give details of a new Gregorian Chant Schola: Plans have been made for a schola to sing and promote Gregorian chant within the Archdiocese. This will be a male choir which will meet on a Thursday evening in the Cathedral for sung Latin Vespers and rehearsal with half a dozen chanted Masses spread among the deaneries each year. Anyone who is interested in joining the schola or supporting this increasingly popular music of the Church should visit www.edinburghschola.blogspot.com or telephone 07786 146 456 for more details.

FORTH IN PRAISE PUBLICATIONS Ð TWO PSALMS
Psalm 21 - The Palm Sunday psalm (Tony Giovanazzi) Easter last year came a bit soon after the first publication of this sombre and dramatic psalm, so we are highlighting it again this year. Four Lenten gospel acclamations are included.
Psalm 22 - The Lord is my shepherd (Evelyn Stell) This new setting uses the response most commonly found in the liturgy. It can work with a single cantor, but has some optional part-singing. Details of these and other Forth in Praise publications, with prices, are on the Forth in Praise publications leaflet and will be posted on our website.

FORTH IN PRAISE WEBSITE Forth in Praise now has its own website, which will link to the Liturgy Commission's, rather than be a part of it. This means much more space for newsletters, pictures and information. The new website is still being refined and updated by Katherine Cameron, our IT specialist, but is now operational at www.forthinpraise.co.uk. Another improvement is that we now have easier-to-remember emails (see below).

ADVISORY GROUP NEWS
Maeve Logan, our Treasurer for the last 4 years, is standing down to have a well-earned rest, although she will remain with the group to advise on organ matters. Maeve built up our financial system from scratch, and has run it smoothly and efficiently all this time - a wonderful job. We are all very grateful to her.
Our new Treasurer is Rosemary Taylor, who joined our team in the autumn. Rosemary is organist at St Anthony's in Polmont and a strong supporter of all Forth in Praise activities. We are delighted that she has agreed to take over the Treasurer's job. Her contact details are below. Welcome also to Alison Bain, who has kindly offered to help Karen with all the copying and folding involved in getting out the postal newsletter.

IMPORTANT: POSTAL NEWSLETTER OPT-IN
Since we started the newsletter in 2003 the mailing list has grown to around 250, and we have no way of knowing which people are still interested in receiving it. A number of our readers will have changed their church activities, moved on or, sadly, died. The postal newsletter takes a lot of our small resources, and of course we have no wish to bother people with junk mail.
So if you have received this newsletter by post, you will find with it a coloured 'opt-in' form and a return envelope.

Contact us also if you would like to switch from postal to email newsletter. If we don't hear from you at all, we won't send you any more newsletters. Thank you.

NOTE FOR PARISH PRIESTS who receive this newsletter by post: the opt-in request is only for parish musicians. You need not take any action to continue receiving the newsletter.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER Recently everyone on the email list was contacted by Katherine to check that they are still receiving, and want to receive, our messages.. If you should have received this email and haven't, please contact Katherine.

FORTH IN PRAISE

The Music Advisory Group

Our NEW website: http://www.forthinpraise.co.uk