Friday, May 30, 2008

The Top Ten Things That Clergy Do That Drive Musicians Crazy

This comes courtesy of Douglas Cowling from the Anglican-Music listserv.

"The Top Ten Things That Clergy Do That Drive Musicians Crazy"

  1. alter the order of service midway with no warning
  2. parachute extras into the service with no warning
  3. announce a hymn just when the choir's about to sing their Anthem because "they forgot".
  4. don't arrive in time to organise themselves before worship so they have to keep asking what's happening next
  5. insist on omitting verses from every hymn in the interests of brevity (usually because the sermon's overrun)
  6. announce to the choir before the service that there won't be space for the Anthem today because of one reason or another (unannounced visitor needs to speak / need to shorten the service / the Notices will be longer than usual etc etc)
  7. announce the hymn number, stop, and then read the first line(s) of the hymn just as the organist begins play-over
  8. shout announcements over the top of organist's playing
  9. change the practised hymns at the last minute because "the Baptism family want these as they're their favourites"
  10. won't communicate and take musicians into their confidences at the planning stage

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