Fewer church organists mean worshippers sing along to tapes
THE organist has been a staple of Church of England services for hundreds of years.
But a survey has revealed that in almost one in three churches, congregations are singing along to recorded organ music – even if they have an organ in the church.
The Church is facing a shortage of new organists, with less than 4 per cent of respondents saying their church had an organist aged 30 or under.
Almost half of churches said their organist was older than 70.
However, 96 per cent of the churches that took part in the survey said they had an organ, with almost all in a good condition.
Richard Hubbard, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich’s music development director and the report’s author, said that in some cases churches were using PA systems to play recorded organ music while the instrument itself lay idle.
“Most churches have an organ and most of them are in working order so it really is just down to a lack of players,” he said. “A lot of it is to do with the fact that the organ is particularly difficult to learn and requires a lot of commitment – you normally need to have about grade 5 piano to start organ lessons.
“And then you have to have access to an instrument to practise on – with fewer churches being left open these days you have to get into the church and have access to the organ and in the winter, I know from my own experience, that you go to a dark cold country church and practise for as long as you can until your fingers freeze.
“So it requires a lot of dedication and effort for young people to take up the organ. There’s more of a sense of togetherness and community if we’re singing together with live musicians rather than just following a machine.”
Often PA systems used were designed for speech, as opposed to music, so did not have enough bass for singers to be able to follow the tune properly.
The report found that organ backing tracks were less successful because they tended not to leave enough time between lines, rushing the singing.
“Recorded backing tracks are rarely the best method of accompanying a congregation,” it said. “Live instruments are almost always preferred, except for certain contemporary music styles in which a computerised back- ing is integral to the genre. However, when live instruments of a suitable standard are not available, backing tracks can have their place – provided they are appropriately produced, and played through a suitable PA system.
“The quality and production of backing tracks varies greatly, as does the quality of church sound systems through which they are played.
“Only when these two factors are
‘There’s more of a sense of togetherness and community if we’re singing together with live musicians’
met successfully can backing tracks help to enable a congregation.”
But the Rev Sue Leathley, of St Mary’s Church in Mildenhall, Suffolk, said the church now used backing tracks in all Sunday services due to a shortage of organists – and sometimes they were better than the real thing.
“We’ve got used to it now, so it’s OK. There are some that have voices on them so it gives us a lead – we’ve got an organ with a choir or somebody leading and that is better than a single organ. It really helps us to sing together,” she said.