Well, sure enough, a few days later
the eagerly awaited letter dropped through my letter box - well, mum and dad's
letter box actually.
It was an official looking letter, typed, of course, by Mrs Bradley, signed by the
Rector, the Revd. A.G. Myers, and headed The Rectory, Meadow Lane, Liverpool 12,
telephone number Stanley 3878……..and the date? - 27th February 1969.
This is a formal letter, it said, to invite you to take up the position of Organist
and Choirmaster here at Saint Mary's. We all look forward very much to your arrival here to
take up this appointment and assure you of our intention to give you all the help we can
in the work that lies ahead. We hope very much that you will be happy here amongst us.
Well……37 years later I'm still here.
This is my story.
Not long after receiving that letter, I called one evening at The Rectory and said I'd
like to do some organ practice. "Well, Pete," he said - he always called me Pete - "you'd
better have a church key." …. and, having pointed out the special place outside the vestry
door where I was to park my Morris Minor - students were much more well-to-do in those
days - he left me to it, a policy which, thankfully, continued over the years.
I slotted my key into the vestry door, cautiously I entered the darkened church,
groped my way over to the organ console, fumbled around with the various controls…
and my career at Saint Mary's was launched. The organ wheezed into life, clicked and
clacked through the crotchets and quavers, and was soon on my side…a wonderful instrument.
The choir boys of 1969 were brilliant! They were chirpy, cheerful, enthusiastic ….
and "they couldn't half sing them discounts", as Bill Greenall, the verger, told me …and,
of course, those boys were not much younger than me, a mere college student of 23.
Amazingly, four choristers from those early days still sing in the choir - and three of
them are here this morning, tired and grey, but raring to go! Some of the choir men were
less enthusiastic about my appointment!
I was seriously impressed by Saint Mary's!
The dark-suited sidesmen marched up and down the aisles with military precision; the
wardens, wielding their wands proudly aloft, sported dark jackets and pin-striped
trousers - and they and their families sat in their special pews keeping beady eyes
eagerly open; the verger, serious and solemn, led the processions in his blue and black
gown; the servers were tall, strong young men, silently and discreetly gliding about
their mysterious ceremonial; and the clergy? "This is my senior curate," the Rector had
said. What a set-up!
Of course, women were kept at a distance - apart from the Lady Worker - surely a
contradiction in terms? Miss Prince, it seemed, did all the work, and more,
helped by her Lambretta and a good pair of running shoes.
The weekly routine of choir practices, weddings, funerals and Sunday services, began.
It was all rather strange at first…. I was a Matins boy, so the Parish Eucharist, sung
to Merbecke, was especially unfamiliar. After choir practice, of course, we would all
clear off to the Hare and Hounds, and sit alongside the grumpy old men of the choir,
Harold Cattley, Arthur Jennion, Bill Griffiths. We still go to the pub - Arthur used
to call it "thirst after righteousness" - but now we're the grumpy old men.
I never moved on.
There was nowhere to go, thanks to the two Rectors with whom I've worked. Both allowed
me a free rein, roping it in, just occasionally, when they felt it needed tightening
a little. And the brilliant firm of Miller and Mulcahy works magnificently here in Saint
Mary's - I create the muddle…and Kevin sorts it all out.
The Rector encourages us, as did his predecessor, to provide traditional Anglican Church
music within the framework of traditional Church of England services. The choristers enjoy
doing this, and do it well, and our efforts seem largely to be appreciated by many who
attend the services here.
This, after all, is what this wonderful church building of Sir Gilbert Scott was designed
for. I always rather hope that God likes the Anglican style of worship. I suspect he
looks forward with a genteel enthusiasm to Stanford in C at Evensong, even with a few
mistakes, or the odd missed entry.
God created us, enabled some to compose, others to perform, some simply to appreciate and
enjoy. Worship for me is at its best when I'm sitting anonymously, unrecognized, in some
darkened corner of a cathedral, listening to choir and organ gently weaving their way
through the office of Evensong, moving through psalm and anthem and, perhaps, allowing
me to join with them in the singing of a final hymn.
If we are able to use our various talents in God's service, as best we can, this seems
a fitting way to worship him.
"In thy house, great God, we offer
I remember our curate, when I was a chorister at Childwall - choirboys do listen from
time to time - telling us that it didn't really matter if our thoughts wandered during
a service. If your thoughts wander, he said, let those thoughts be the subject of your
prayer.
It is difficult for those engaged in performing ceremonial, ritual, liturgy and music to
be absorbed in the worship itself. The organist, for example, will concentrate on opening
the swell box at the right moment, worry about remembering to draw the large open diapason
in time to enhance the final chord; or realise that the choir clarinet is out of tune
and can't be used. Hopefully, the choirboy will be trying to sing in tune, to phrase a
solo part appropriately, or be concentrating on chanting the psalm - we do enjoy psalm
singing! - in time with everyone else. The men are worrying about whose turn it is to
provide the mints. The conductor will be trying to hold all this together.
Such thoughts distract us from our own worship - we are thinking about other things -
some would say unimportant things.
They are unimportant.
But once we have decided that they matter, if laziness, neglect or inconvenience determine
their use or otherwise, that can be insulting to God. By enabling others to worship,
we are worshipping too.
"Craftsman's art and music's measure
The Chorister's Prayer sums this all up rather well.
Bless, O Lord, us thy servants
of thine own to thee
and for thine acceptance proffer
hearts and minds and hands and voices
in our choicest psalmody"
for his pleasure all combine."
who minister in thy temple.
Grant that what we sing with our lips
we may believe in our hearts,
and what we believe in our hearts
we may show forth in our lives,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
copyright, ©P.Miller