Rebalancing

Categories: music

Date: 25 August 2010 20:32:10

I am making the most of being in a getting on and getting a life mood, so as I am not satisfied with the work/life imbalance, I am seeking a new job! So, that's four job applications gone in the post now, and I will keep on going until one of them yields a job.

As a little light relief, I am indulging myself in a task I've been meaning to do for years, which is a grand cross referencing of my hymn books. OK, I've made a start! I've played for several churches regularly over the years, and have in that time acquired a large number of hymn books, of all kinds.

I've also dreamed of making a Japes "Preferred Version of Hymn" book.. I seem to have at least ten (or more!) different versions of some of the most popular hymns and songs, and it's just getting too unwieldy to cart around fiveĀ  hymn books for six hymns. (I'm a deeply mistrusting organist...I've been caught out too often not to be.) I am amenable, and will play whatever I'm asked, as I've no truck with temperamental musicians who can but won't. The Lord knows, and understands my inner dark mutterings at having to play songs I'd rather were cast into the pits of darkness for ever more and purged from the collective memory, but which are still sung! Occasionally I am rewarded with more than one per service from the Japes' Ideal Hymn Book.

Japes' IdealĀ  Hymn Book? Not yet in existence! It would be somewhat idiosyncratic. I am nothing if not eclectic in my musical tastes. We might not agree as to it's contents, and it would be an on-going work in progress.

Now, do I think I need to liberate my laundry basket for it's intended purpose, rather than it's current purpose of keeping all my books being indexed together? Or just buy another laundry basket?