Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 October 2008 23:52:06
Well, all the written work for the course is now complete - the two essays and the Portfolio about worship in my church. This involved sitting up until 2am one night finishing it off, and a bleary voice from the bedroom calling out "Oh bloody hell, are you still up?!" It's weird having no written work to do. For the first time in ages, I've nothing to feel guilty about when I'm sitting in front of the telly with a beer!
Anyway, the last bit is now the practical assessment and Viva Voce which both happen at the same time.
For the practical assessment, the examiner watches the candidate leading an act of worship. In my case, I am officiating at Choral Evensong tomorrow (Sunday) evening. As part of this assessment, I have to teach a new piece of music to the congregation.
I was wondering what to do for this. Then a few weeks ago I had a lightbulb moment. I remembered a hymn tune written by the organist at the church where I grew up and who was also a family friend. The tune came about because the Rector asked for a particular hymn to be sung. Tom (for that is his name) looked at the hymn and, while he loved the words, thought the tune was pretty dire, so went and wrote a new tune for it himself.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I tracked Tom down and asked him if he still had a copy of this tune. He did, but didn't know where, but promised to call me back. Time went on and I heard nothing, so I was beginning to fret and think I'd need to find another piece of music. Well, on Thursday, he phoned me back to say he'd found it, so we agreed that I would go and pick it up which is what Tina and I did this afternoon.
Tom is now retired, wheelchair-bound (due to a botched operation on his back a some years ago) and living in a nursing home in Bexhill-on-Sea. The last time I saw him was at his wife's funeral nearly nine years ago.
It was great to see him again. He was my choirmaster when I first joined the church choir at the age of 8 and as such, had a major influence on my appreciation of church music that continues to this day. He is still much the same as I remember him - slightly eccentric (as musicians often are) with hair and beard growing at all angles. We sat and chatted about old times, about music, about Real Ale - you know, all the things that really matter.
All too soon, it was time to come home. We'd had a bugger of a drive to get there and, despite choosing a different route coming back, had a bugger of a drive getting home too.
After I've been assessed and quizzed, that will be all the coursework complete. All I need to do then is sit and wait to find out whether or not I've passed.