Llandaff Cathedral Choir

[diapason]

Not an organ, but the choir and choral tradition of Llandaff cathedral are at risk as the Chapter propose to sack the Assistant Organist and Lay Clerks to save money.  This, just after the new organ has finally been completed.  I've met Sachin Gunga, the Assistant Organist and he's a thoroughly nice chap as well, of course, as being a superlative musician.  Llandaff are the only professional choir in Wales.  Please look at the attached link to the ISM petition and consider signing it.  Mush is at stake here - not least our own parish church choirs and organs. 
http://savellandaffchoir.weebly.com/about-save-llandaff-cathedral-choir.html
Nigel

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

This cause should be receiving wholehearted support and I hope that people might engage more actively on this forum rather than in the ephemeral world of facebook to bring issues to light.

The saving of this choir is important. There are multiple reasons, of the benefit of
1. training that choristers recieve, important to public life, in terms of public speaking and self confidence.
2. music itself, of an empathetic nature rather than computer generated sounds made by robots for robots and inhumanity
3. at the end of the day, ritual is a great settler of the mind. No matter what faith, belief or none, there are many people perhaps on antidepressants who might possibly  not be were they to listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOWEykrxZ7s for 40 minutes at the end of the day before departing into the deadness of sleep. Ritual is an important focus for the mind and the choir is central.
4. By making a video such as the one above with the sound recording, two photos and the words of the service, I have been able to send to friends in Taiwan, Iran and even China, the latter who had never come across the message of Jesus before, and who know that there is something beyond what our debased society promotes.

The Choir therefore can be an important tool of the Church in the widest possible sense and is worthy of particular support.

Best wishes

David P

[diapason]

I've signed the petition and written a letter.  I know that both the IAO and ISM have written to the Dean & Chapter.  Sadly, there does not appear to have been any response, and I suspect that they will simply ignore all protestations and go ahead with the cuts.  Future generations will be the poorer for their senseless, luddite actions.

[David Pinnegar]

Sadly it appears documented by two website pages on www.walesonline.co.uk that the Cathedral is beset by controversy of people not actively engaging with their talents in the context below as best they might to maintain their fine heritage.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dean-of-llandaff-cathedral-quits-3567892 documents the resignation of the former Dean only just in May apparently from the article upon pressure resulting from "some clergy resenting the appointment of a woman". The article then documents controversy over the relatively poor advantage the cathedral choir received as a result of BBC Songs of Praise services. Clearly there was a resource capable of being harnessed more in order to sustain the presence of the choir which was not harnessed as much as it might have been.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/llandaff-cathedral-slims-down-choir-6274782 blames the shortfall of funds on Parishioners, whereas it is clear that a tougher commercial negotiation with the BBC might have been a relevant consideration.

Personally dealing with film companies, I find them pleading poverty all the time but see them still employing significant numbers of people doing comfortably well and that being beaten down on fees subsidises the producer's lifestyles at the expense of the maintenance of the heritage being used and enjoyed as the necessary backdrop to the filming. The other day I was approached by a Channel 4 production seeking a venue for an Alan Carr sketch. "It's only a small shoot . . . " "What's your budget?" "£400" "What hours?" "A full day" "How many crew" (expecting little more than an ENG (electronic news gathering) crewsize) "There's the cameraman and the lighting guy and the producer and the director and the makeup artist, the star, and four extras and two art department and . . .  - about 16 in all" "So it's a reality of a full crew using a historic location for £400 for a full day? Go away . . . "

So really perhaps the bottom line on Llandaff Cathedral Choir is that they might not be cutting back on what is really a core activity were they possibly be able to be tougher in the commercial world in which they have entered in order to maintain the resources they have and create for future generations.

Having made these observations, however, the days of income from TV crews are numbered. Since the analogue signal has been withdrawn I have not updated the equipment to go digital and am probably not unique . . .

Best wishes

David P

[Henry Vann]

I have been asked to post this here and hope it is of interest.

The consultation period has been extended and more information can be found online:

http://savellandaffchoir.weebly.com/latest-news.html

Lifeline for Llandaff Cathedral Choir!

Breaking news

The Chapter of Llandaff Cathedral have just agreed to extend the consultation period on making the professional members of the Cathedral Choir redundant.

This is great news for the Choir, great news for the Cathedral and great news for Wales; we are really pleased with this outcome and we hope you are too.

This could not have been achieved without your support.

Thank you

With pledges of over £2,500 generated in just a few days, the Choir's own fundraising plans (which the Chapter accepts could raise £36k over the next 12 months) and support from Friends of Cathedral Music and the Ouseley Trust it became clear that there were viable alternatives to making the professional members of the Cathedral Choir redundant.

This has enabled us to demonstrate that the necessary funds to save the choir can be found.

Thank you especially to all those who were able to pledge support by email to llandaff@ism.org; this indication of support was critical and we will let you know as soon as possible if/when a full scale fundraising campaign begins.

Keep spreading the word

Here at the ISM, we will continue to encourage and support the Cathedral Chapter in finding a way forward that avoids redundancies and we still need your help to do this.

Have you told your friends about the campaign? Have you encouraged your friends, family and colleagues to support the campaign? Have you spread the word through your own network of contacts?

You can also read regular updates about the campaign online and listen to our comments on BBC Wales (from 20 minutes).

Best wishes

The Save Llandaff Cathedral Choir Team

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

Llandaff needs your particular help today. Perhaps you might write to archdeacon.llandaff@churchinwales.org.uk along lines of the following, below. Apparently a decision is expected in just a couple of days time, so now is crucial.

I have personally written today
"
Your choir is a jewel of England. I was talking the other day to the headmaster's wife of a famous school that gives scholarships to young people. Your choir is of such quality that your choristers have received the benefit of scholarship education and the resource that you appear to be murdering has spinoff good benefit way beyond the radar of your imagination. So please can I ask you to heed all the requests imploring you to keep your choir as it is.

Please see
http://www.organmatters.com/index.php/topic,1800.msg8178.html"

We really do have to stand up for civilisation. The church is currently declining so much with disinterest all about and indeed my local church is under threat of closure. The church is like that invalid of 29 years who was complaining and to whom Jesus said "Get up and walk". Choirs are an important attraction of introducing people to the beauty of "the way". It's so said to see Llandaff cutting off its own legs. As faithful, we have to tell the Church to "Get up and walk", rather than disabling itself even further.

I am writing to ask the Cathedral Chapter not to sack the professional members of Llandaff's Cathedral Choir.

The importance of choral music to the cultural, economic and spiritual life of the Cathedral and wider city is immense and any decision to downgrade the Choir in this way would be short-sighted and highly damaging.

This proposal is very puzzling given that the Cathedral recently spent £1.5 million on a new organ, and it is very strange that the Chapter should choose to take this decision just days before Christmas, a time when the value of choral music is particularly clear.

I would urge the Cathedral Chapter to work with the Choir and the rest of the Cathedral community to tackle the deficit by fundraising efforts, rather than by redundancies that will do lasting damage to the musical life of Llandaff Cathedral.

Best wishes

David P

[makemoreandmore]

Hi!

Your choir is a jewel of England.

Um, Wales has never been in England, David. Just saying  :P

[David Pinnegar]

:-) !!!

Best wishes

David P