T

ell me about your upbringing in the church

I was born into Falkirk Old Parish Church. My mother was a member, and I was baptised by Wilson Leslie in Falkirk Old in 1942 and came through the Sunday School, Bible class and Youth Fellowship.  Then in the mid 60s I became an elder and then organist.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I have always had an abiding interest in music, and of course my family and the church mean a lot to me. The garden, the house and golf keep me busy, and Arran is a very special place to me: we have had holidays in Arran every summer for 32 years.

What do you think is the role of music in worship?

Music is extremely important in worship. To a lot of people, it is the major point of contact and many in the congregation will remember the tune before the words. It has been found that people suffering from dementia can still remember and sing the tunes of the earliest hymns they learnt. Music can also allow reflection and enhance the atmosphere and ambience in worship. Some people will say that they feel a heightened presence of God’s Spirit in music.

In my early days in the Junior Choir with Willie Welsh, the organist, I learnt anthems. Then at school I was taught the organ by Alan Wilkins who, as well as teaching at Falkirk High, was also the organist at the Holy Rude in Stirling. I sang in the Holy Rude at some very impressive services, which made quite an impact, including the Remembrance Service. At times we sang quite difficult unaccompanied anthems from early music to 20th century styles. When I became the organist at Falkirk Old, the choir used a repertoire of anthems etc. based on what might be found in St Giles and Paisley Abbey.  In fact Falkirk Old choir was the genesis of Falkirk Festival Chorus.  In the last 6 or 7 years the choir has reduced in numbers, and the repertoire of music has changed.  In the past the organist would choose an anthem and tell the minister what the choir was going to sing, but now the music is part of the theme of the service and fits with that. When Leith Fisher came we didn’t have a choir for a while, but we re-started it and we began a process of introducing new music – music and words which were more linked to the themes of the service. Styles of worship have changed and the choir has adapted to providing music which is more integrated in the service and less of a “bolted-on performance”. The choir has been a valuable support in teaching the new musicwhich appeared in CH4.

You were involved in preparing CH4. How did that come about and did you enjoy it?

I was on the General Assembly Music Committee which was part of the “Panel on Worship”. I met lots of new people who were all inspirational and were bringing about a revolution in how music could be used in new and meaningful ways in worship. We met for ten years before CH4 was complete. During that time we had a lot of interesting debates, none of which were acrimonious. There was lot of laughter and fun, and I really enjoyed working with many of the “Giants” of the Church. CH4 has provided a lot of new resource material and has tried to bring the Church into the 21st century. For example the children’s hymn which we sang on Remembrance Sunday was included in CH4 because it is a hymn which allows children to express sorrow. CH4 brought together some of the old and new tunes in the psalms at the beginning. These tunes are part of our heritage which we leave to the next generation.

Through your interest in music you have links with many other churches. How has that influenced your views?

These links widen your views. They make you more aware that there are so many ways of doing the same thing. You become more tolerant and less suspicious of “the unknown”. 

Where do you see the church going in the future?

It is obvious when you look around at congregations (not just our own congregation) that they are reducing in numbers and that the average age is rising, although it is good to see that there are pockets of younger members with families.  It has always been the habit of congregations to scatter themselves around the church – especially the back pews. How much more enjoyable the singing of hymns would be if we all stood shoulder to shoulder! We don’t need huge buildings to service a worshipping congregation of a maximum of 150 (this actually encourages congregations to spread out).  We are spending too much money on buildings. We need to have discussions around our visions and to be prepared to start with a blank sheet of paper. And they need to be sooner rather than later.

The music in the church needs to change too. Although praise bands and the type of music they employ have a place and can provide an enjoyable worship experience, I don’t think they are the solution to encourage attendance at regular diets of worship. I think CH 4 has provided an eclectic mix of resources which provides a wide variety of musical genres and styles of language.  There are fewer organists to play in churches and there are also problems surrounding the high cost of maintaining a pipe organ. I don’t think I could justify a bill of £50,000 or more for repairs to the organ in Falkirk Old if it became damaged – particularly as it is only used for an hour on a Sunday and practice sessions for the organist! However, if the building was adapted for multi-use and one of these uses was a concert hall, then the pipe-organ would reaffirm its place as the “king of Instruments” and become a beacon for performances of the masterworks of the classical music repertoire. This would ensure its maintenance and retention for future generations.

How has the church and your faith influenced your life?

Everything you do is rooted in the faith you build up. That faith is often not even conscious; it just becomes part of you. Every day I draw strength from all the years I have been taught about the Christian faith and I pray silently. If I have done the wrong thing, then I am very conscious of it. I don’t wear my faith on my sleeve, but it’s part of me and part of my being.