[Magdalen] Update (was Prayer request)

[Kristin Rollins]

On Tue, Jan 6, 2015, at 04:49 PM, Roger Stokes wrote:
> I am delighted it went well and agree it would be good for Kristin to be 
> seen there more regularly.


I am surprised to be able to say at this point that I have been back to
St John's three times (will be a fourth tonight) since I resigned as
their organist. And the welcome has been quite good. So Old Donation
would not be fulfilling the role I thought it might need to (because the
reaction from St John's has surpassed any expectation I had). In fact
the only "flaw" for St John's can sometimes be that everybody is still
so excited to see me back that I feel I get rather more attention that I
am comfortable with. So I have another large nearby parish which I
intend to visit some week soon for a chance to hopefully anonymously
slip into a pew.

The other reason I had not gone back there was because Heather still has
commitments that tie her to St John's on Sunday mornings, so I would
have to go there alone. But I survived going there alone today, so maybe
I should just do it some week.


> I am not a musician but agree that there are hymns which are better 
> suited to a more percussive accompaniment than the organ supplies. There 
> is little you can do about it if that is the hymn chosen and the organ 
> is the only accompaniment available.


There is an electronic keyboard, but it is positioned in such a way that
the organ blocks the player's view of ANYTHING when playing...and, I
don't recall it being used for anything but choral or solo accompaniment
when I was there. Though it is long enough ago that I could be mistaken
about that. 

Kristin