My early connections with our church and music

As some of you have been asking how I became involved with music at our church, over the coming weeks I will add this section to explain...

This chapter is not so much about the choir - but about my early years of involvement with the church, the organ and music.

My earliest connection with Spalding Parish Church was when I was Baptised - but, of course, I don't remember that!

My very first recollection of being in Spalding Parish Church was when I was dressed as a Page Boy, aged about 4 years old, for the wedding of Margaret Nix - one of my mum's cousins. I cannot remember very much about this occasion - apart from my dislike of the clothes, and it being quite dark in the church. Apparently - according to my mum (who told me this many years later) - I behaved quite badly and would not stand where I was supposed to - in the aisle behind the bride. I obviously didn't like being told what to do - so no great change there then after 60 years ...

I remember as a child going to church on a Sunday morning with my mum and nan (I expect Dad was already in the choir by then). We always sat on the south side - in front of the war memorial. After (or it may have been during) each service we were given a stamp to glue into a book. Each week of the Church's year had a space for a stamp to be glued in. The stamps were very colourful - and depicted Biblical scenes for that particular week. At that time it seemed more important to go to church in order to get the stamp, than for any other reason. Dora Lawson (Miss) was the verger at the time, and was quite a formidable looking woman who always wore a black vergers' gown, and a flat square 'mortar board' type of hat - and she gave out the weekly stamps.

I wonder if anyone still has any of these stamps - or completed books.

By an incredible chance a small video clip exists of the moment that Dora Lawson is giving us these stamps in 1962, and there I am, aged 6, facing the camera with a striped T shirt at 0:18 on the video clip.

Also, quite by chance at 2:26 is a brief shot of our family in 1962 with mum (in the hat) with my dad - and me in front going into the old Parish School for 'Parish Breakfast'.

The video clip begins with Colin Martin playing the church organ ...

[You may need to click the arrow in the top right hand corner for the video to play]

Sunday School

It was suggested that I might like to go to Sunday School, which was held whilst the service in church was taking place. In those days Sunday School was held in the old Church Street School, (demolished in the 1990s), opposite the church . The Sunday School class was held in a flat-roofed classroom which, during the week, was used by the teacher Miss Morley.

On arriving for the Sunday School we were all asked to say our birthdays. Sad to say - I didn't actually know my birthday date and so, when my name was called, I repeated the same date as the person before me. The teacher knew this couldn't be right, and afterwards I got into trouble for doing this. I never went to Sunday School again ....

The Organ Played

When I was aged about 7, in 1963, my dad and I were walking past the church to town one Saturday afternoon and we could hear the sound of the organ being played. Dad took me in, and I stood on one of the choir men's seats to watch Colin Martin playing the organ. I was totally mesmerised by the sound of the organ, and by the keyboards and stops. I guess that was the moment I was inspired to one day become an organist. On arriving home, I made models of the organ out of Lego, and talked about nothing else but the sound of the organ - and asked so many questions about the pipes - and how the organ worked.

In September 1964 I was allowed to join the choir - as I was now in the Junior Department of the school (now known as Key Stage 2) - and some of my memories of that time are recounted later on this page.

My Confirmation

I was confirmed in 1967, and one of my two Godfathers - John Holmes - presented me with a Carol Book - Carols For Choirs - which I still use to this day. I remember learning carols to play on the piano, to begin with, - starting at number 1 - 'A Great and Mighty Wonder' , and then number 2 - 'Away in a Manger' ...

Piano Lessons

When I joined the choir in 1964, I also began to have piano lessons with Colin Martin. He lived opposite the church in The Chantry, 7 Church Street, and his music room was at the back of the house, with a window looking into the back courtyard garden. On arrival at the house I would knock on the side door, and Annie, Colin's wife, would show me into the sitting room, where I waited until the previous lesson had ended.

I was extremely keen to learn to play the piano, and my parents bought a second-hand piano for me to practise on in our home in Grange Drive. Colin (Mr. Martin to me) supplied a note book, and wrote instructions as to what I needed to practise / learn before the following lesson. Alongside the practical piano playing went the theory of music - note names, Italian terms, time signatures, key signatures etc.

I worked through the Associated Board exams from Grade 1 - and in those days it was necessary to take Grade 1 theory before Grade 1 practical, and so on - all to be taken in order. The theory exams were held at the old London Road High School (now the home of Ayscoughfee School), and the practical exams were held in a room above Clarke's Music Services shop in Broad Street.

When I reached grade 4 in 1968, aged now twelve, I asked if I could have lessons on the organ. Colin said that I could - as soon as I had achieved Grade 5 on the piano.

Playing the organ for the very first time

In the meantime Colin said that it I could learn to play a hymn tune, then he would let me try it out on the organ after a Friday choir practice. I couldn't wait ... He suggested the hymn tune 'St. Flavian' set to the words 'O God unseen, yet ever near' (a hymn no longer in our current hymn book). True to his word, he then allowed me to play the tune on the organ - and that was the very first time I had been allowed to sit on the organ bench and actually play the organ. My next hymn to learn was 'We Love the Place O God' to the tune 'Quam Dilecta', and from then onwards I learnt one hymn tune each week. It was still be be quite a while before I could actually play anything for a Sunday service.

In July 1969 after passing Grade 5 with merit, I began having lessons on the organ in the church. I saved up all my pocket money - and money I earned bulb cleaning at Hortico - to spend on organ music from Clarke's Music Services. By April 1970 I had started learning items by J.S.Bach - from Book 1. The book is still in use - and still has the date on when I bought it!

After only about two years of lessons with Colin Martin on the organ, he was taken ill, and I had to continue learning on my own. Eric Wayman took over whilst Colin was in hospital, and I was occasionally involved with playing for some services. This was also the time of the organ restoration, and the installation of the temporary 'Ardeton' organ. (More about that in the Spalding Parish Church Organ section.) Thankfully Eric was also willing to offer me some help and advice with my organ playing during this time. Once Colin was back in good health my lessons resumed until I went to Bede College Teacher Training College in Durham in 1974.

In Durham

Whilst I was at college, from 1974 to 1977 I had lessons with Alan Thurlow, who was the assistant organist at Durham Cathedral. At the end of each term he would allow us to go with him to the Cathedral and play some of the items we had been learning on the magnificent organ by Harrison and Harrison. I particularly remember playing the Finale, by Vierne - a piece which I really enjoyed playing. It sounded wonderful played in that amazing building. In 1977 I passed my final organ exam - Associated Board, Grade 8.

Organist at Moulton Parish Church

On returning to Spalding in 1977 I was appointed as organist at Moulton Parish Church in 1978 on a 'temporary basis'. When I was invited to become Assistant Organist at Spalding in 1979, I continued to play at both churches - 9.30am at Moulton, and 11 am at Spalding. I relinquished the post at Moulton on my appointment as Organist at Spalding in April 1981.

An organ at home

At the age of 11 I was not content with playing the piano, I really wanted to have an organ of some kind at home - and you can read all about how that came about that - and what it led to - in chapter 29 of my memoirs.

My time as a choirboy ..

My first attendance at choir was for the practice on Monday 14th September 1964. On the same day three other boys also joined - Ian Sharp, Andrew Moore, Dean Herd and David Compton. The following Monday three more boys joined - Timothy Richardson, Paul Kendrick and Mark Eggleton.

At that time everyone was allocated a person to 'look after' you - with a particular place to sit. I was looked after by David Thornhill - and from what I can remember he did a good job!

Chris Moore and Alan Magill were Head Choristers.

In 1965 when David Thornhill took over from Chris Moore as Head Chorister I was then put next to Paul Scotney. When Martin Kendrick took over from Alan Magill in 1966 I became a 'corner boy' - what we now call a Team Leader. Later that year there were two new Head Choristers - John Gibson and Nicholas Neal.

George Layton's two boys joined in 1967, and Thelma Layton took charge of cleaning the robes - as the family owned Layton's Dry Cleaning business in Bridge Street.

In 1968 John Armstrong took over as Head Chorister from Nicholas Neal - and in 1969 it was my long-awaited turn. I was head chorister with Timothy Richardson. He sat on the south side and I was opposite on the north side. I recall several occasions when Tim would become dizzy - and faint - sometimes falling sideways and banging his head on the wooden screen and heater. The singers behind became aware that this could happen - and kept a watch out just in case ...

In 1970 David Compton took over as head chorister from Tim Richardson, and then in the same year Ian Sharp took over from David Compton. I started to sing in the bass section on 22nd January 1971 - where I continued singing in the choir until leaving for Durham in September 1974.

I really enjoyed my time in the choir, and - according to the register - my attendance was good! Although we did not have choir club, and only the occasional choir outing, I made many good friends through the choir.

One of the highlights for me was when Colin would use the organ at a Friday practice. Usually he used the small piano - but occasionally, towards the end of a practice, we would sing an anthem accompanied with the organ - and to me that always seemed so much better.

On Sunday 7th May 1972 Anglia Television broadcast a morning service from Spalding Parish Church to mark the start of the Flower Festival week. The account above appeared in the Local newspaper on Tuesday 9th May.

I have contacted the East Anglian Film Archive in Norwich to let me know if a recording still exists in their archives, but as yet I have not had a reply. Someone local may have recorded this in some form - and if so please let me know as those who were there would love to see the broadcast again!

Several of the boys found different ways to irritate Colin Martin - or what we might say today - wind him up ... I don't think that anyone did this out of malice - mainly just to see his reaction ...

Here are a few of the things that some of the boys used to do - that our current choir boys should not do ...

Keeping the choirmaster talking

Colin had lots of tales to tell about all kinds of things, and some boys would try to get him talking - so that less singing took place.

Kneelers

The kneelers for the boys consist of one long wooden construction covered with red carpet. One of the boys sitting nearest the Altar end discovered that if the kneeler was pushed slightly sideways the whole kneeler could then be pushed forward at one end - like a see-saw - causing the other end to swing forward - and trapping people's feet.

Music books on the floor

Chant books, psalters and anthem books were kept on a small shelf underneath the choirstalls (as they still are today). One boy discovered that the shelves were not actually fixed in, and that by lifting it upwards with his knee, all the books would fall down the back. This then used to happen quite frequently... [I have now fixed the shelves ...]

Hymn boards

The two hymn boards that are near the Rood Screen are hung on two hooks. Someone found out that if the boards were only just hooked on, then might fall down when the organ played loudly ...

Looking back, I realise now just how well-behaved our choir members have been in recent years, compared to then - and all the things that we used to get up to ...