Are emergency "fill ins" realistic?

[Menschenstimme]

This weekend our elderly music director became ill Saturday evening and I allowed him to dump (if you will pardon the usage) the 11AM Mass on me. Fortunately, his planned program was all stuff that I could play - but not without practicing Saturday evening and some rehearsal with the choir on Sunday morning. However, it still ruined both my Saturday evening and Sunday evening for which I had other plans. (Nothing all that important - but annoying and inconvenient nonetheless.) Everything came together and went fine for the Mass. Thank God!

But here is my question:

I am the non-stipendiary assistant organist and curator of the organ. My actual role in the parish is to fill in for planned absences - not emergencies. My theory here is that to have a music-less Mass now and then because someone is ill should be considered completely acceptable and should not be an emergency. I know at least one other organist who would fill in for $$$, but I have never asked him if he would actually do a last-minute emergency.
Emergencies are uncomfortable and awkward, even for the best sight-readers (which I am not).

Our music director has openly admitted that he never wants to have a music-less Mass that normally has music because he is paranoid about folks getting the idea that we really do not need music for Mass after all, etc.

Am I being overly recalcitrant regarding emergencies? Is our music director being too demanding in this regard?
I have asked the clergy about this issue and they agree that it is okay to have a music-less Mass in an emergency; but apparently our music director does not agree with me nor them on this issue.

Whatever . . .

SIGH!!

[cantoris]

The situation over here (England) is perhaps different in that many organists are voluntary/unpaid and the majority of churches are run musically (and in other ways too) very much on an amateur footing. I'm officially a freelance at the moment, but tend to play regularly in two country churches which are located about 25 miles from me in the Exmoor national Park. During this winter, we had bad snow over Christmas which left both churches only accessible by 4x4 trucks. I drive a 40 year old Land Rover for this reason. We had to cancel some services - not because the Vicar or I couldn't get there, but because the congregation couldn't. On Christmass Day I played for Mass for a congregation of 7. Before I started playing there, one of the churches only had an organist once a month - the other services they had no music at all. I don't like to let them down (even though one of them can't afford to pay me), but, if it comes to it in a emergency, they have to do without. In the same way, as a freelance, I've been asked to do a wedding at 2 hours notice - not because someone was unwell, but because the RC priest had forgotten to book anyone beforehand. It happens!

[RayE]

I am a member of our church choir and volunteer to fill in for the Paid organist for free to help save the Church some money. I have done some last minute services some with no notice at all (IE: I show up for the service expecting to sing, and wind up playing). When last minute is the case, we cancel the choir anthem, and I'll usually improvise on familiar hymn tunes for prelude, postlude, offering, and communion music, and play as much of the liturgy as I can (this sometimes means playing the melody only for them to sing to). If something happens last minute do your best, simplify and cut the stuff you aren't adequately prepared for. You can't be expected last minute to do everything the regular Organist prepares well in advance.

[hartleymartin]

In reality, I think that you should be collecting the performance fee for the day.

[mashaffer]

If such is happening regularly you might want to attempt to make some kind of arrangement for the future. For an occasional emergency my tendency would be to be content with having the opportunity to use my talents (modest as they are) to His glory. S.D.G.

You are no doubt much more skilled than I as I would not be able to jump in on a choir anthem which I had not practiced so I would have been of limited help in such a situation but whatever skills I have are from Him and for Him.

That said, when my wife filled in for the paid pianist at our church (she knew in advance) the church offered her a payment for it of their own accord. I would think that would be a normal approach. Possibly they felt that it was a part of your current unpaid position and if there is disagreement on that point it would probably be a good idea to attempt to come to agreement on the point (lovingly of course) so that a seed of resentment is not planted.

mike

[matmilne]

Sadly ruined weekends are a natural part of any job, and short notice play is normal. Music-less services are becoming more common.

[Menschenstimme]

A music-less liturgy upon relatively rare occasions should be completely acceptable rather than ruining someone's weekend and possibly even the liturgy because they did not have adequate warning to prepare in a professional manner.

[ClergetMusic]

I too would rather not play if I am not properly prepared to do so. However, I have played on short notice before (and for some important days in a person's life, too! i.e. First Communion, etc). I think that as organists, we always find a way to make it work, whether it is as good as we would like or not. As a result of playing a few times in this manner, my sight reading abilities have improved at the organ. My musical background is in clarinet, so sight reading is quite natural to me anyway.

[Menschenstimme]

You have a kind and generous attitude of stewardship, ClergetMusic.

I too have accepted such emergencies (albeit rarely). I hope you will not be disappointed to hear that I did the best I could. But I also - as gracefully gently and politely as possible - made it clear that planning ahead is a much-loved virtue. (At our parish, said emergencies and almost always due to careless planning rather than sudden illness or other emergency.) SIGH!

[ClergetMusic]

Menschenstimme,

You are of course correct in explaining it to your parish leaders and others who may have inquired (sometimes forcefully), that proper preparation is the key to securing the best musical (and therefore liturgical) experience possible. Sometimes, we need to do that, as our leadership and congregations do not understand that what we do doesn't "just happen" as much as we make it look that way.

Also, thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it! From one RC to another: In Christo Tuus.