 
MCMS e-news - October 2009
Welcome to everyone who has joined our mailing list recently, including all those who have joined ArtServe since it was launched at the Methodist Conference in July.
Our annual conference Connecting Creativity is fast approaching, but it's not too late to book. This is our first conference since the launch of ArtServe and it's designed to appeal to everyone involved in worship arts. Read on for full details of the venue, the content, the leaders, and how to book.
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MCMS members - we are currently operating as two organisations running alongside each other, and it's easy to get confused! So, a reminder that you are now also a member of ArtServe: there is no need to complete an ArtServe application form or make any further payment at the moment. You will shortly receive a mailing which includes the annual report and accounts, but also important proposals for the future. Please take time to read the documents and vote on the proposals. Electronic proxy voting is available.
ArtServe members will soon receive a mailing relating to ArtServe's first Annual General Meeting.
If you aren't yet a member of ArtServe, please consider joining us. The one-off joining fee is only £5. You can join by visiting our website, alternatively click here to request a brochure which will enable you to give us more information than is currently possible on the website. Remember, ArtServe exists to support all worship arts, including music.
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Connecting Creativity
MCMS/ArtServe Conference 2009
This year's conference runs from Friday 30th October to Sunday 1st November at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire. The programme includes musical and non-musical themes, along with a third strand looking at some of the practicalities of organising worship. A limited number of day visitor places are available for the Saturday. Click here to download the brochure and booking form.
To open the conference on Friday evening Rob Newton and Dorothy Pipet lead a session entitled 'Sing, and make music in your heart to the Lord', exploring hymns and songs old and new - something for everyone. |
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Our keynote speaker on Saturday morning is the Revd Piers Lane , a Methodist minister and Director of Evangelism at Cliff College where he oversees the worship life of the community. Piers is a musician and a writer of worship material. Together with his wife Fran he has been involved in many creative projects which have worship and mission at their heart. He's been playing drums since he was nine, and found faith while working in the alternative music scene in the '80s.
Our workshop sessions include something for everyone:
Andrew Pratt and Marjorie Dobson lead sessions on creative writing. Andrew, a Methodist Minister based at Hartley Victoria College, Manchester, is Methodism's most prolific living hymn writer. Marjorie, a local preacher, has a gift for inspiring worship that is relevant to day-to-day living. Both are members of the Music Resource Group preparing the new hymn collection. As well as leading workshops Andrew and Marjorie will be available most of the weekend for individual consultations, when conference participants will be able to discuss their own work. Read more about Andrew and Marjorie .
Stella Bristow is an experienced worship leader, and has many tried and tested ideas for using all aspects of creativity in worship. Her workshop is called 'Using Senses in Worship'.
Julie Hulme's workshop is entitled 'Bread in our Hands' (which is also the title of her book). Julie is a Methodist minister following a call to live the ministry of word and sacrament as a life of prayer, expressed mainly through writing and art.
Jacqui Hicks leads sessions entitled 'From everlasting to everlasting'. Jacqui was a member of the former Creative Arts Forum and has wide experience in visual arts. Her workshops will focus on Multisensory Psalms. Jacqui's new website is called Creative Spirit .
Wayne Grewcock looks at the use of electronic resources to aid worship. Wayne, also a Methodist minister, is a director of Twelvebaskets a creative resources organisation providing material for use in worship.
| Dorothy Pipet will lead sessions for instrumentalists. Dorothy, a classically trained musician, plays violin in the worship band AD2000, and has taught herself to contribute to the band in a more improvisatory style. Her workshops will help those who want to break free from the 'tyranny of the dots'. Bring your instrument - you will be having a go! this session is particularly applicable to melody instruments).
Chris Williams from CCLI will demystify copyright issues. Copyright can be a nightmare for church musicians and those leading worship - what can be copied? which licence? can the music be copied? can I make my own arrangement? These are commonly posed questions and Chris Williams will be able to answer them all and more.
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You will be able to choose two workshops. To find out what you missed there is a plenary session when highlights of individual workshops will be fed back to all conference participants.
On Saturday evening we enjoy Christian entertainer Stuart Ferguson .
Sunday Morning Worship is led by the Revd Julie Hulme. The Revd Andrew Pratt is our preacher and the Revd Wayne Grewcock presides at communion. We then have a chance to learn more about the new Methodist Hymn Collection , due to be published in 2011, from members of the Music Resources Group.
For those able to stay after the MCMS and ArtServe Annual General Meetings on Sunday afternoon, there will be some further musical sessions , including the chance to sing a Roger Jones musical.
Click here to download the brochure and booking form. For enquiries about bookings please contact Gillian Pengelly (029 2045 3968).
'Come and Sing' in Sevenoaks
Sunday 8th November, 4.00 pm and 6.30 pm
To mark the bicentenaries of the death of Haydn and birth of Mendelssohn, Come and Sing selected works at The Drive Methodist Church , Sevenoaks, TN13 3AB. Rehearsal at 4.00 pm with tea at 5.30 pm if booked in advance. The performance starts at 6.30 pm. Admission is free - retiring collection. For details of works to be sung or to book, contact Valerie Ruddle 01732 450355.
Valerie writes: we need a few more copies of Mendelssohn's 'How lovely are the messengers' (from 'St. Paul'). Can anyone lend us some, please?
Regional training day 2010
Following this year's successful event in East Didsbury, the next regional training day will be held at High Street Methodist Church, Harpenden, on Saturday 12th June 2010. The theme of the day will be Exploring Worship - Celebration and Renewal . Workshop leaders include the Revd Nick Young, Barbara Young, Rob Newton and Michael Davies. Further details and booking arrangements will be published as they become available, meanwhile please book the date.
If you know of a church which might be interested in hosting a similar training event in 2011, please contact Christine Lawley 01403 257406.
Who should join us?
There is a surprisingly wide range of Creative Arts activity within the church - dancers and mime artists, banner makers and flower arrangers, painters and film-makers, those who specialise in multi-media or visual aids, and many more (see the ArtServe website ). Writers are creative artists too, whether poets or hymnwriters, composers or arrangers, dramatists or liturgists.
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ArtServe exists to connect and support all such people within our churches. We want to know about expert practitioners such as teachers and workshop leaders; we want to link up with those who are interested but aren't sure how to get started; and everyone in between.
ArtServe brochures (left) have been distributed with three major journals, Magnet, Ichthus, and the URC publication Reform. They will reach a good proportion of our target audience, but by no means all of it. If you know someone who is active in any art form (including all styles of music) please tell them about ArtServe. Click here to request brochures. Anyone is welcome to join our mailing list even if they are not sure whether to become a member of ArtServe.
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Can you help?
An avid record collector asks whether anyone can help to identify the circumstances of a recording that has come into his possession. It is a 12" vinyl recording of excerpts from Messiah by the choir of St. Mark's Methodist Church, Tottenham. It appears that the recording was made at the rededication of the church after it and the organ had been badly damaged during WW2.
Other salient details: the performance was conducted by Reginald Brigden, with organist Harold Hall. The only details on the plain white sleeve are "St. Mark's Methodist Church Choir - Messiah" in blue ink, the name "Fred", and on the label "Best wishes from Reg".
If you can help, please contact John Connor .
Links and contacts
If you haven't seen ArtServe's website yet, then visit www.artserve.org.uk now!
Organ advisory service
Long service certificates
Grants for music tuition (Freeman Trust)
Training events: Christine Lawley (01403) 257406
Annual conference: Gillian Pengelly (029) 2045 3968
Magazine editor: Godfrey Talford (01692) 650803
Organ advice & instruments in worship: Philip Carter (0117) 977 9152
Worship bands: Rob Newton (01509) 233396
Long service certificates: Margaret Higson (01204) 852538
Membership: Michael Boxall (020) 8669 9744
All other enquiries: John Bailey 08456 210410
You have received e-news from ArtServe and MCMS because you have given us an email address. If you are not yet on our mailing list click here to register your address. Email addresses are not revealed to anyone else. If you would rather not receive further communications from us, please click here .
Items for inclusion in e-news should be sent to e-news@methodistmusic.org . Please include relevant web links and email contacts where possible. Contributions should have some relevance to worship arts (music, performance arts, or visual arts). We cannot guarantee publication and reserve the right to edit contributions.
ArtServe is the operating name of Methodist Arts Limited, a company limited by guarantee
(registered in England no. 06673242) and a registered charity (no. 1129831).
Registered Office: 23A The Quadrant, Totley, Sheffield, S17 4DB.
ArtServe is an initiative of the Methodist Church Music Society (MCMS).
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