Everything Else An Organist Should Know
The authors of this book, Robert Leach and Barry Williams, cheerfully describe it as a dog’s breakfast of law, accounts, science, theology, regulation and received wisdom. They are being modest – it’s an essential guide to all those aspects of working as a professional organist which they don’t teach you at music school. Goodwill is not always enough when relationships with the clergy or vestry become strained, when child protection issues get thrown at you, when your understanding of copyright is hazy. Knowing the Canon Law relating to organists is rather helpful, as is knowing the recommended practice for employing and protecting children, the limits of your Health & Safety responsibilities, and how to respond when someone questions whether the organist should be paid at all. (It is important to follow scripture in this latter area as in any other suggest the authors, offering Luke 10:7, Romans 4:4, and Matthew 20:1-16 as suitable ammunition.)
Robert Leach is a chartered certified accountant, Barry Williams is a lawyer – they are both organists and choir leaders, and I can’t list here all the church and related bodies they’ve served on, advised, worked for – you’ll just have to read their biogs in the book. It’s available from their website Organist Publications. Originally published in 2005, with updates on the website in 2009, it’s likely and inevitable that some details may be out of date, but as long as you are aware of this it’s a valuable addition to the organist’s library.
You can also download an editable organist’s contract of employment from their website, free of charge.
Everything Else an Organist Should Know
Robert Leach & Barry Williams
Organist Publications Ltd 2005
ISBN 0-9550749-0-8
£17.00
www.organistpublications.co.uk
I guess I should point out that the law and accountancy in this book refer to UK practice.
You might also like:
