A friend of mine who plays organ for a parish I used to attend, and for a long time was choir director, was told this last week he's being laid off because the current choir director is having budget issues. Now he has to decide whether he's going to keep playing for nothing, or find a new, paying parish.
Please pray for him. If you live fairly close to me (and I know YOU know if you do), please send me a private message if you know of a good parish.
The really messed up thing in all of this - my friend suspects that the new choir director is having budget issues because he's hiring singers for the parish choir.
They never needed paid musicians when my friend was in charge. They did music that was simple, but still elegant and accessible. The whole thing is just mind-boggling to me.
There is a local Christianed Reformed church with a lovely new building and spectacular organ. They have a talented, paid organist. I was there for a recital the other day and was shocked at how few regular parishioners are listed (compared to our huge parish), yet paying the organist is not a problem. It is mind boggling.
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