OK, we’re off!
I’m a volunteer coordinator at a parish that doesn’t have a director and welcomes visiting musicians, but I travel widely. I don’t give couples a contract and my group regulars don’t require one of me. My little black book of colleagues has only known and trusted people in it.
In response to queries I post an information brochure. To proceed, couples make an appointment to come to my place to make selections. (They come to me because the music, CDs and instruments are all here.)
My handout has:
- a background reading page
- a sample repertoire page
- a list of practical things (fees, payment methods, etc)
- a list of information the couple must bring to the appointment
- some cautions and the background to them.
The handout is mainly for the benefit of couples who don’t attend church often, if at all, as they’re the ones who need the most guidance and the ones I need the most protection from.
As we do all sorts of weddings, it has to be general enough to cover Catholic and non-Catholic weddings. Specific matters relating to the particular denomination are dealt with in person at the appointment, after the gentle general introduction in the brochure. More on that later.
I’ll post summaries of the brochure contents separately. Most of this following stuff is practical and is also spelled out in our brochure. Liturgical aspects will be covered in later postings.
I charge a flat fee per group member, which covers short rehearsal at the venue on the day, pre-service music, the service itself, up to an hour’s travelling time each way and up to three hours music preparation. (We have supplied everything from one musician to groups of ten or so.) We don’t charge extra or stop playing if the bride is late, but fill-in music is our choice of material and we leave the church on time if we have a later booking. (We allow plenty of safety margin but I don’t see why we should forgo income by refusing same-day bookings because brides might be 45 minutes late.)
More than three hours prep and any extra rehearsal costs extra but the couple are advised of extra cost before it is incurred. They have the option then of deciding whether it’s value-for-money and can drop the item incurring the cost if they want to.
We work with staff musicians in other parishes as long as they are able to rehearse or it is clear a run-through on the day will be sufficient and possible. We do not replace core group members with family members or friends. We are prepared to work with a friend or relative for one or two items provided they are willing to rehearse but we reserve the right to decline to perform with them if it becomes apparent the result will not enhance the wedding.
We will add items to our repertoire provided it is suitable music, is workable for our group and music can be obtained/prepared in time. Sheet music costs are passed to the couple, with receipts on request. They may keep the music if they wish (rare) in which case I charge them 50% of the cost.
I request landline contacts and don’t call mobiles unless there’s no alternative (e.g. a work number I can call at lunchtime). I won’t plan a liturgy by shouting at someone standing on Platform 6 in peak hour in a thunderstorm and without pen and paper. If mobile calls are unavoidable, there’s a small admin charge.
I ask for a “panic number” – a mobile that will be switched on, on someone’s person (not at home or in the car) and will be answered, should we be hit by a truck en route and need to warn the couple. The parish office number is not good enough (neither priest nor staff will be there to answer it) nor is the priest’s own mobile (if it’s not switched off, it probably should be!)
To be continued …
). Furthermore, whoever was hired to do the music was also strongly encouraged to sing the Psalm and the Gospel Acclamation. Luckily, we provided them with a standard psalm for weddings, in both English and Spanish, that was easy to sing both for the cantor and the faithful.
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