EDITORIAL

We are familiar with the two traditional roles of the organ, one as a liturgical instrument, the other for concert use. The pair seems to be as old as the organ (if one can include the sounds made in the gladiatorial ring in association with various savage and bloody practices). Nobody can doubt the contribution the organ has made to musical life over many centuries in these dual roles; during the last hundred or so years, the organ's contribution to music-making away from the metropolitan centres of Britain has been legion and invaluable, ranging from organ recitals to providing the accompaniment to choral societies and much else of value. There is now a distinct threat that much of this will be brought to an abrupt halt.   
   Legislation is before the House of Commons this month which, if enacted, will require churches and chapels to possess a licence to hold events. The requirements which surround this licence include a suggested registration fee of £5,000 and an annual licensing fee of £700. The licence will attract further costs for many establishments since various items of other legislation concerning health and safety would need to be satisfied before a licence could be issued, possibly including fire service safety inspections which in themselves can cost hundreds of pounds.
   Church organists will be familiar with buildings which lack many essential safety items, such as emergency exits and lighting, modern electrical equipment and provision for the disabled; there are organs with features which in themselves almost qualify the instrument for historic status, such as brass switches, cloth-covered flex, and mains-to-low-voltage converters that date back to before the Second World War. It cannot be denied that, in general, churches have been able to avoid complying with legislation introduced over a period of time to ensure the safety of the public and its servants. The backlog of required work in some cases promises to overwhelm the finances of the churches concerned; ironically, the raising of money to meet such bills could be denied through the legislation, a true Gordian Knot.
   This legislation might result in the demise of musical events in many churches which are unable to afford the costs of obtaining the necessary licence. BIOS members, accustomed to giving recitals on an amateur or professional basis, could find their activities greatly restricted. It has been a sad fact of musical life for years that some congregations regard organ music before and after service as a signal for loud talking, but these proposals might deny the organist the opportunity of playing at other times to a sympathetic audience.
   Commonsense must be allowed to shape this legislation; while church authorities cannot continue to ignore the safety of congregations and audiences, there must be latitude in the application of the legislation and its costs so that the activities of the church, including its musical life, are not stifled by well-meaning, but overwhelming, regulations which are probably more suited to commercial concert halls.

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