Have you ever played for the wedding from Hell? Wondered if your recital experience was a nightmare or the real thing? Had a bizarre concert experience? You probably won't be surprised to learn you're not alone .
Which is why Jenny Setchell is looking for the very best true stories from the world of the organist!

Jenny will be compiling and editing a volume of organ anecdotes from organists around the world, and from church organists and concert organists alike. If you are interested in contributing to this volume of organ anecdotes, read on;
your tale may be exactly what we're looking for!
(and to help oil the wheels, we're giving away 5 CDs of Bonbons for Organ by Martin Setchell to the first five people whose contributions are accepted for publication.)

Jenny writes:

When organists get together, the tales they have to tell are often remarkable, hilarious, moving and unforgettable.

After many years laughing and talking about writing these down, I'm finally preparing a small, lightly illustrated book which will include personal accounts of organist experiences. They will be a mixture of funny stories (weddings and funerals are a treasure-trove here!), tales of horrendous difficulties getting to the organ, embarrassment, organs behaving badly, strange music that is requested at services of all kinds, amusing glimpses of the organist battling it out against the odds – anything that stands out from the norm and will entertain (and hopefully enlighten) the reader. People are always interested to read about life behind the scenes, and this is what I am aiming for, without hurting people’s reputations or self-esteem. It is intended to be light-hearted and affectionate look at what is an extraordinary job in so many ways. The book will be sold internationally and tales are being sought from players world-wide and from concert and church organists alike.

If you would like to send me your personal tales, the word count should be between 200 to 400 words. In rare cases I will go over this but generally shorter, more succinct accounts are preferable. Please include as much detail as possible, (e.g. the organ, location, date, occasion etc). I prefer to attribute your anecdote to you, (mainly to add verisimilitude as much as anything). However, if you feel it is just too awkward and damaging, and need to protect the people involved, but it is still cracker of a tale that needs to be told, I will be happy to make it anonymous. I will be delighted to get as many as you have the time and energy to send me, but naturally cannot guarantee their publication!

In return, I will credit all published contributors in the book (untagged to any anecdote in the case of those wishing to remain anonymous) and I will set up a webpage with links to the webpages and/or emails of the people who have contributed – in effect free advertising for all contributors! (This www.nzorgan.com site was set up by me in 1997 and has grown to a massive site that has nearly 200 pages and attracts about 11,000 visitors a month. I still maintain and develop it alone). Again remember that your name need not necessarily be tagged to any particular anecdote, but if your story is included, you will still appear as a contributor.

The volume is scheduled for publication before Christmas 2007; so if you wish to contribute please send me an expression of interest now, and your submitted anecdotes no later than July 30^{th, 2007}.

To sum up, you would need to send me:

1. Between 200 - 400 word personal anecdote (or as many individual stories as you like!) from the organ world. The final version will be sub-edited so if you feel written English is not your forte, no need to worry. Longer stories may be possible only in rare cases.
2. If possible, your name, date, occasion, place and any other detail you feel it would help to include. We may need to protect the identity of third parties or gain permission for the incident to be used, so be careful when writing about someone else’s embarrassments, for instance.

Email me at

or to submit your story directly online, go here

In return, I would:

1. Respect your wishes for anonymity if requested
2. Credit your contribution, with webpage and email address where permission is given in both the book, and on www.nzorgan.com. Ask you to check the final proof of your contribution so you feel happy with the final version.
3. Sub-edit contributions.
4. Naturally I must reserve the right as editor to make the final selection of stories.

So, there you have it. Get thinking now, send me your contributions, and I'll get back to you.

Meanwhile, if you haven't already done so, please sign up below for our monthly newsletter for www.nzorgan.com; it's one way of making sure you don't miss out on the latest news from the website - and about the book.