A ‘thank you’ from John Ringer

Good morning, Shabbat Shalom

I am sorry for the delay – I was supposed to have given this little speech some weeks ago but I was persuaded by the Practice Nurse to have a flu injection!!

I’d like to share some memories with you.

It’s been a long journey! I first played up there with the choir in what I call the minstrels gallery. Then we were translated to the side there on my left, then over here beside the Bima, occasionally in the middle, and finally we came to rest over there on my right. And today here I am on the Bima.

It’s been a long journey! Rev Philip Cohen was the senior Rabbi when I started in 1971. I then played for most of Rabbi Dow Marmur’s time and throughout Rabbi Charles Emmanuel’s time. Now there seem to be Rabbis everywhere!

It’s been a long journey! Some of you will recall the old blue thin prayer book in use in those days. A while later, I was told “you won’t be able to cope John, with the new book – it’s got 6 different services you know!” Well I survived! In fact, I’ve played for the entire life time of that prayer book. Of course, even the new bright red prayer book is already some years old.

It’s been a long journey! I’ve worked with quite a few Choir Directors – I’ll just mention a few

  • Jerome Karet who really did a good job with the choir I recall
  • Ron Rappaport – who once turned up at 6.20 in dripping wet swimming trunks because he’d suddenly remembered it was Friday!
  • Hans Freund – who was the tallest!

Then one day I was told a new person was coming along to conduct the choir and we had to have a meeting up there in the Office to discuss the Shabbat music. It only took me a few seconds to realise how fluently this new person could read music. The era of Viv had begun. I also played for 3 Cantors:

  • Henry Danziger who always had a solo spot on Shabbat morning. He was very fond of a Mendelssohn piece called Im Bechol L’vavcha which he seemed to do every other week.
  • Arnold Chazen with whom I really enjoyed working, who once said of me that I sounded too much like a church organist – which I took as a compliment!
  • And of course Cantor Cheryl

We have heard a lot about Viv in recently, so I am not about to add to all that was said. It is enough to say that it’s been a joy and an honour to work with Viv all these years – in fact Viv is the main reason I’m still here – so don’t blame me!

One thing I must tell you : Viv is of course

  • very good at the Lewandowski
  • very good at the Mombach
  • very good at the Sulzer
  • very good at the Friedman and the Finkelstein

and in a different arena

  • very good at the Mendelssohn
  • very good at the Haydn
  • very good at the Handel
  • very good at the Bernstein even the Mahler

but perhaps not so good at the Lis(z)t!!!!

It’s been a long journey! I have met with much kindness over the years – so only a few names to mention:

Kindness from Edward Mansell the first person I met here, who put me on a sort of probationary period. I never heard anything so I assumed I must have got through it.

Kindness from Jerome Karet, Rolfe Roseman, Donald Salinger, Tony Graham and their families all of whom invited us into their homes.

Kindness from Viv and members past and present in the Choir.

Kindness from Mel and Len Walters, who invited us to stay with them in Spain.

And finally much kindness from Rabbis Mark and Josh. They actually speak to me – which was not part of my previous experience.

It’s been a long journey! I have been asked a couple of questions recently:

Firstly from Michael Paiba – what will I possibly be doing with myself when I don’t come here anymore? Well, I used to have 8, yes 8 regular organ commitments – 5 Lodges, no less than 2 Churches (sometimes on the same day) and now no synagogue. So I’ll be keeping busy, starting tomorrow with Christmas Services.

Secondly a serious question from Rolfe Roseman over there in the Choir. “Do I as a non-Jew get anything out of these services apart from the music? The answer of course is yes and no. Playing over there is work for me. I sit there even today in a state of some anxiety –

“What’s the next piece of music? Have I got the right one and not that other one? When do I start playing? Why is Viv glaring at me? Why is everyone glaring at me?”

But yes I have been affected by those Memorial services such as at Yom Kippur, and the Yom Hashoah testimonies I’ve heard. They remind me that some of these horrific events in the past have basically been carried out by, I have to say, people like me! All I can say is that I hope you think I’ve tried during my time here to give something back.

It’s been a long journey and for me a long speech – my apologies. I’m reminded of one of your sayings from the prayer book “It’s not for us to complete the work but neither may we desist from it”. Well, I hope the music tradition here does go from strength to strength, but this is one person who has now desisted from it!

I wish you all the very best for the future and good luck to Katie, your new Director of Music.

It’s been a long journey, but it ends now.

Shabbat Shalom