60 seconds with Helen Robbins – music co-ordinator

 

  

What are you up to?
I’m just concluding some planning with my business partner, who is also my husband.

Who makes the tea?
He’s the tea expert and I’m the coffee expert, I’ve tried to make good tea and I just can’t.

I’ll have coffee then, why do you do the music at St Paul’s?
I enjoy playing all sorts of music, being part of St Paul’s and having this thing I can do. I love to make connections through music. It’s about the music but it’s more about the people – who we are as a church community.

And who is that?
Ah! A great hotchpotch – a huge range of ages, stages, tastes, motivations, time-rich time-poor people. The trick is holding that amazing blend together - music can often be a uniting language. Or a disuniting language! [LAUGHS] It makes connections between people who wouldn’t normally have contact with each other.

How do you know when it’s working?
You get warm feedback and there’s an obvious connection. People love singing at St Paul’s and they respond and engage - especially if we’re doing something mad. We can all enjoy something together.

If anything were possible with the music what would you do?
I’d love a set of African drums to use all together. I’d love to include the shy people - playing or singing if they want to – and our fabulous young people. I’d love to do some high church stuff and some gospel stuff and, you name it… but not thrash metal.

Shame. Final word?
I always value feedback and I chew a lot on what is ‘taste’ and what is ‘authentic’ – where the words and music of whatever style blend at a particular moment to say something that is appropriate. Singing with our brains in gear as well.
Sometimes we get it spectacularly wrong. [LAUGHS]
Don’t publish that … [LAUGHS]

Helen co-ordinates music at St Paul’s and would be happy to hear from you Helen@cambridgetraining.org 01223 570 391