It is Carol Service time again soon. I selected the carols for mine in the summer but, as is often the case, when the date draws near and time at school has been spent on other musical things one has to revise one's plans.
I needed to include a different 6th piece and made a choice. Now, I photocopy the music for the boys and bind it in A4 books - with permission from the publishers, which usually involves paying a license fee. OUP, Animus and Mallard Music have all granted me licenses in the past and for nominal fees ranging from £7 to £25.
This year I asked for permission to make a copy of a carol by another publisher (I won't name them but there's a clue in the post title) and got the reply that to make only 8 copies (as not all the boys will sing this item) would cost a minimum of £40 and it was cheaper for me to buy the copies.
Sounds fair - think again.
Contacting my music supplier I find that the copies are £8.99 each (my copy was bought some time ago at much less) so I make that a total of £71.92 without postage and not deducting any discount the shop will give me.
Now you will think £40 is a saving of £31.92 which it is. But the piece of music I want is available in various editions and I have discovered that in a different key (otherwise the same music as I do have this higher edition too) it costs a mere £3.99. I am minded to get 8 of those and play it in the lower key; the kids will not know, or I can explain it if they question me. (They might think the top A flat is easy!)
What gets my goat is the unhelpful attitude of the company. I pointed out that is this was the best they could do I'd pick a different carol from another publisher and then they'd get no money at all from me. I do know of schools which have goen ahead and illegally photocopied the music anyway. I'm just too honest.
Pah Humbug.
I needed to include a different 6th piece and made a choice. Now, I photocopy the music for the boys and bind it in A4 books - with permission from the publishers, which usually involves paying a license fee. OUP, Animus and Mallard Music have all granted me licenses in the past and for nominal fees ranging from £7 to £25.
This year I asked for permission to make a copy of a carol by another publisher (I won't name them but there's a clue in the post title) and got the reply that to make only 8 copies (as not all the boys will sing this item) would cost a minimum of £40 and it was cheaper for me to buy the copies.
Sounds fair - think again.
Contacting my music supplier I find that the copies are £8.99 each (my copy was bought some time ago at much less) so I make that a total of £71.92 without postage and not deducting any discount the shop will give me.
Now you will think £40 is a saving of £31.92 which it is. But the piece of music I want is available in various editions and I have discovered that in a different key (otherwise the same music as I do have this higher edition too) it costs a mere £3.99. I am minded to get 8 of those and play it in the lower key; the kids will not know, or I can explain it if they question me. (They might think the top A flat is easy!)
What gets my goat is the unhelpful attitude of the company. I pointed out that is this was the best they could do I'd pick a different carol from another publisher and then they'd get no money at all from me. I do know of schools which have goen ahead and illegally photocopied the music anyway. I'm just too honest.
Pah Humbug.
