Notre Dame reopens

[Scrumpy]

I live near our local church.. I have noticed much change over the years..
Gone are the days when those that attended Sunday service walked by in their Sunday best ..
 I haven't heard the church bells for a while.. Perhaps they ring and my ears don't hear them anymore..

[JBR]

I live near our local church.. I have noticed much change over the years..
Gone are the days when those that attended Sunday service walked by in their Sunday best ..
 I haven't heard the church bells for a while.. Perhaps they ring and my ears don't hear them anymore..

Do they still have an organ which is used professionally?  Just a little interest of my own.
The church which I had to attend when a young lad still has an organ, but is is unusable and covered over with some 'appropriate' display in order to hide it from the trendy eyes.

[Scrumpy]

JBR.. I don't think they have an organ anymore.. just a piano and a woman who sings out of tune..

[dextrous63]

JBR.. I don't think they have an organ anymore.. just a piano and a woman who sings out of tune..

I never knew you played the piano 😬

[JBR]

I never knew you played the piano 😬

I used to wen ah wer a lad.
I don't now, and I think it would take a great deal of practice before I could get back into it.

No, I'm more interested in organs, with regard to their design and construction.
(I can't play them either!)

[dextrous63]

I was asking Scrumpy about her playing JB, on the assumption that it was she who was also singing out of tune🤭😬

Did you see my suggestion about reading MJ Trow's "Maxwell" series of books on kindle unlimited?  Think you'd like them.

[Scrumpy]

I never knew you played the piano 😬

I do have a piano.. Hidden away in the junk room.. I so wanted to learn how to play but never got around to it..
 Singing!!! Don't even go there..

[ansu]

In Germany as a member of a church (catholic or protestan) we have to pay a church tax. However, it's not enough money to cover all the expenses. Inspite of the services our churches support a lot of social activities. But many people leave church for different reasons lately. So often there are special concerts in the churches. In our town for instance the churches offer a so-called "Organ Week" in autumn and concerts at Easter and Christmas. 
In some European countries there's an entrance fee or churches have been transformed into museums. 
Today I read in our papers that the "good side" of the fire of Notre Dame of Paris is that it would have been impossible to renovate it in such a way without it. 

[JBR]

In Germany as a member of a church (catholic or protestan) we have to pay a church tax. However, it's not enough money to cover all the expenses. Inspite of the services our churches support a lot of social activities. But many people leave church for different reasons lately. So often there are special concerts in the churches. In our town for instance the churches offer a so-called "Organ Week" in autumn and concerts at Easter and Christmas.
In some European countries there's an entrance fee or churches have been transformed into museums.
Today I read in our papers that the "good side" of the fire of Notre Dame of Paris is that it would have been impossible to renovate it in such a way without it.

I was aware of the church tax in Germany.  Is this applied only to members of a church, whether catholic or protestant, or also to a person like me who asserts to being an atheist?

Having said that, I have attended an organ recital in Cologne Cathedral and either paid an entrance fee or given a voluntary contribution, I can't remember which.  Although I would not agree to pay 'church tax', I am very happy to pay for such a thing as a recital.

[ansu]

You only have to pay church tax if you are a member of the church. So a number of people are leaving church every year to save the tax. 
You are right some church concerts are free of charge, but it is expected that you donate money, for other concerts you have to buy tickets. Usually these concerts are well attended and sometimes broadcasted on TV. 

[Alex]

I remember being too honest and ended up paying church tax  !   The fella in the Ausländeramt looked surprised when I said I was Catholic.  If I'd said Church of England I wouldn't have had to pay it   

[JBR]

You only have to pay church tax if you are a member of the church. So a number of people are leaving church every year to save the tax.
You are right some church concerts are free of charge, but it is expected that you donate money, for other concerts you have to buy tickets. Usually these concerts are well attended and sometimes broadcasted on TV.

Thanks.  As I am an atheist, I should not pay the church tax.  That's fair.
Having said that, I would always pay to attend an organ recital voluntarily if necessary.  I don't believe the Yorkshire saying 'owt for nowt'.
Yes, the Cologne recitals are (or perhaps were) available online, as I used to watch them regularly.

[Alex]

The Notre Dame reopening ceremony had many world leaders there, apart from Starmer 

[klondike]

Accidentally missed off the invitations or gadding off somewhere else giving our money away maybe. Perhaps his suit was too tatty or he couldn't read the invite.

[JBR]

The Notre Dame reopening ceremony had many world leaders there, apart from Starmer 

I think he decided attending would be too dangerous.  He was worried about being struck down by God.