Giving a Talk, Any suggestions? Options

[Tosher]

Hello folks,

This November I am scheduled to give a talk to a Methodist ladies group entitled 'Hymns & Psalms'. Perhaps you will detect the extremely intelligent pun there.

I am going to try to deliver this in most interactive, interesting and multimedia enriched way that I can. Knowing what I want to achieve in terms of the aims for quality of delivery and some basic presentation skills, the main issue now is obviously content. I have been approached to do this following an extremely successful 'Evening with the Organ' last September which I ran with the same group in the church, which raised some funds for Action for Children (as will this).

I would be interested to know what sorts of things members would wish to include. The history of hymns and psalms, some key writers and composers, perhaps sing a couple (start and end?), maybe something about accompanying them (maybe some funny stories) and with regard psalms in particular, a bit of an explanation of how they work in practice today. How do these ideas sound? I would obviously try to place them in some kind of chronology, although they perhaps are a little bit there. I think the key balance to achieve is somewhere in the middle of it being a plain lecture and being 'fun' - by way of an interesting and enjoyable evening - for them.

I know this is a very broad question, but I would be interested to note any responses.

Thanks in advance,
Tosher

[mel2]

It would probably be very enjoyable. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The ideas you have noted sound spot on, and ladies' meetings being what they are, probably highly interactive.
What would be the venue? Church hall? Church? Scout Hut? Will you be illustrating the hymns with cds or will you have a piano/organ to hand? Will you be doing it yourself or will you be helped by a valiant assistant?

I wonder how you will weed out which hymns you will use as examples. Maybe illustrating high Anglican and happy clappy and how they sound respectively on the instruments (not indicating any preference, naturally (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ) Good luck with the psalms.

I'm rather dim at the best of times and still haven't 'got' the pun yet. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif)