titles for 2.21.2010

I usually play three pieces before the service begins sharply at 10:00 a.m. Yesterday the three were Bach's Air in D, an arrangement of the hymn, "O Master Let Me Walk With Thee,"and finally, an improv on "The Glory of These Forty Days."

What 40 days? Here's the deal. When Christmas is approaching we count down to the day, right? Same thing with Easter, just not as widely know. Traditionally we count down 40 days, which is a number the Bible uses a lot. When we start that count-down, then it's Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

One hymn, the final one before the benediction, was "Guide My Feel, While I Run This Race," a nice closing parenthesis to the prelude about walking with the Master. The style is so Gospel that I asked Joe, the song leader, if he minded if I played it from the piano. A half dozen people stopped and said something about the music. Thanks, everybody!

titles for 2.14.2010

Yesterday was not just "2.14.2010," but it was Valentine's Day. We need more than one day a year to be romantic. But it was also a day that snow lay on the ground in 49 of the 50 states. That was my trigger to use Young's arrangement of "From Greenland's Icy Mountains." It's a famous missionary hymn of the previous century. A good reminder as snow covers the ground that what we think is out there is sometimes closer than we think. That being missional is sometimes as close as home.

Then I took the prelude up to the hour with "I Need Thee Every Hour, Most Gracious Lord, No tender voice like thine can peace afford." Annie Hawkes was so well known her 1872 obituary appeard in the New York Times. She had written poetry since she was 14. She died at age 83.

thirsty piano

Okay. When the water light goes on the Steinway's humidifier is thirsty. After one week it happened and I responded. It's easy. More and more, I see people taking up the challenge and closing the lid when they are finished using it.

Pianos don't grow on trees.... I'll end with a thank you for helping to climate control the Steinway. February, by the way, they say is the driest month for pianos.

getting Steinway up to grade

New thing: last week our Steinway got a humidifier installed. The old one was taken out. Looks like it was dead for many years, Dawn the tuner thought. Any wonder the tuning wasn't holding!

So, now, we have to take seriously closing the piano, especially the top lid, so the humidity works INSIDE the piano and does not vainly try to humidify the whole sanctuary. This is standard operating procedure for the care and feeding of pianos. We're fortunate the church last fall accepted the slightly larger budget line item so this could be done. Thanks, Carol.

I'll let the two pics tell the rest of the story.

the offertory yesterday Jan. 31

Jesus the Very Thought of Thee is a classic hymn. Here's a very complex arrangement on youtube. If you want a straightforward piano version online: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/t/jtveryth.htm. Look at all those verses.