flute solo audio file, Dec. 16

Yesterday Brynn Godshall played flute for an arrangement I made of "My soul proclaims with wonder" (Hymnal a worship book #181).  I played the organ.  I captured the performance (2:45 min.) on my H2 recorder.  Lovely flute.  Thanks, Brynn.  Listen here:

https://www.box.com/s/3vwexe2a7ptvy72tlmv1

The tune was written in 1990 by J. Harold Moyer, a long-time prof at Bethel College, Kansas.  One of his hymn tunes, FAITH, has gotten a lot of mileage in several hymnals, "I sought the Lord."

the high notes

When are notes high and when are they high?  With a counter-tenor it seems as if they are all high; but soon you get into the alto zone and then you just listen to the music.  Here's the ticket to the concert.  See the link on my Dec. 3 post if you want to hear him.

Bach for today

Someone sent me this youtube.  It’s an attractive attempt to show Bach's music as relevant to the modern world.  Notice, they didn’t have the heat in the church up and the musicians all dressed for the cold.  The singer, a counter-tenor, is singing in Lancaster's, Ware Center, Dec. 5, after a concert in Atlants and before a show in New York.  Art music (or classical music) is losing market share and some people attribute that to the tuxedo/gown dress and hierarchical conventions which often go with it which make it seem stuffy.  Yo-yo Ma is an example of someone trying to integrate into contemporary life styles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENFo_QOyiRA

Taylor's trombone pipes out a medley

The flash made annoying shadows on the photo, but you can see a good image of the trombone and Taylor holding it, after the worship service July 8.  (That me on the right).  He played a set of three hymns, all in our hymnals, and all on the theme of walking with God:  Trust and Obey (when we walk with the Lord), We Will Walk in the Valley ("...Jesus himself will be our leader...), and Just a Closer Walk with Thee.

Sure, more often it's a trumpet that plays solo in church, but Taylor had the advantage of low notes a trumpet could never dream of, almost two octaves below middle C, and his beautiful mellow range a half octave above middle C, to take our thoughts from reflective introspection to jubilant high beauty.

Thanks, Taylor.

Easter, outiside and inside

A whole week has passed since April Fools, and after the pathos of the passion story there was no fooling on Easter Sunday. I started outside at 7:30, and at the 10:00 a.m. service an ensemble played the prelude and accompanied an anthem, the bass solo, "The Trumpet Shall Sound," and "Hallelujah Chorus" from Messiah. The trumpet from the ensemble played joined the organ on the hymns: "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," "Christ is Alive, Let Christians Sing," and "Thine is the Glory." We have to thank Brenda Covelens for the ensemble.

April fools--church music style

Sunday was April Fools Day. One of my church music friends sent me this for amusement only:

Organist/Choir Director/Church Secretary/Bell Director/Sexton COMBO, Memorial
of the Memorial Church, 666 Insanity Lane, Styx, VA 22207 Church membership:
7,200 families. Ann. salary: $125,000 plus benefits, use of church Lexus, and housing
stipend of $10,000 per month. Play nine Sunday Services, three daily services, weddings
and funerals. Rehearse and accompany eight vocal and bell choirs. Organize, direct,
and publicize six-eight special music programs each year. Must be comfortable
with classical, traditional, contemporary, Gospel, Christian Rock, Taize, Jazz, Dixieland,
and high Anglican worship styles, with excellent sight-reading, improvisation,
organ, piano, janitorial, bulletin folding, and lawn mowing skills. Open score reading,
lead-sheet reading, and chair moving skills is a plus. One Sunday and two weekdays
of paid vacation annually. Under the ultra critical watchful eye of the Senior Pastor.
Please call Ricky Wrinkle at 703-555-1 OMG (church).

Communion tunes

Last Sunday (Feb. 5) we celebrated communion. I played several tunes softly as people moved to the stations and communed. Here are the titles I played: "How Can I Say Thanks" (Crouch); "Break Thou the Bread of Life" (#360); "Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore" (#229); "Open My Eyes That I May See" (#517).

Let me know if you have requests for next time.