Advent I new music

What a musical feast today! Carol Horning did a magnificent job leading the congregation singing Sleepers Awake; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; and Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus. The organ backed them up with moderate settings. The offertory was an arrangement I made of O Savior Rend the Heavens Wide, for flute, oboe and trumpet accompanied by organ. Julia Nolt played flute, Caitlin Landis, oboe, and Doug Brubaker, trumpet. My major prelude piece was also Sleepers Awake, the well-known Wachet Auf of J. S. Bach. I also improvised on The Angel Gabriel from the spiral hymnal.

harp plus this week

Advent III. Every church musician knows the heightened pace. Lots of music. Lots of children and big people. Lots of expectations.

This Sunday is no different. A big effort to tell the story of Jesus.

There will be lots of songs. Lots of instruments. One of them will be this harp which my daughter, Sarah, plays. Behind it, my piano at home.

blog forgotten?

Where did November go? Looking at my blog you'd think I did nothing.



Fact is, I was doing so much Advent and Christmas preparation that the blog fell by the wayside.

Look at this work on the right. Art by Juanita Yoder, niece of the local potter, Roy Yoder. This is "Advent and Christmas" for a church.

jykart.com, if you want to see more. I can picture this brightening up our Christmas Eve.

second day, first crisis

No sooner had the first benefit come, than the first pressure point came.

What about "Come to Bethlehem." First I have to find out what it is. Oh, the children's musical, complete with shepherds and angel outfits. AND, orchestra.

My mind is going pretty fast. Let's see--promotion, costumes, scores for the instruments, rehearsals, selections of songs.

This is way beyond me. Then Brenda and Gail walk me through the basics after choir rehearsal.

Children come first. Here's Olivia Hess, the first child photo I got. All the kids at Zion are going to get some memory of Christmas.

It's not a crises. It's just a pressure point.

What do I expect when a church music job begins the first Sunday of Advent.

first day on the job

I walk in ready to go to work for Zion. Where to start. Hunter (seated) gives me a good orientation. At 11 Nancy (second from right on photo) gives me a good hour on choir orientation.

It takes another hour to figure out the computer and the programs the office is using. I find the refrig to keep my sandwich chilled. Late in the day I switch to organ, and practice and store my scores.

Then it's supper at O'Grady's family restaurant in Souderton, and from there down rte. 309 to Hunter house. At seven I meet with the worship committee, which is planning hymns for Advent. Discussion ranges far and wide. These people are sharp and fun. Also tenacious. I think it was all done by 9:15. (See if I remember all names: l to r, Kevin, Hunter, Joyce, Nancy, and Edie.)

Then home, discovering one headlight of the Neon is kaput, so I turn on the fog lights to compensate.