"let the chldren come"

The children did come, mostly elementary school age but some older.  The event was one of the classes in the week called "Created 2 Praise."  My part of that was "explore the organ."  Eight kids and one older helper went through exercises of listening, singing, rhythm, imitation and actual playing the organ for each other.  Here's the happy group!

Organ Jump Start class

"Created 2 Praise" week has come. Six young people and one high school guide bring their piano music to play on the pipe organ. Along with that fun, we figure out some of the unique features of the organ. Left to right after me: Dawson, Evan, Miriam, guide Morgan, Hannah, Julia, and Madeleine. They all play piano. We're off to a good start.

resourcing event at Brynn Mawr

Last Saturday a half dozen plus organists, including me, participated in a day-long resourcing event at this Presbyterian church in Brynn Mawr. Since organ is my focus right now, I took a seminar on improvisation and a seminar on creative hymn playing by well-known composer and organist Charles Callahan.

What refresher courses do organists and other church-based musicians ask for days? Here's a sample: spiritual drumming, improving choral rehearsals, new hand bell techniques, children choir methods. The event was sponsored by the American Guild of Organists.

organ piano duo

When people entered the sanctuary yesterday they noticed a large prelude sound. It was Janet High and Don Frank playing organ and piano duets. They produced a grand sound, bringing to life several Gospel hymns. Again at the offertory they gave their musical gifts to worship. These two accomplished musicians deserve the apppreciation everyone expressed. Thank you, Janet and Don.

student organist

Madeleine Weaver played one of the preludes on the organ Sunday morning. She did a beautiful job of playing Beethoven's "Joyful, joyful we adore Thee" from her piano book. A big thanks to her. Here's a photo of her getting ready several days before, during the C2P music camp session on keyboard to pipe organ.

music camp

Well, it's a week-long day-school called Created2Praise. I have a 45-minute class called "keyboard to organ." The students all play piano and get a thrill out of transferring their skills to a larger instrument. Here's the real exceptional bunch of kids:

...to sound a lot like Christmas

Behind those smooth organ tones are two tuners: one at the keys with the tools spread out close by; the other tuner behind the closed door, in the pipes. All part of getting ready for Christmas Eve.

titles for 9.13.2009

Before the service yesterday I played three pieces. First was a fairly modern piece, as classical music goes, by Marcel Dupré, who died in Paris at age 85, in 1971. The 3-minute piece is a meditation on Ps. 133:1, "Behold how pleasant and good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." That is its title, too.

Next I played the piece whose tune most people recognize as "Glorious things of thee are spoken." (Blue hymnal #619). The tune is known as Austrian, by Haydn. I included the trumpets on chamade (the loud pipes high up above the exit doors) on a phrase during one of the high moments.

Then a short piece called meditation by Nicolas Lemmens. This is quite soft, and called simply "Meditation." I think everyone was listening because of the loud Austrian piece just before.

Linda Helmus was with us. As a courtesy, I had called her and asked if she had a favorite hymn I might use as postlude. She suggested either "Be Thou My Vision" or "We walk by faith," a 1983 Marty Haugen tune, which is the one I chose to improvise on. A few people said they recognized it and appreciated it. It was a new tune to me.

titles for 8.30.2009

Yesterday I played the traditional "Lord's Prayer" as the last prelude before the service began. During the offering I played "Simple Gifts," the song written by the Shakers. The postlude was Highland Cathedral.

Let me know what you like to hear.

end near--Eric's last lesson

Last lesson with me, that is. We spent half the lesson recording the three hymns he played for the service last Sunday. Here's the music. Click play or download. He's playing the C. B. Fisk Opus 51 organ.

pipe organ student

It's a rare youth who tackles the pipe organ. But is it really harder than mastering the Blackberry?

Eric Kehs kind of makes it look easy. He's active in youth activities and musical activities at Zion. Here I caught him practicing a student version of "Old Hundredth" or the doxology. Click on this and then hit play.

http://www.box.net/shared/gzokgdha25

what you do

People tell me that they can't imagine what a church musician does during the week. Let me throw out a few things I did today. Gave music from the movie Schindler's List to a high school violinist to play in a August. Explained why we draw images sometimes from popular culture to bring into worship. Of course, had to start learning the piano part myself. Put photos in the brochure I've started--You and Zion Music Ministries. Conferred with Pastor Hunter about how to keep the service this Sunday from becoming too long. Checked in with Intern Nate about his participation last week and the week before. Drew up agenda for the Worship Planning Committee meeting in a few minutes. Drew up agenda for my meeting with Nancy and Gail T tomorrow. Practiced the organ ahead for Aug 10 when I'm on again. Talked to a high school student about playing the organ offertory later in August.

when it rains

I hear it when I'm practicing the organ. The church is empty and quiet. I'm engrossed in music.

Then out of the endge I hear a thundering sound. I turn my head right to see out the windows. And it's merely rain. But recently more than "merely." It's cats and dogs.

By the time I got my camera to the door to the courtyard it was softly falling.

To do lists

Here's some of the things I'm working on:

-line up special music for the summer months
-follow up the organ concert event, offering amount, attendance, thank yous to the partners etc
-contact organ subs for a few summer Sundays
-contact Nate Stucky, the summer seminarian, about how he wants to interact with music and worship
-prep for the choir singing at Dock Meadows this Sunday evening
-put the Felix Hell CD in library so it is available
-read a new book on using instruments in worship
-come up with a non-verbal component for Pentecost
-follow up on the decisions of the worship planning committee of last evening
-update the worship teams schedule

Whew. I wonder why I was busy today. And I didn't even get to any organ practice yet.

If you drove by the church this weekend, you saw this sign. And if you walked in at 4 p.m. you heard organ music equal to none.

This sign also represents a lot of work behind the scenes. Let me try to remember some of the names: Bonnie Moyer, Bill Fridey, Gerry Hartzel, Nancy Constanzer, Dorcas Lehman, Brenda Oelschlager, Barb Musselman, Lorraine Shoemaker, Nancy Fridey, and.... Hey, I didn't take a photo so I'm in trouble. I know there were others. Let me look them up for the next post.

Helen Keller made a wonderful presentation to mark the 40th anniversary of the dedication of this organ.

new organ at Hesston, Kansas

I you keep track of tracker organs (such as ours at Zion) or of organs in the Mennonite world, you'll know that a new one has just been installed at Hesston Mennonite Church, Kansas.

Tracker means mechanical. It means that when you press a key on the keyboard or a pedal on the pedalboard you are physically opening a pipe and it sounds. So inside, there are many lines of cord connecting the keys to the pipe valves. Most organ keys throw a switch which opens the pipe valve. Tracker action is kind of like rack and pinion steering on a high end car.

You can take a tour of the organ on YouTube online. You can also find the video on the Hesston College web site (hesston.edu). Go to academics, departments, music, and finally find the tour link down the page. Earlier I posted a photo of its installation. In the video you can hear it and take a tour of its insides.

Might not be a bad idea to have a little video of our own organ.

pipes at the seminar

Once during the master class, when my mind wandered just a bit, I pointed my camera up and over my right shoulder and saw the facade of the pipes. Of course, any organ builder puts the shiney ones in the front.

These are especially stunning. And they sounded just as good.

I'm from the plain school of singing means singing--like with our own God-given voices. But in this beauty I'm ready to say that these pipes can help singing and lift our hearts just looking at them or hearing them. It's not this OR acappella. Why not this AND acappella.

master class, master teacher

My Saturday seminar...

One of the seminars featured Wilma Jensen giving a master class. That means a student volunteers to have a lesson in front of the rest of us.

Wilma is the one with white hair. She must be eighty-five, with seven grandchildren she told us, and as wirey as they come.

What struck me was a quiet confidence at the center of her. With this student her main objective was to loosen him up, to play expressively, to not be afraid to hold onto a note longer than the score prescribes. I was in the presence of a master musician.

Sing-a-long and a smile on my face

The blue hymnal does not have a New Year's section as such. It has several hymns which refer to the changing of seasons and the changing of the years.

Last Sunday was the first Sunday of the new year. Instead of choosing one I talked to Pastor Hunter about doing a sing-a-long of four. With his permission I planned that, but was scared about the whole thing. This meant, I understand it, that I would direct the singing with my voice very informally. This is a congregation used to singing along with the organ. Maybe that would be called organ-a-long.

Two tricks up my sleeve as I flicked the mute off on my portable mic--just one verse each hymn and pitch them much lower than written. This was, afterall, at 9 in the morning when voices don't like going very high.

What I heard was a new sound to me. It sounded spontaneous, rising up and benefiting from the great acoustics. It sounded like the people were hearing their congregational voice.

Hearing their congregational voice. That's the starting point for church music. One builds from that. It's not an ingredient one adds to a rich stew of piano or organ or orchestra.

While I saw the beauty and success of what was happening, I guess I'll have to check with people who want all the lyrics on the screen. I wanted the lyrics on my face, in the books, and on their hearts. At moments like that, the screen moves down the list of tools doing the heavy lifting. I'll listen to what others say.

my first staff meeting

The word went out yesterday. Staff meeting at noon.

When do we have staff meetings? I asked. Whenever needed, not often. Maintenance was there. Assistant pastor. Other asst. pastor was out. Secretary and financial secretary. Pastor came late from a meeting.

Meeting at 12? I noticed. Well, we have lunch together. Yum. The office is already regaled with cookies and candies, but this was solid Costco meat balls. Someone goes to the youth room and brings soda.

What an easy-going meeting, often interrupted by persons coming into the office, right across the hall from our room.

I need "mail boxes" for the choir to keep their folders in, and I learn how to get that done. Tomorrow the organ tuner is coming. There's a tunnel for the heating system most people don't know about. Lots of interesting and useful stuff. I loved it.

For supper I'm going to another fellowship meal. Then it's choir rehearsal for the second time in the new rehearsal room.