30 Jan 2011

Several persons noted with appreciation the main part of the prelude the 30th, but asked me what it was. It was "Praise the Lord, sing hallelujah," # 50 in the blue hymnal. I was caught by several of the phrases, all vigorous and some sounding especially well played in the pedals. #50 is based on Psa. 148.

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.

Christmas Eve brass ensemble

I want to name the brass players who festooned everyone in the lobby as they arrived for the Christmas Eve service . Doug Brubaker led the group with his trumpet. The others were: Jon Landis, trumpet; Taylor Lindsey, trombone; Sage Musselman, tuba; and Tracy Kile, baritone. So to you five, a big thank you for really good music. I could hear it from the organ bench. When it ended the various preludes in the sanctuary began.

Sunday off

The new year has barely turned the page of my calendar when I have the first Sunday off. It is Epiphany (Wise Men find the manger). By the time the coffee is aromatizing the kitchen I pop in a Westminster Choir College CD and hear organ, bell choir, and vocal choir while I meditate at home. Here's an online image of Westminster, where I got my master's degree in music in 1977.

While appreciation for Neffsville is mingling with the cup of coffee, thanks goes out for pianist Carolyn North who is subbing for me. My mind recollects the recent Christmas season and all the magnificent music (Al's bell tree and Doug's brass ensemble for two examples). Many cookies and gifts helped brighten the December days. Thanks to all.

Advent IV

We had guest musician, a son of the congregation, Clifford Leaman of the University of South Carolina, and his daughters Biranna (oboe) and Aubrey (piano). They presented exquisite carol arrangements for prelude and offertory. Clifford is professor of saxophone. He played a B-flat soprano sax. The saxophone journal saluted him as "an artist of the first order…intuitive, exciting, and enthralling." I wrote an arrangement of our last hymn, Angels We Have Heard on High, for him and he told me he liked the arrangement. I thought it went pretty well, myself.

For the first hymn, O Come, All Ye Faithful, I used the well-known arrangement by David Willcox. The middle hymn, Lo How a Rose, was sung very sensitively by the 400 in the congregation, with just 8 and 4 foot principals and flute on the organ, which is soft.