You want the creme of the creme in acappella. Chanticleer could easily be the real McCoy. And they're singing in Lansdale this Sunday evening. http://www.chanticleer.org/concerts.cfm
If you miss that, they'll be at Elizabethtown College evening of April 12th. http://mtgretna.com/music/winter99.asp
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
choir flexes Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday the choir proved very flexible. Pastor Hunter was planning a very "intimate" service, a clustering of the people into as close to a circle as one could get in the sanctuary. Being a weekday, I also determined that no robes would fit the setting better.
Besides, the choir had to sit in the amen corner
. And they had to stay after the service to prep for Easter. No complaints that I heard.
Church music people like me tend to get stressed out by the time Easter arrives--not unlike Christmas. Yet I experienced glorious moments of worship and praise and prayer despite the extra responsibilities on my shoulders.
The photo shows the first time in my sojourn at Zion that I used the "new" technology of a sign stand. Three of these tripod-like stands have been stored in the music office. Finally I made use of one of them.
Besides, the choir had to sit in the amen corner
. And they had to stay after the service to prep for Easter. No complaints that I heard.Church music people like me tend to get stressed out by the time Easter arrives--not unlike Christmas. Yet I experienced glorious moments of worship and praise and prayer despite the extra responsibilities on my shoulders.
The photo shows the first time in my sojourn at Zion that I used the "new" technology of a sign stand. Three of these tripod-like stands have been stored in the music office. Finally I made use of one of them.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter comes to courtyard
Two dozen Zioners waited for the sun and prayed at the Easter sunrise service in the courtyard. Here you see dawn's early light brighten up the courtyard walls as we prayed.
I particularly like the shadow cast by the tree, center left. And left of that the three little arched windows beside the tall, clean library windows.
The service started with singing "Were You There?" and ended with an Easter prayer from the blue hymnal, #747. In between, other songs, scriptures, and impromptu reflections and prayers.
Easter is so objective
and subjective at once. That is, it happened totally apart from our feelings about it. Yet, for it to make a personal change, it has to be subjective.
I particularly like the shadow cast by the tree, center left. And left of that the three little arched windows beside the tall, clean library windows.
The service started with singing "Were You There?" and ended with an Easter prayer from the blue hymnal, #747. In between, other songs, scriptures, and impromptu reflections and prayers.
Easter is so objective
and subjective at once. That is, it happened totally apart from our feelings about it. Yet, for it to make a personal change, it has to be subjective.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
pineapple filling
My work is music and worship, granted. But such heavenly pursuits don't exempt me from eating.
Month after month marches by. The table surprises never let up. I'm talking here about the Table of Plenty (Zion's 3 times a week meal for the meal-less, marginalized) Easter meal/feast last Thursday. What a gastronomical highlight!
Specifically, I'm talking about pineapple filling. Everyone around the talke with me is like, yeah, that's pineapple filling. I'm like, you gotta be kidding! This recipe must have come from heaven by direct revelation.
Souderton is a very special culinary island of secret dishes.
Month after month marches by. The table surprises never let up. I'm talking here about the Table of Plenty (Zion's 3 times a week meal for the meal-less, marginalized) Easter meal/feast last Thursday. What a gastronomical highlight!
Specifically, I'm talking about pineapple filling. Everyone around the talke with me is like, yeah, that's pineapple filling. I'm like, you gotta be kidding! This recipe must have come from heaven by direct revelation.
Souderton is a very special culinary island of secret dishes.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Maunday Thursday, what to do
Pastor Hunter gave me the bulletin from the 2007 and 2006 Maundy Thursday services. I was supposed to propose readings and music for this year, yesterday.
All that happened. He made the final tweaking of the details. I thought I was done except for the music preparation.
I was wrong. Hunter takes the minster crew to the sanctuary and we set up. His guiding principle was "intimate." He wanted these most somber verses of scriptures to be felt deeply.
What finally emerged was a "circle," with the communion elements and cross set on a small table at the corner of the platform. The amen corner with the choir would face south, the church board members readers would sit on a semi-circle of chairs placed on the platform, the rest of the congregation would face west, seating restricted to the window side tier of benches.
A lot of church musicians restrict instrumental music at this service, remembering the arrest and trial of Jesus. Except for a little piano support for the choir for the anthem at the beginning right before communion, I decided to go cold turkey and go for broke with acappella.
Results? Remember, we are used to singing most hymns with organ and some songs with a modest worship band. Result? People told me afterwards--we actually sang, we sang parts, on hymns not very familiar by the second verse we were sounding good.
I'm glad I trusted the people to take a small musical risk. Something changes among the people when the crutch of accompaniment is taken away. Something enabling after the first little fear that "we won't sound very good."
No sermon. The bread and cup. The shuffle of the congregants' feet as in silence they went to the "table" to eat the sacred meal--that was what finally gave me a holy moment. We are hungry. We are going to go where there is nourishment. That made me tremble with a holy moment.
Oh, sure. The rest nourished me. The readings of the story. The snuffing out of the twelve candles, one by one. The dimming of the hall lights. The singing. The silence.
All that happened. He made the final tweaking of the details. I thought I was done except for the music preparation.
I was wrong. Hunter takes the minster crew to the sanctuary and we set up. His guiding principle was "intimate." He wanted these most somber verses of scriptures to be felt deeply.
What finally emerged was a "circle," with the communion elements and cross set on a small table at the corner of the platform. The amen corner with the choir would face south, the church board members readers would sit on a semi-circle of chairs placed on the platform, the rest of the congregation would face west, seating restricted to the window side tier of benches.
A lot of church musicians restrict instrumental music at this service, remembering the arrest and trial of Jesus. Except for a little piano support for the choir for the anthem at the beginning right before communion, I decided to go cold turkey and go for broke with acappella.
Results? Remember, we are used to singing most hymns with organ and some songs with a modest worship band. Result? People told me afterwards--we actually sang, we sang parts, on hymns not very familiar by the second verse we were sounding good.
I'm glad I trusted the people to take a small musical risk. Something changes among the people when the crutch of accompaniment is taken away. Something enabling after the first little fear that "we won't sound very good."
No sermon. The bread and cup. The shuffle of the congregants' feet as in silence they went to the "table" to eat the sacred meal--that was what finally gave me a holy moment. We are hungry. We are going to go where there is nourishment. That made me tremble with a holy moment.
Oh, sure. The rest nourished me. The readings of the story. The snuffing out of the twelve candles, one by one. The dimming of the hall lights. The singing. The silence.
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