Keith,
Another hat I used to wear was that of Music Committee chair in a
Presbyterian church. That experience taught me a couple of things,
and if I may, I will share with you and our group.
If Robie the Robot was ever shouting "WARNING - WARNING -
YOU ARE ABOUT TO STEP IN A BIG ONE !!" this would be that
time for you.
When we had an organist that insisted on "educating" the
congregation with "finer" musical selections, the challenge was
thrown down. In the most diplomatic fashion I could muster, I
suggested we have everyone go through the hymnals and choose 5
of their favorite hymns, and they could further write in 2 more if
those were not in our current hymnal. We arrived at a surprisingly
narrow list of about 30 that MOST of the people liked, enjoyed,
sang with enthusiasm etc.
These became our standard "play book." The choir was free to go
out on a musical limb, every now and then, dragging the organist or
perhaps a guest musician along with them because they would take
the heat at the coffee hour following and the organist wasn't held to
blame.
An organist is never going to satisfy everyone all the time. The best
you can hope for is to satisfy most of the people most of the time,
and if you feel totally compelled to educate, then have a weekend or
evening concert for the purpose and play all the things you wish you
were doing at the service(s). Your customers (the congregation
that provides your meager stipend - if any) are looking for a
satisfying worship experience, bolstered by the magnificent musical
instrument that only you command. If you don't give it to them, their
experience is lessened and it puts you in the uncomfortable
position of being out of touch with your customer base. Christmas
time is family and familiarity and if that isn't to be the case, by your
hand this year then....
WARNING !! WARNING !!
From: "K Stiles" <jkstiles@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [rodgersorganusers] Re: Tell us about your favorite
Christmas
Music
To: rodgersorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date sent: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:54:22 -0500
Send reply to: rodgersorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well, I'm experiencing some resistance to what I'm
playing. I played the arrangment of "Once in Royal
David's City" from last year's MIDI Christmas book last
Sunday morning for the offertory. Apparently, I'm not
supposed to play "classical" music on my new Rodgers
organ. Or so, three or four rednecked, simpletons seem to
think. Wait until they get a load of Clay's arrangement
of "For Unto Us" next Sunday. *he he he* Have any of the
rest of you experienced resistance from "rural" people who
aren't used to or have never been exposed to anything but
the same old hymns? If so, can you give me some help in
how to convince them that other music fits the bill of
music appropriate to music? Or should I just right them
off as ninnies and ignore them?
Thanks,
Keith Stiles
Waynesville, NC
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:19:13 -0500
noel jones <gedeckt@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>Myself, I always enjoyed playing the Van Hulse Advent
>Preludes.
>
>However, if I have to choose one Christmas piece, I would
>suppose it is
>the David Willcocks hymn accompaniment found in Carols
>for Choirs for
>Adeste Fideles!
>
>The big solo reed on the next to last verse and the
>gorgeous, gorgeous
>chords on the last verse....
>
>How about you?
>
>noel jones
>
>____________________________________________________________________
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Download free music by Clay Baker at:
>http://www.frogmusic.com/JoyfulPostlude.html
>
>To unsubscribe or set to vacation,
>go to www.frogmusic.com/rodgersmem.html
>If you have any difficulty with this or PayPal,
>please contact noeljones@xxxxxxxxxxxxx for help!
>
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____________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Download free music by Clay Baker at:
http://www.frogmusic.com/JoyfulPostlude.html
To unsubscribe or set to vacation,
go to www.frogmusic.com/rodgersmem.html
If you have any difficulty with this or PayPal,
please contact noeljones@xxxxxxxxxxxxx for help!
Michael Salvo
Facilities Manager
Rodgers Instruments LLC
503 681-0436
____________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Download free music by Clay Baker at:
http://www.frogmusic.com/JoyfulPostlude.html
To unsubscribe or set to vacation,
go to www.frogmusic.com/rodgersmem.html
If you have any difficulty with this or PayPal,
please contact noeljones@xxxxxxxxxxxxx for help!