When Bad Things Happen to Good Organs

It's the call no organist wants to receive in the middle of the night - or in the middle of the day as I did!

"Tony, they've dropped something on the organ and one of the keys broke off."

Naturally, I couldn't stay away. I was at church within a couple of hours where I found a key glued back in place, and not too badly I might add. BUT, two of the WHITE keys in the MIDDLE of the keyboard REFUSED TO SING!

The first person I called was our organ technician, Dave Klug. Dave promised to come on Monday to see what needed to be done. It wasn't that big an issue, really. The weight of the object that fell had cause the contact points beneath the two keys to move so that when a key was played, there was no signal to open the pipe. Easily fixed.

So we had one service played completely on the piano. No big deal and lots of people enjoyed hearing more piano. I could have used another week on that Rheinberger prelude anyway.

Maybe this isn't such a great story, but I really wanted an excuse to post this really picture. The manuals (keyboards) are folded up and back so that the technician has access to what he needs. It's a neat photo - but let's hope we don't have to see it again!

Oh, the answers to your questions. 1. No, the organ does not have a roll-top cover. 2. No, I don't know why.

River City Men's Chorus Encore Performance! August 27th at 8 PM

My name is Tony and I’m a Facebook addict. (Hi Tony!) Well, maybe not an addict, but I do spend a lot of time there and I’ve seen some really interesting things – not the least of which was an invitation to join a men’s choir. I wouldn’t have thought to start a choir on Facebook, but R. Wayne Bailey, Choral Director and Professor at Florida State College Jacksonville, did - and with some pretty stunning results.

The River City Men’s Chorus started as a 6-8 week commitment of rehearsals followed by a single concert. I sang in the Duval County All-City Chorus under Mr. Bailey a very long time ago (1980!) and had always hoped there would be another opportunity, so I said “yes.”

To make it even better, the concert would be a benefit for In The Pink, a non-profit salon/boutique that caters to women living with cancer. You can read more about their work at www.jaxinthepink.com.

The concert featured a choir of about 30 men singing a wide range of musical styles including classical, spiritual and gospel – something for everyone to enjoy. The concert also included performances by other Jacksonville area musicians.

This successful benefit raised over $1,700.00. It was so successful (and so much fun!) that we’re doing it again! See a repeat performance on Friday, August 27th at St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church (465 11th Ave N in Jacksonville Beach). The concert starts at 8:00 PM and I hope to see you there!

An Artifact Goes Home

One of my long term projects is entering all of the choral anthems in our library into an Excel spreadsheet. This should make it easier to find anthems by title, composer, season, biblical citation, ELW number and many other ways.

As I was working last week, I came across Ralph Vaughan Williams' "O Taste and See." Across the folder was written "July 20, 1970," which I am assuming is the last time this anthem was sung at St. Mark's before it was filed away just like any other piece of music is filed after being sung.

This one, however, was not like any other anthem for stamped boldly across each copy were the words "Hendricks Ave Baptist Church / Jacksonville, 7, Florida." Had this piece of music been on loan to St. Mark's for forty years? It would be kind of embarrassing to try to return it now. Maybe I could just sneak over there, under cover of darkness, and slide it under the choir room door. Maybe they wouldn't even want it back.

Another important piece of this story: just over two years, A fire started in the choir room at HAB, made its way to the sanctuary, and the church burned to the ground just before Christmas. They have since rebuilt a beautiful new worship space with a 60+ rank Schleuter pipe organ.

I sent an email to Tommy S., Minister of Music at Hendricks and asked him what he would like for me to do. What to me was a folder of yellowed anthems, so old they cost 20 cents a piece, was something to treasure. You see, the fire had destroyed the choral library. This piece of music was an artifact of the not-so-distant past, an artifact that will soon be going home.

The Butterly Effect

Today, as I've been making final preparations for the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians Region 2 biennial conference, the butterly effect has been coming to my mind. According to Wikipedia, the butterfly effect is something like this: The way that a butterfly flaps its wings could alter the air around it, and then the atmosphere, in such a manner that the path of a tornado could be altered. That seems a litte far-fetched to me but here is something that doesn't. The more we take the time to learn from each other, and the more we take time to teach each other, we alter the world in which we live.

It's not hard to see how this would happen at a music conference. A conferee may go home with one idea on improving congregational hymn singing that takes such hold in her home church that it changes that community's singing culture forever! A singer in her children's choir grows up to become a church music director and teaches the same method in his churches for years.

A vocalist might hear something about vocation that changes the way he sees his singing completely. Instead of pure art or entertainment, it becomes true worship that draws others in to a closer relationship with God.

You can see where I'm going with this. We are all students and we are all teachers. We all have the potential to be life altering butterflies.

Maybe someday I'll write about how this could have an adverse effect, but for now, I'm excited about what I will learn in the next few days that will change the way I think and work. No matter what your profession is, take time to be a student and a teacher.

We Welcome the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians Region 2

St. Mark’s is hosting region 2 of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians through Thursday of this coming week. About 45 organists, choir directors, singers, instrumentalists, educators, etc. are expected to be here through Wednesday. There are several events to which you are invited.

Sunday, June 20 at 7:00 PM
A concert by the San Marco Chamber Music Society featuring Eric and Ellen Olson along with pianist/harpsichordist Christine Clark. A reception, sponsored by the St. Mark’s WELCA will follow.

Monday, June 21st at 9:00 AM
Opening Eucharist in the nave at St. Mark’s

Monday, June 21st at 7:00 PM
An organ concert by our conference organist Florence Jowers of Lenoir-Rhyne University. She will play the brand new Schleuter pipe organ at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church.

Tuesday, June 22nd at 8:30 AM
Morning Prayer with organ and handbells at All Saints Episcopal Church.

Wednesday, June 23rd at 10:30
Closing Eucharist with the conference choir under the direction of Dr. André Thomas from Florida State University.

I hope that you will be able to come to some of these events.

Music for a Funeral

Many of you reading this blog know that my brother Adam recently died. His passing was sudden and unexpected. One morning, while jogging, he collapsed and never regained consciousness. Needless to say, my entire family was (and still is) devastated. When I was asked to serve as the organist for his funeral, I hesitated, but only for a second. Finally, I was grateful to have something to do – something I actually knew about!

The first order of business was to choose the hymns. I had already thought of this and had a few suggestions – three of which were used.

There is a saying in the organist world. If you don’t specify the hymns before you die, you’re going to get “Amazing Grace,” “In the Garden,” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” (Let me stress, there is nothing wrong with ANY of these, especially if they are what someone has requested.)
So these are the hymns and why they were chosen.
First, “Amazing Grace.” I know that conflicts with the last paragraph; but, I chose it because we sang it around Adam’s hospital bed during an intensely moving prayer service. Also, I know that Adam is in God’s care and keeping and that one day, we will all be with Adam “bright shining as the sun” and singing God’s praises together.

The second hymn was “It Is Well With My Soul.” Google the history of this hymn and you’ll learn that the author wrote it in response to the dreadful news that his wife and children had perished when their ship sank en route to America. Adam left three sons behind aged 16, 10, and 6. The first verses speak of sorrow with each one giving away to a refrain of a simple but solid statement of faith. The final verse speaks of the resurrection!

Finally, I chose “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Adam spent some time in the Lutheran Church, but was baptized in a non-denominational (though Christian) service. At the time he died he was a member of a Presbyterian church. I have to admit I was thinking of Adam’s ancestors when I chose the hymn – hardy Norwegian Lutheran stock they were. If our loved ones meet us when we die, I know that some of those Lutherans were there waiting for him on the other side.

There was other music: Eric and Ellen Olson played the oboe and viola during the prelude, my niece Jessica played a guitar solo that Adam taught her, and Jessica accompanied another niece, Maya, who sang and made us all proud of her voice and poise. Finally, my brother and sister and I sang “Steal Away.”

I guess if this story has a moral, here it is. If you know what hymns you want to have sung at your funeral, then tell someone. I’m sure Adam, being only 37, never thought it was anywhere near the time to share that information. I hope he likes the ones we picked. Rest in peace, dear brother. We love you.

Church Music Celebration: Sunday, May 30th at 3:00

Our annual church music celebration features all of the St. Mark's musical ensembles singing, ringing, and playing their favorite pieces from the past year. That adds up to quite a variety of music for all of the liturgical seasons and includes offerings by the Festival Choir, St. Mark's Ringers, Alleluia Ringers, Kingdom Choir, members of the San Marco Chamber Music Society and the Behind the Pulpit Ensemble.

In this informal setting, you'll hear works by Paul Manz, William Billings, Arnold Sherman and many more. A reception will follow.

This event is free and all are welcome! We hope that you will join us.