Merry Christmas!

It's okay to greet each other by saying "Merry Christmas!" since we are still in the 12 Days of Christmas... Did I write the same thing last year? I wonder if I also said that some year I'd love to have a big carol sing in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Now that we're in a bigger home, with lots of space for the piano to reverberate, I think I should make it a project for 2012: more piano/music events at home. On March 13, 2012 it will be my piano's 25th birthday - that'd be a good place to start. The year could end with a carol sing... hmmm.

Advent 4 - Love

Before this week is completely gone, a quick post about love. We use this word WAY too flippantly in the 21st century, in my opinion. We use it to describe our feelings on food, politics, clothes, music styles - I could go on for awhile yet! Part of the 'problem' is that English does not have a wide variety of words for this feeling/emotion. We hear a great deal about love at this time of year and for this post I'm going to quote the words of a seldom heard carol. As is the case with many carols and hymns, this one began as a poem, and such beautiful poetry it is!

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Rossetti also wrote the words to another favourite carol of mine, "In the bleak midwinter".

Advent 3 - Joy!

I am obviously a little behind here... someday I'll learn how to write ahead and have Blogger put up my post on a certain day. So, how am I doing in the 'joy department'? I've come to realize that the third week of Advent is generally my 'panic' week - the week during which I fret that nothing will be ready on time, that I've bitten off more than I can chew, etc. Joy seems to sprout wings and fly off to some other, less busy, less frantic home! Or does it? What is (or should be) the Christian believer's definition of joy? I'm open to comments and suggestions, my readers...

Advent 2 - Peace?

Advent is a time of preparation and waiting for the coming of Christ. This time of year for a church musician brings extra preparation (at least it feels like 'extra') for St. Andrew's Christmas Eve service and all the glorious music of the season! I'll be the first to admit, it wouldn't seem like Christmas without the music. Still, that brings its own stress and weariness and over the weekend, I got the worst sore throat I've had in awhile. Good thing I'm not a singer...

St. Andrew's is in its own season of preparation and waiting as well. On January 8, 2012 we will have our last service at our current location before we move into a partnership with Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Many decisions have been made and still need to be made before this actually takes place. I think it's safe to say that the biggest decisions are behind us and what remains is a lot of little decisions - not sure which is more tiring! Both require a great deal of prayer, thought and planning and God's hand is evident as we take steps on this journey.

By now you may be asking, "What does all this have to do with peace?" I think sometimes we casually define personal peace as being relaxed, in a blissful state, without a care in the world. May I propose something different? I believe God's peace is an underlying sense of reliance on Him, and that God's plan and purpose are being worked out, sometimes/often in ways we cannot see or understand. During this busy season, I rely on that.

Advent 1 - Anticipation!

Each year, during this busy season of Advent and Christmas, I try to attend one event where I can sit, listen, and sing unencumbered by the responsibilities of playing. You, my reader, can appreciate that as a church musician, I don't get such an opportunity all that often. For many years I attended the Advent Lessons and Carols service at All Saints Anglican here in Winnipeg. They had (it was said) the best men and boys choir in all of western Canada. Don Hadfield was the organist then, and I looked forward each year to hearing him play. His prelude was always the same: various settings of "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" (Come, Saviour of the heathen), each one building in intensity. This was followed by Brahms' setting of "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" (Lo, how a rose e'er blooming). The postlude was Bach's great Toccata in F major (still on my learn-it-someday list). Those days sadly came to an end but several of those choir members are still very active and involved in Winnipeg's music scene in different ways.

One of these is Blair Anderson who is now the Organist/Choir Director at St. Luke's Anglican and yesterday I went to the Advent and Lessons there. It would have been easy to stay home. I'd already been out Friday and Saturday nights. I like to nap Sunday afternoons. It was Grey Cup Sunday and I'd probably miss the first part of the game on TV. In spite of all that, I felt compelled to go. Parking in the older part of town is often a challenge; yesterday was no exception. Two churches in two blocks, both with something going on - you get the picture. I finally got a spot, close to the church, parked the car, and got out. As I scurried across the street, I realized how excited I felt to go to worship! The anticipation of God's presence through music and scripture was almost overwhelming. I have found before that when I begin worship by anticipating that I will hear from God, it almost always happens. I was not disappointed:

Haggai 2:6-7
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
"In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,
the sea and the dry land.
I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come,
and I will fill this house with glory, "
says the Lord Almighty.

In the service of the King

Yesterday was Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday in the church year. I heard a very good, thought provoking sermon titled "Active in the service of the King". This title, as well as thoughts brought out in the message made me think of an old song I haven't heard for years. Of course, I had to look it up. Here are the words of verse and the refrain:

I am happy in the service of the King.
I am happy, O so happy!
I have peace and joy that nothing else can bring,
In the service of the King.

Refrain

In the service of the King
Every talent I will bring.
I have peace and joy and blessing
In the service of the King.

Cyberhymnal indicates that these words were written in 1912 by Alfred H. Ackley and there are days when I quite agree with Ackley: I have peace and joy and blessing as I serve my heavenly King to the best of my ability.

But I also think there are days when serving doesn't bring that much joy. Rather it brings headaches, planning nightmares, logistical diplomacy to the nth degree. Maybe we have to work through those parts to get to the blessings.

Thoughts my faithful readers?

A long absence explained

Anyone who is a regular visitor to my blog will have noticed the very lengthy gap between my post in June and the previous post in October. Last spring, it was my intention to record a second CD in July and I did, in fact, have studio time booked to do just that. But in mid-June plans suddenly changed. My family had been living in a side by side (duplex) home for over 12 years and through most of that time, we had really good neighbours. We got along well, respected each other's noise tolerance levels and had a friendly relationship. Two years ago that changed and the noise level became a point of unresolvable tension. My breaking point came with a confrontation that made me realize 'compromise' was not in their vocabulary.

We had planned to move in 2012 and had been keeping an eye on the housing market for awhile, just to know what was out there. Suddenly, our efforts were put into high gear and within 10 weeks we looked, bought, sold and moved. (A note to readers not in my part of the world: it is a seller's market where we live. We bought 1st knowing we would have no trouble selling afterwards; we lived near the U of Manitoba and affordable housing is hard to find.)

Right from the day of our decision, I began to pray that God would lead us to the right home for us. The song that kept coming to me was Don Moen's "God will make a way where there seems to be no way." It became a litany of sorts to get me through a process I knew would be stressful and tedious. The first day we looked at homes, we saw one we really liked. We made an offer and knew we were not the only ones offering so were not really surprised when we didn't get the house. Two days after closing, our agent called us. "You won't believe what happened! The buyer's financing fell through. The house is yours if you want it." Yes! We matched the previously accepted offer and that house is now our home. The amazing thing is that we were not the second offer in line - we were the fifth! God made a way where there seemed to be no way!

Some of the lovely walking paths in the park directly behind our new home.

Through gates of pearl...

We sometimes hear the expression "the pearly gates", often in connection with a joke that mentions Peter and someone seeking entrance to heaven. Today, for All Saints' Day, we sang the hymn For all the saints (words by William W. How) and the line that grabbed my attention this year was in the 8th verse: "...through gates of pearl streams in the countless host..." I think the reason this line stood out to me today is connected to what I witnessed at the women's conference I attended in May. You can read about that here. At the end of the message this morning, each one in the congregation was invited to come forward and light a candle representing someone (a saint = Christian believer) who had influenced them in their spiritual walk in the past. The candle would also represent someone that we hope to influence for Christ. Although we are a small group, it was moving to see each flickering flame and realize that those candles represented a miniscule portion of 'the countless host' - some of whom have gone before and some who will come after us.

The Lord is my Light

Last week when I turned one of my calendars over to June, the verse that greeted me was Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Coincidentally, or not, I had just heard Frances Allitsen's great setting of this psalm at the women's conference I attended. It was sung during Sunday morning worship by baritone, Peter McGillivray, and I've been singing it in my head periodically ever since. I first heard this piece during my college days and have accompanied a couple vocalists singing it over the years. In fact, when I stop to think of it, I don't know of another setting of these words! Does this overshadow all the others? Or have composers after Allitsen's time (1848-1912) not even tried to write something more compelling? Or (more likely) there are other versions in less formal styles.

This got me thinking about why I find this piece so powerful.

1. One reason is that the words are scripture. My Dad always encouraged me to listen to the words; are they sound theologically? do they contain mindless repetition? do they speak to me?
2. The music rises and falls with the text. The joyous arpeggios underpinning "The Lord is my light..." give way to a martial feel when we hear "Though a host of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid..." The quiet chords under "For in the time of trouble, He shall hide me in His tabernacle..." sound to me like waves lapping on the shore - a comforting sound.
3. Could it be a physical connection to the piece because I've played the accompaniment? I have felt the strength required to land those notes in the right place and because of that I respond when I hear the piece.

No matter the reason, I enjoyed hearing McGillivray's interpretation and, judging by the response, I was not the only one. Also, because I've been on the bench at the piano for this one, let me add that his accompanist was no slouch either!

A glimpse of heaven

Before too much more time goes by, I'd like to write a little about the music at "Look In, Shout Out!" - the first ever national gathering of Presbyterian women in Canada. This event took place May 20-23, 2011 in Richmond Hill, ON and attendance exceeded initial expectations with registration around 540 people. Our worship leader was Glen Soderholm, ably assisted by a 4 piece band and a few others on occasion.

It's hard to know where to begin! The music was well-presented both in format and selection. I enjoyed participating without having to play. There is joy and strength in worshiping in such a large group - an opportunity I rarely have. We learned some new pieces together, which is always a joy to me, and sang old ones in an updated way, breathing new life into them.

Sunday morning worship began with a processional hymn, the traditional "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty" led by Glen and the band. The procession was led by Rev. Margaret Mullin, Thundering Eagle Woman, director of Winnipeg Inner City Missions, who joined the band playing her Indian drum. She was followed by women from many parts of the world - our international guests - from Hungary, India, Guatemala, Malawi, Scotland, Korea and Japan. (I've probably missed a couple countries.) As we got to about the third verse and I watched these women of God come forward, I suddenly had a glimpse of heaven with people from all nations gathering around God's throne singing and praising God with words very much like this hymn. It was an extremely meaningful moment in worship which I think will stay with me for a long time to come.

You can't beat live music!

This post, strictly speaking, is not faith related. However, it does have to do with music! Twice in the space of seven days, I've attended live music events. It doesn't get much better than that for me. As a musician who is more often than not sitting on the bench playing, it is a real treat to listen to others for a change. Last weekend, I was at the first ever national women's conference put on by the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Saturday was a 'free' evening with various events to attend. I chose the concert at the conference hotel with fabulous music by two groups: Clan Hannigan, led by Steafan, and Lost Pilgrims. A most enjoyable evening of music and entertainment.

Tonight I went to "Spring Fling", an annual fundraiser for the band program at my son's school. The music was provided by the jazz bands - one band per grade, Gr. 9 through 12 - and an alumni band. Once again, great quality music and really good entertainment.

These two very different events held 1,200 miles apart made me think about the power of music in our lives. It would be easy to take music for granted. After all, we hear it nearly everywhere we go - the grocery store, the airport, traveling in the car, etc. I can hear a song from a certain time in my life and be instantly 'transported' back to that year (1970 something?) and sometimes even a specific place where I was when I heard it.

Now, just for a moment, think about how this relates to the pieces we sing in worship. The staying power of words and music is phenomenal. Words of faith and statements of belief can be planted in our hearts and minds using music and be used over and over to assure us of God's love and plan for us. I say, bring on the music!

The greatness of God

Don't be frightened away! I'm not planning to attempt to write all my thoughts on the greatness of God. It's just that I've been reminded once again how many hymns and songs we sing proclaiming God's greatness. If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I have a couple concerts coming up next week and in preparation for them I've been doing some research. In my concerts, I talk a little about the background of the pieces I'm playing - whether it be about the author or composer, or my own connection to the song. Next week's program includes 5 previously unperformed pieces and three of them embrace this very topic. They are: Our Great Saviour, Great is the Lord, and How Great is Our God. The respective publication dates of these pieces are: 1910, 1982, and 2004. It inspires me to know that songwriters, over all the decades and centuries that pass, are still finding new and creative ways to praise God. Why don't you come and hear for yourself?

'Til we cast our crowns before Thee

I did something today I haven't done in over 2 decades. I got up in the middle of the night to watch a royal wedding. Yes, I was curious about 'the dress', but more than that I wanted to experience the music of Westminster Abbey during the ceremony, knowing full well that the music is not considered a highlight to be replayed in its entirety later in the day. There were some glorious moments! The bride's entrance to "I Was Glad" by Sir C.H.H. Parry was wonderful. (I'm not sure that was entirely the context intended by the Psalmist but whatever...) The fanfares by the two groups of trumpeters were marvelous as well. If I'd had a say in the matter, I'd have heard more organ and not quite as much orchestra, but then one has to consider supporting the singing of about 1,900 people in a building with very live acoustics.

The couple's choice of hymns was very interesting. They were: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (Tune: Cwm Rhondda), Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Tune: Blaenwern) and lastly, And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time (Tune: Jerusalem). The first 2 tunes are Welsh and it made me wonder if this was a deliberate tribute to Wales (William's surname as Charles is the Prince of Wales). There are other reasons, of course, for choosing those 2 hymns. I understand that the second is a very popular choice for English weddings and with this particular tune - one that is not well known in North America. The third hymn always makes me think of the movie, Chariots of Fire; that's the first time I ever heard it.

The big question today seems to be, "What was your memorable moment during the wedding?" Well, the moment I'll remember occurred during the singing of Love Divine. The TV camera was on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they both sang the words, "...'Til we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise." It was a poignant reminder to me that earthly kingdoms - past, present and future - will someday pass away and we will glorify only the King of Kings, and be "lost in wonder, love and praise".

On the other side of Easter

Now that Easter has come, but not quite gone, (we're still in the church season of Easter) I can focus on upcoming events. The next thing on the calendar is wrapping up the choir season at St. Andrew's. With Easter being so late this year, (I think nearly as late as it can possibly be) there are only 3 Sundays left before the Victoria Day weekend which is when we end choir for the summer. I generally feel like we're coasting downhill to the finish line and that's okay. There is a time and season to everything under the sun.

The second event on the horizon is a pair of concerts in southern Ontario in 3 weeks' time. While I'm down, I will also be able to spend precious time with my Mom and other family members, and attend the first ever national women's conference for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. All these are exciting things for me to do. Guess I'd better go practise!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011
7:30 p.m.
St. John's United Church
13 Spring St., Flesherton, ON
Suggested Donation: $5-$10

Wednesday, May 18, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Church of the Nazarene
347 Fairview Drive, Brantford, ON
Suggested Donation: $5-$10

Holy Week

I can't pretend to speak for all church musicians, but I know I have a love/hate relationship with Holy Week. I love celebrating the high points and recognizing the sombre times. I love the music that goes with those all-important days of the church calendar. I hate the frantic feeling I get nearly every year thinking that the music can never possibly be ready in time. I hate feeling like each service is something to cross off my to-do list when it's finished so I can move on to the next one and get it over with too.

In the midst of all this busy-ness, I stopped at the grocery store Friday afternoon. After getting the few things I needed, I got back in the car to drive home. As I started the car, the radio came on exactly, and I do mean exactly, at the place in Sibelius's symphony where we get the hymn tune FINLANDIA. The first line of the hymn text popped into my mind - "Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side." Just what I needed to hear to slow me down and take a deep breath!

First time ever - Part 3

Yesterday, over the noon hour, I played for the third of this year's Lenten Communion services put on by the Winnipeg Centre, Royal Canadian College of Organists. This year the series is being held at St. Andrew's Anglican Church (Woodhaven). Each participating organist makes their own repertoire selections for the half hour service and all of mine were based on hymns - some more familiar than others. The hymn that falls into the 'first time ever' category is ABERYSTWYTH, a beautiful tune of Welsh origin. The only text I believe it is ever paired with is by Charles Wesley, Jesus, Lover of my Soul.

The first time I ever remember hearing this hymn was when the choir from Canadian Nazarene College came to sing in Orkney church. I think it may have been 1971 during their spring tour of eastern Canada. I seem to recall it being sung a cappella; maybe one of my sisters will remember for sure. It's probably safe to say that the music that stays with us (especially for 40 years!) is connected to us in more than one way. I may not have remembered this hymn and the first time I heard it except that my parents taped the evening's concert on a new radio/cassette player we had with a built in mic. That tape was replayed often and the hymn remained with me. If you can ignore the lip syncing, you can hear Aled Jones singing Jesus, Lover of my Soul by going to this link. The second verse is sung in Welsh.

You can have all this world...

"How Sweet the Sound!" is already more than a week ago; how time flies! The concert went well and I really enjoyed working with professional singers again. It's been awhile since I could just sit down and play and not do the coaching side of it as well. Definitely a treat for me. :) I usually find that there are one or two songs, sometimes more, that stay in my head for a few days after a performance. This time one of them was the spiritual "Give me Jesus". In my opinion, music and text are perfectly wed to create a song filled with emotion and the spiritual longing to desire only Christ in all I do.

This performance is not the arrangement we did, but it captures the essence of the song very well.

Go Down, Moses!

These March days are full of preparations for an upcoming concert (details above) and once again, I found myself dreaming the music last night. You guessed it - the piece was "Go Down, Moses!" This is one of the selections I am collaborating with Encore Vocal Quartet to perform in 2 weeks' time. In my dream, I seemed to be playing the song from finish to start - a technique sometimes recommended to really know your stuff. To make things even stranger, the music was laid out on a long banquet table...? I didn't think I went to bed hungry, but then dreams come from weird places sometimes.

All dreaming aside, the evening promises to provide great entertainment and hopefully some inspiration to get us through the rest of our long, cold, windy winter in Winnipeg. (Temperature at 8 a.m. today was -27C.) Good thing one of the solo songs I'm playing is "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"!

Refreshing Winds

February has flown by! You might think that since I haven't posted anything about the conference, Refreshing Winds, that I didn't get anything worthwhile out of it. I did! It just seems that once that was finished, life kept on rolling at a crazy pace. Nearly 3 weeks have passed, and I guess it's now safe to say that the things I'm still thinking about are the things that made an impact on me.

The workshops were the highlight for me. I attended 2 given by Doug Gay - both very thought provoking and informative. The Saturday one gave me good insights into the emerging church movement and how it is shaping worship and, I believe, how it will continue to have an influence on the church.

Another great workshop was the one called "Improv-ing Worship" led by Marilyn Houser Hamm. She worked with other musicians, including CMU profs and students, to challenge us with breaking out of the traditional re: accompanying for worship, and into the improvisational. The Celtic flavour was strong with the use of fiddle, bodhran and pennywhistle. However, I'd have to say the most unusual twist came with a tango-like accompaniment and beat used for the German chorale "Jesus, priceless treasure" (Jesu, meine Freude). It really did work!

Last but not least, and perhaps leaving the most lasting impression on me, was the panel discussion with 4 CMU students who talked about their worship experiences. They each related the type of congregations they were nurtured in growing up (if any), and where they worship today. A wide range of experiences was revealed. The phrase that has been echoing in my mind ever since, that lasting impression articulated by one of these 20-somethings is this:
"We are ready to be ecumenical."

January - exhilarating?

January is not always exhilarating. In fact, earlier this month I don't think I would have written what I am about to write. One week can make a big difference in a person's outlook though, and here in Winnipeg we have turned a weather corner. Last week, our temperatures were in the minus 30C range with nasty windchill to accompany that. This week, not so much! Add to that the fact that January is nearly over and it all feels good.

I am in the midst of making some concert arrangements for this coming spring, and am definitely planning to record a second CD in July. All these plans are very exhilarating to me, and just to top it off, I'll be attending the Refreshing Winds Conference next week out at CMU. I went to this conference in 2007 and was very inspired by the workshops, the worship, and the speakers. So, all this to say stay tuned for concert dates and a few thoughts on what I saw, heard and experienced at "Refreshing Winds".

How things have changed!

The piano tuner came today, and I don't mind telling you it was more than time. His imminent arrival meant I had to remove all the various books, papers, and sundry articles that find their way to the top of the baby grand. I found, among many other things, 2 song sheets that I intended to write about. So even though we are past the 12 Days, I will share my thoughts on these collections from different eras.

The first song sheet, judging by the carollers portrayed on the cover, is from the 1960's. It was printed by The Bay whose main Winnipeg store apparently had a Christmas Choir that "broadcast each week-day morning from 9:00 - 9:30 over CKY - Listen in." I think the pamphlets were distributed so individuals could join in from home. Here is an alphabetical listing of all included carols.

Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful)
Away in a Manger
Christians Awake!
Diadem (All Hail the Pow'r of Jesus' Name)
First Noel
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Good King Wenceslas
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Little Drummer Boy
O Christmas Tree
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Once in Royal David's City
See Amid the Winter's Snow
Silent Night
The Westminster Carol (Angels We Have Heard on High)
We Three Kings
While Shepherds Watched

Compare that list to the following, taken from the 2009 booklet printed by and distributed with the free community newspapers.

All I Want for Christmas
Auld Lang Syne
Away in a Manger
Dans une etable obscure (In an obscure stable?)
Deck the Halls
First Noel
Frosty the Snowman
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Hark the Herald Angels
Here Comes Santa Claus
Holly, Jolly Christmas
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Il est ne, le divin enfant (He is born, the divine Christ-child)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
Joy to the World
Les anges dans nos campagnes (also in English, Angels we have heard on high)
O Christmas Tree
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Oh Holy Night
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Silent Night
Silver Bells
We Three Kings
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
What Child is This
Winter Wonderland

Besides the obvious fact that the second has a lot more songs in it, the other thing that strikes me is the number of secular Christmas songs. A rather accurate reflection of our society's celebration of this holy-day in the first years of this 21st Century.