As always, the Christmas season has been full of music that has been meaningful, joyful, and deep, as well as light, at times.
My first highlight was the Southeastern University Christmas concert. This year, I had no musical responsibilities in this concert, so I was free to enjoy being an audience member. It was a real pleasure to take in live music. Plus, it was a worshipful experience.
Next, I coordinated a couple of performances of my advent cantata, The Promise of a Child. One was at our house and involved church members and school colleagues and students. The most meaningful part of this for me was the presence of student-friends who share these events with me.
The second performance took place in Lasker when I returned for my annual Christmas concert. This year, I traveled to Lasker alone. A thirteen hour drive puts a performance in a unique perspective for someone like me who mostly performs nearby. Plus, this program kept changing as personnel also changed. All the performers who joined me in this endeavor were great and did nothing less than make the event possible and successful. Plus, they were all friends. Baritone Greg Parker sang his air "And a Great Portent Appeared in Heaven" with refinement and meaning. I'd like to travel around giving art song recitals with Greg. Unfortunately, our society doesn't really support that. Flutist Jeremy McEntire was, as always, fun to make music with. The afternoon of the concert we read through a few arrangements and chose several to play. The ones we chose formed a little suite of tunes that are about non-biblical Christmas-related stories: The Cherry Tree Carol; Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella; and Good King Wenceslas.
Upon returning to Lakeland, I settled in for the central worship of the season: Christmas Eve and Christmas Sunday services. I came to these events with a refreshed mindset. Through playing for worship lately I have been reminded that solo playing and accompanying congregational singing are two different things, and not just in the more surface differences. The congregational accompanist needs to support and shape as well as providing commentary and energy. All of this is undergirded by reflection on what types of things we say and sing in worship.
I am learning to embrace the electronic keyboard I play every Sunday. But before I express this embrace, I must articulate why the embrace is difficult. My love, calling, and training involve the acoustic instrument and music designed for it. The experiences of acoustic versus electric instruments are two different experiences. Some will tell you they are not, but they are. Of course, many people seeking to buy pianos can be convinced that an electronic instrument will suit their needs, but this does not mean that the experiences are the same. A keyboard salesman is not the person to ask. A concert pianist or a handcrafter of fine instruments can clarify what is at stake in the absence/loss of an acoustic instrument. This is not intended to disparage electronic instruments. There is music that sounds good on them. But it generally isn't piano music or music conceived for voices two or three hundred years ago. Also, in spite of the electronic instrument's seeming variety of sounds, I can only express a small portion of the nuance on them that I am capable of on even a bad acoustic instrument. Really, I am not making my own sounds. I am playing someone else's sounds.
With those things said, I am moving forward with trying to figure out how and what to play on the keyboard. Towards that end, I am undertaking a composition project. I am envisioning a set of 24 short pieces, mostly offertories, that sound good to me on the keyboard. I started by composing a little lullaby of sorts for Christmas Eve. Already I have learned to keep things simple - few fast notes and transparent textures seem to work best.
Keeping things simple was also part of my musical Christmas worship. Instead of improvising all of the carol accompaniments, I used some very basic techniques and limited the improvisation to several specific moments for particular reasons. Since it was Christmas, I utilized more of the color options than usual, though. That seems to be my tradition.
I'll share a few notes about the accompaniments for my own records and for any interested readers.
On Christmas Eve, we opened with O Come All Ye Faithful - lyrically played since it is a piece of invitation to see the Savior. Second verse, alto doubled an octave higher for a bit of a sonic aura for a verse about angels.
Advent chorus "Christ Be Our Light" played with bell patch which is the timbre we've associated with the piece through Advent. Last verse, addition of eighth notes to express the greater intensity of its concluding ideas.
Away in a Manger - guitar patch, emphasis on tenor in second verse to resonate with the text about lowing cattle
Hark the Herald - Kathy played along on horn, bass double in octaves for fullness, third verse improvised a rising line to underscore the theme of rising in the text.
Go Tell It on the Mountain - Again, I basically stayed with the hymnal version instead of making it sound more gospel-like as I usually do. However, I did listen for a more authentic inflection of syncopations and added some clangorous eighths in the verse abut ringing out.
Angels from the Realms of Glory - bass doubling and strong shaping of the phrases: the phrases of the verse rise quickly and then fall, and in the chorus they build on one another "Come and worship, Come and worship, Worship Christ the newborn King!"
O Little Town of Bethlehem - organ patch, alto double on verse two, again for angels, and a cappella on third verse "How silently, how silently . . ."
Silent Night - improvised obliggato for "glories stream from Heaven above."
And on Christmas Sunday morning,
a carol medley:
How Great Our Joy - again, emphasis on phrasing. This is the mediant/submediant song. Check out the structure of the melody if you're interested. It's almost minimalistic or cubist in its varying patterns of the same pitches and movements around tonic.
followed by Joy to the World
verse 1 - a few added dotted notes for the regal nature of the text
verses 2 and 3 - paying attention to the text painting of the tune of words like "floods" and "flow"
verse 4 - more dotted notes
and Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee with a Christmas text
Mostly flowing eighth note accompaniment with a decrescendo to the third line in which the lowliness of the Christ child's birth is referenced.
Rise Up Shepherd and Follow - call and response a cappella
What Child is This? - harpsichord patch and baroque sounding ornaments and pacing. Also, noting the questioning nature of the text and the tune/harmony. More kingly references, too, in the third verse.
Conclusion of the service, bringing Luke and Matthew stories together - The First Noel -
We moved through the first five verses rather quickly and broadened the sixth which deals most with our response and unity. Unison with unity texts.
Pastor Tim spoke to God's call for a more humble world and of the Christmas message of an enduring peace that starts in the heart and works its way out.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Inspired
I am grateful for the sense of inspiration that comes from a lot of my work these days. It has something to do with there being a good match between my specific gifts and the specific needs and interests of my students.
Today has been the culmination of several lines moving through my life as of late, and that puts me in a particularly gratifying place this evening.
Before Thanksgiving, I was reminded of a truth that one learns to be true by living for a while: We can and do change. I always need that reminder when I stumble. Our efforts over time do change us.
Something I'm learning about being healthy: When challenges appear, try not to let every area of your life slip into crisis mode. If I can keep some practicing or composing going on a nice schedule, or if I keep some exercise regiment or can keep some semblance of discipline in my eating, then I have a better chance at keeping the real issues I'm struggling with in perspective.
Today I had the privilege and blessing of meeting with one student and hearing their story of becoming a pianist. Knowing and telling the stories of how we became musicians is so powerful and grounding.
My ear training students gave me some fine insight into what would make their experience better. Actually, one of their ideas is something I've known or suspected for many years but just wasn't sure about how to bring it about. Now I'm thinking I really need to do it because the students also believe it would help. It will take some work, but there will be more joy and success because of it.
Then I got to teach a lesson on Haydn D Major Concerto. Here are some of the ideas from that lesson.
- Performance is about projection and communication of all that we have discovered and practiced. In that way, it's a lot like public speaking. Talk/play to the person on the last row, and your voice will have enough energy for the whole room.
- The dynamic of piano and orchestra: the piano is a piano but might also be an orchestra, so look out orchestra.
- The importance of communicating clear and convicted pulse when playing with orchestra; the idea of telegraphing the nature and timing of the orchestral entrance by the way you play the preceding beats.
- The need for "hard rhythm" or rhythmic spine, often in the left hand, at moments that might otherwise feel a little indefinite and mushy.
- The value of solfege for understanding the tensions of voice leading - what a tremendous tool for teaching the feeling of music.
- The fact that a score can look and sound simple and clear but can convey such an incredibly rich record of the human experience.
- The spiraling pattern of passages of repeated harmonic or thematic patterns with variation: much like the book of Isaiah in which a message continually develops through commentary.
That lesson was followed by a faculty meeting that concluded with a time of prayer in which we prayed for the various needs of individuals and our institution.
Tonight I'm enjoying our scotch pine Christmas tree that's full musical ornaments. We also have Floyd the Illuminated Christmas Flamingo in the guest bedroom window.
And my son and I had a good talk about what it means to be family tonight.
Thank you everybody for a day that has meant a lot to me.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Lots to Blog About
The holidays tend to be a time of abundant life for us musicians - lots of work, work that's inspiring, as well as some time to reflect on its meaning.
Kathy and I returned to Lasker (as well as Murfreesboro, Ahoskie, and Rich Sqaure) for the first time since our move. The occasion was my eighth Christmas concert in Lasker, an event in which Kathy joined me on her horn, also singing, and as piano four-hands partner.
It felt like returning home and like Christmas. Many friends came to the concert and visited with us during our time there.
I rarely travel so far for a performance. It puts a different emphasis on the work. This time, it was a good thing, and it usually is, in my experience.
As we prepared the concert, I thought of the many approaches composers have taken to Christmas. On this concert we played, among other things, pieces about
a town
heavenly bread
Mary and Joseph
a tree
a star
spreading the good news
meditation under the night sky
the ways Jesus is envisioned by children around the globe
joyful singing
gift giving
the night of Jesus' birth
snow
and riding in a sleigh!
Our goal was to match our energy to that of the music and to communicate with the audience. Kathy played very well and I was pleased with my effort, too. By the end of the evening, I was reminded that being one's self is what is really required and that so much of the other stuff is really stressful and extraneous.
I also connected more deeply with "I Wonder as I Wander" than ever before since I was a returning Carolinian playing a piece with roots in NC for Carolinians.
Former students attended and turned pages for me. We visited at the lovely reception afterwards. All these things were very special to me.
We were back in Lakeland in time for Christmas Eve at the Church in the Meadows. I always like to offer prayers for friends around Easter and Christmas services. These times deepen my sense of connection with the sacred, so it seems like more of heart might be in the prayers.
In that spirit, I tried something new. I offered my playing at the Christmas Eve service as a prayer for an old student that I learned had recently had to leave to school. I did this in the same sense that Mass might be said for someone or ones who are ailing.
I brought in the new ear with some Liszt, this year being the bicentennial of his birth. I practiced Sposalizio on the 1st. I'm building my relationship with the piece on a daily basis. On this occasion, I noticed how important it is to stayed tuned to the metrical flow of this music - especially in the single-line passages and phrases with lots of rests - so as to really hear what Liszt has written.
On the first Sunday of the year I played new stuff for our service: my own prelude on "Morning Has Broken" (an arrangement I wrote for a student in the fall) and for offertory, I premiered my tune MEADOWS. That was the first thing I wrote after moving to FL. It is a song expressing the concept of Christian community.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Florida Christmas
Reflections and memories from this first Christmas season as a Florida resident:
First day the heat came on in our house - cozy!
First lizard in our house - too small and quick to catch, also the same color as our den carpet - hard to see. I assume he's still somewhere in the house. I also realized that I think of lizards as being male just like I've noticed that some folks always think dogs are male and cats are female. But lizards can't all be male.
Insightful student reminded me that it's good to be sad sometimes. A balance of some sort is what is needed. The music of Haydn demonstrates the reality of that balance well, as does the music of Chopin. Maybe that's why good Haydn pianists are sometimes good Chopin pianists.
First experience playing the celesta part in Nutcracker excerpt. Also enjoyed playing keyboard parts for excerpts from Polar Express and It's a Wonderful Life. Special to me: playing piano for Chip Davis "Silent Night" arrangement with my theory student as the solo cellist.
I'm feeling very at home in Lakeland and missing our usual warm Flordia weather!
I also feel very at home at Southeastern. In my experience so far, our mission statement is true: We are a loving Pentecostal community. Love is a hallmark of the place, as is a strong belief in the Holy Spirit. So it's a great place to be.
First day the heat came on in our house - cozy!
First lizard in our house - too small and quick to catch, also the same color as our den carpet - hard to see. I assume he's still somewhere in the house. I also realized that I think of lizards as being male just like I've noticed that some folks always think dogs are male and cats are female. But lizards can't all be male.
Insightful student reminded me that it's good to be sad sometimes. A balance of some sort is what is needed. The music of Haydn demonstrates the reality of that balance well, as does the music of Chopin. Maybe that's why good Haydn pianists are sometimes good Chopin pianists.
First experience playing the celesta part in Nutcracker excerpt. Also enjoyed playing keyboard parts for excerpts from Polar Express and It's a Wonderful Life. Special to me: playing piano for Chip Davis "Silent Night" arrangement with my theory student as the solo cellist.
I'm feeling very at home in Lakeland and missing our usual warm Flordia weather!
I also feel very at home at Southeastern. In my experience so far, our mission statement is true: We are a loving Pentecostal community. Love is a hallmark of the place, as is a strong belief in the Holy Spirit. So it's a great place to be.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
What Music Can Do
Christmas Eve is one of the days of the year that feels sacred to me. It is a deep day that resonates with other Christmas Eves in other years and brings thoughts of both the spiritual meaning of the day and memories of the friends with whom I've spent it.
Today I find myself contemplating my blessings - friends near and far, family, work, home, the town where we live, and of course, music.
Several of this semesters's musical events have fed my soul and given me reasons for living. The first was Jim Guthrie's organ recital. To hear Jim playing so well and providing an afternoon of Frescobaldi made me feel like we really are holding up our end of the culture and that friends here are committed to the work of the arts that the world needs done. Jim played this music in such a way that even the casual listener could hear the various lines and their courses. And by playing this recital, he made myself and others personally aware of the greatness of Frescobaldi. The music has a sacred discursiveness about it. Its wanderings are like those of a soul in contemplation. Sometimes, tiny pipe sounds drew us up into a sense of some heavenly recess. There was always a sense of leading toward resolution, but it often came from somewhere other than where I expected, often culminating somewhere away from tonic. It was music full of thoughtful and unexpected harmonies that showed that lines can go many places. The experience refreshed my commitment to the art of music and its importance, as well as to my work here at Chowan.
The second invigorating event of the semester was the preparation for Handel's Messiah. Many of us at school and in the community were involved with rehearsals for this masterwork. Dr. Parker preached the texts of the work in these rehearsals, and we labored together as if we were trying to pull some great ship out into deep water so it could sail. The sense of being part of that huge process, of living life along that big trajectory along with many others, gave the semester shape and meaning. It was wonderful to be sharing this task with people of various age groups, races, and economic classes. And it was all done for the sake of the musical work and for its effectiveness when shared with the audience. I dare say that the world would be a better place if more people had something like this experience in their lives.
Finally, I think of how music can draw us into worhip. The Russian Christmas concert in Lasker was full of music that transported the listeners to other lands and sacred scenes. I look forward to tonight's Christmas Eve service which should do the same.
May our new year be full of more music that brings joy, peace, and meaning!
Today I find myself contemplating my blessings - friends near and far, family, work, home, the town where we live, and of course, music.
Several of this semesters's musical events have fed my soul and given me reasons for living. The first was Jim Guthrie's organ recital. To hear Jim playing so well and providing an afternoon of Frescobaldi made me feel like we really are holding up our end of the culture and that friends here are committed to the work of the arts that the world needs done. Jim played this music in such a way that even the casual listener could hear the various lines and their courses. And by playing this recital, he made myself and others personally aware of the greatness of Frescobaldi. The music has a sacred discursiveness about it. Its wanderings are like those of a soul in contemplation. Sometimes, tiny pipe sounds drew us up into a sense of some heavenly recess. There was always a sense of leading toward resolution, but it often came from somewhere other than where I expected, often culminating somewhere away from tonic. It was music full of thoughtful and unexpected harmonies that showed that lines can go many places. The experience refreshed my commitment to the art of music and its importance, as well as to my work here at Chowan.
The second invigorating event of the semester was the preparation for Handel's Messiah. Many of us at school and in the community were involved with rehearsals for this masterwork. Dr. Parker preached the texts of the work in these rehearsals, and we labored together as if we were trying to pull some great ship out into deep water so it could sail. The sense of being part of that huge process, of living life along that big trajectory along with many others, gave the semester shape and meaning. It was wonderful to be sharing this task with people of various age groups, races, and economic classes. And it was all done for the sake of the musical work and for its effectiveness when shared with the audience. I dare say that the world would be a better place if more people had something like this experience in their lives.
Finally, I think of how music can draw us into worhip. The Russian Christmas concert in Lasker was full of music that transported the listeners to other lands and sacred scenes. I look forward to tonight's Christmas Eve service which should do the same.
May our new year be full of more music that brings joy, peace, and meaning!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Images
Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming -
beautiful roses blooming in our yard on December first.
New use for a piano -
storage of musical Christmas ornaments at the Smithfield Christmas Store.
For Lasker Christmas pictures with music click here.
beautiful roses blooming in our yard on December first.
New use for a piano -
storage of musical Christmas ornaments at the Smithfield Christmas Store.
For Lasker Christmas pictures with music click here.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Christmas at Chowan 2009
Tonight was this year's Christmas at Chowan concert. It came just as we had our first noticeble frost and a little bit of ice.
I played Lyapunov's "Procession of the Magi." As I trudged home through the cold between the rehearsal and the performance, I thought about the inexorable quality of this music and how Russian music has as one of its specialities the unstopable march. I first noticed this quality in a Lazar Berman performance of one of Rachmaninoff's Moment-Musicaux.
As I played the piece during the concert, I felt a little like there were people present who weren't interested in this music. They may just be because of the unfocused feeling I get when participating in a variety show type of concert like this one. Or maybe it is because the music unfolds slowly and I become anxious that the listeners are losing interest. Whatever the reason, these sorts of thoughts are distracting and do not help me play well!
Maybe the slowness with which the music unfolds gives it the inexorable quality. As always, the music is to be trusted and the musician shouldn't worry about the audience's instant gratification if that isn't the way the music is designed.
Later on the program, I played several pieces from Rebikov's The Christmas Presents. That playing experience was better for me. The audience seemed focused with me and I realized how extraordinary it is for a room of 100 to 200 people to sit and listen intently to one man play a few quiet notes an a piano.
I played Lyapunov's "Procession of the Magi." As I trudged home through the cold between the rehearsal and the performance, I thought about the inexorable quality of this music and how Russian music has as one of its specialities the unstopable march. I first noticed this quality in a Lazar Berman performance of one of Rachmaninoff's Moment-Musicaux.
As I played the piece during the concert, I felt a little like there were people present who weren't interested in this music. They may just be because of the unfocused feeling I get when participating in a variety show type of concert like this one. Or maybe it is because the music unfolds slowly and I become anxious that the listeners are losing interest. Whatever the reason, these sorts of thoughts are distracting and do not help me play well!
Maybe the slowness with which the music unfolds gives it the inexorable quality. As always, the music is to be trusted and the musician shouldn't worry about the audience's instant gratification if that isn't the way the music is designed.
Later on the program, I played several pieces from Rebikov's The Christmas Presents. That playing experience was better for me. The audience seemed focused with me and I realized how extraordinary it is for a room of 100 to 200 people to sit and listen intently to one man play a few quiet notes an a piano.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Fall Break Review, Part I
Fall Break is right around the corner, and it feels like a good time to turn a corner in my year. We've been blessed with some actual fall-like weather for several weeks. That is, we've stayed out of the 90s for some time now. In addition, I actually felt a little bit of Christmas on the way as I walked home tonight. Maybe that's because I've just started learning a couple of Lyopunov's Fetes de Noels which, by the way, I'd highly recommend to any classical pianist wanting to learn some Christmasy repertoire.
Christmas is such a lovely time of year here with the cool weather, the historic homes decorated, and many meaningful festivities. This all reminds me that I really like being here.
Loving a place and being called to a place is a lot like a marriage. The love and the calling are much bigger than any one bad experience or interaction. But those things can distract us and cloud our vision, so we need to be smart in cherishing the relationship.
(By the way, Kathy and I try not to create bad experiences or bad interactions for each other, but sometimes we have to share bad experiences inflicted upon us by others!)
In addition to the approach of fall break, I had several gigs this week that brought a period of performing to a pretty satisfying conclusion. I have some time now before any major performing, so I can do some enjoyable, disciplined, and unhurried preparation. Also, I have some time to work on trying to do a little less but better, and getting in the habit of more consistent exercise and better eating habits, etc. . . . !
And that brings me to the real topic of this post: a little reflection on the piano playing I've done and heard so far this year. I'll cover these events in reverse order and over the course of a couple of posts.
Dr. White, our president here at Chowan, gave a concert this afternoon to raise funds for Chowan University mission trips. Dr. White studied some formally growing up and also listened closely to his grandfather who was a talented natural musician. One of the moving things about Dr. White's musicianship is his consciousness of this link to the past. He is conveying what he can reproduce of his grandfather's style to his own grandchildren and others with whom this way of playing strikes a chord. My favorite selection from this afternoon's concert was a rendition of the gospel song "Ivory Palaces" which was his reconstruction of his grandfather's playing and, to my ears, it rang with authenticity, particularly in its pacing and the interesting flowing tenor voice that provided a countermelody to the tune.
Another arrangement that captured my imagination was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" which took advantage of the rich low bass notes of the Grotrian, each of which sounded like some great pillar put in place at the beginning of time. Dr. White indicated that this was one of his favorite songs, and the comfortable fluidity with which he played it suggested to me that the song iteself has been a long-time companion of his at the piano.
Two other selections that were of particular musical interest to me were a medley and a theologically-thoughtful arrangement of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." The medley combined several tunes that I never thought of together but make perfect sense as a group: "Fill My Cup, Lord" based on the story about the woman at the well, "Kumbaya," and "Holy Ground." These last two have very similar melodies that are nearly interchangeable at points.
Dr. White gave an explanation of his rendition of "When I Survey." The sections represent the vision of the cross, then the reality of death on the cross, then the fact that there is life beyond the cross. That narrative framework gave the arrangement integrity and meaning.
Christmas is such a lovely time of year here with the cool weather, the historic homes decorated, and many meaningful festivities. This all reminds me that I really like being here.
Loving a place and being called to a place is a lot like a marriage. The love and the calling are much bigger than any one bad experience or interaction. But those things can distract us and cloud our vision, so we need to be smart in cherishing the relationship.
(By the way, Kathy and I try not to create bad experiences or bad interactions for each other, but sometimes we have to share bad experiences inflicted upon us by others!)
In addition to the approach of fall break, I had several gigs this week that brought a period of performing to a pretty satisfying conclusion. I have some time now before any major performing, so I can do some enjoyable, disciplined, and unhurried preparation. Also, I have some time to work on trying to do a little less but better, and getting in the habit of more consistent exercise and better eating habits, etc. . . . !
And that brings me to the real topic of this post: a little reflection on the piano playing I've done and heard so far this year. I'll cover these events in reverse order and over the course of a couple of posts.
Dr. White, our president here at Chowan, gave a concert this afternoon to raise funds for Chowan University mission trips. Dr. White studied some formally growing up and also listened closely to his grandfather who was a talented natural musician. One of the moving things about Dr. White's musicianship is his consciousness of this link to the past. He is conveying what he can reproduce of his grandfather's style to his own grandchildren and others with whom this way of playing strikes a chord. My favorite selection from this afternoon's concert was a rendition of the gospel song "Ivory Palaces" which was his reconstruction of his grandfather's playing and, to my ears, it rang with authenticity, particularly in its pacing and the interesting flowing tenor voice that provided a countermelody to the tune.
Another arrangement that captured my imagination was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" which took advantage of the rich low bass notes of the Grotrian, each of which sounded like some great pillar put in place at the beginning of time. Dr. White indicated that this was one of his favorite songs, and the comfortable fluidity with which he played it suggested to me that the song iteself has been a long-time companion of his at the piano.
Two other selections that were of particular musical interest to me were a medley and a theologically-thoughtful arrangement of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." The medley combined several tunes that I never thought of together but make perfect sense as a group: "Fill My Cup, Lord" based on the story about the woman at the well, "Kumbaya," and "Holy Ground." These last two have very similar melodies that are nearly interchangeable at points.
Dr. White gave an explanation of his rendition of "When I Survey." The sections represent the vision of the cross, then the reality of death on the cross, then the fact that there is life beyond the cross. That narrative framework gave the arrangement integrity and meaning.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Seaworld Christmas
My in-laws sent us to Seaworld for Christmas. I enjoyed the day and found it to be a surprisingly musical experience.
Not far into the park, I heard a recording of an all male chorus singing chant. Naturally, that intrigued me. When the third phrase arrived, I started hearing the instrumental accompaniment and recognized this "chant." It was "Winter Wonderland!" Those first two lines really do sound like chant when heard in this way.
Then we took a bridge, not to nowhere, but to Shamu Stadium. This long bridge was lots of fun. There was music playing and several choirs of fountains in the lake responded to some of the music. It was a lovely and energetic water ballet. I also heard a bit of Mannheim Steamroller's version of "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" on that trip across the bridge. I've been playing the arrangement myself, and faster than the recorded performance (which I hadn't heard until yesterday). But my tempo was based on the metronome marking in the piano score.
Seeing the really big and smart animals in the Shamu show was very moving. This was more ballet, only with whales.
Shamu was presented as a member of the same family as all of us humans who share the planet, and this made some sense to me because Shamu seems a bit like some giant great-grandmother that many of us visit from time to time. And she lives in Florida.
Crossing the bridge again, we saw a skywriter writing "Jesus loves you" up above.
Later, we heard a good brass quintet called "The Penguins" play various Christmas carols. We enjoyed their playing, their rapport, and their festive costumes. The tubist also did an excellent and heart-wrenching imitation of a melting Frosty the Snowman.
In the evening, we saw Shamu's Christmas celebration. This was kind of the strangest worship service I've attended. I liked the inter-species aspect of this worship. But it was also really designed as a show.
One thing I found truly worshipful was singing Christmas songs along with the five thousand people who were watching the words on giant screens before the show. The calmness and innocence of song hovering over such a group was special. It did make me feel a bit like we were one big family.
Also worshipful was witnessing the cooperation and communication between people and these beautiful animals. That was poignant, too, because I bet there is much more we could say to each other, if only we knew how - more important things than "spin around," etc. But we saw some of the deeper things being said through the loving attitudes of the trainers with the animals.
The end of the show really was over the top: a very loud gospel choir, leaping flames, and jumping whales.
I had different feelings about the jumping of the whales depending on what music I was hearing when the jumping was going on. The upbeat gospel version was the most invigorating whale jumping.
On the way back across the bridge the last time we heard the end of "Sleigh Ride" as well as the Orlando Symphony playing some the sound track for Arctic Express from a distance.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Lowliness
The main thought I have this Christmas is that the Incarnation was the lowliest thing imaginable, and the most beautiful thing.
Merry Christmas to all.
Merry Christmas to all.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Humility and Revelation
This week we saw performances of both the National Players and the North Carolina Symphony here at Chowan.
The Players presented Shakespeare's As You Like It, and as always, I left that performance with refreshed admiration for Shakespeare.
I was also really impressed by the way the actors seemingly selflessly pour themselves into their roles. For the most part, each one seems to seek just the right angle and right amount of energy for their characters. They don't seek to show off talent without regard to the demands of the character and drama at hand. This is really admirable as well, and could prove very instructive for musicians. We are often tempted to over-perform, to put too much or the wrong thing altogether into the musical vessel at hand.
Fleisher speaks of pouring one's musicality and so forth into the musical vessel. His playing also tastefully and compellingly snuggly fits the works he plays. Click here to see Fleisher playing Chopin Nocturne No. 8 on Youtube.
The NC Symphony played many Christmas carol arrangements on their concert. The real revelation was a work by Malcolm Arnold from the film The Holly and the Ivy. Arnold's imagination for orchestration was the star of the evening for me. One passage of particular beauty used oboe solo accompanied by the horns. Another novel passage was "Away in a Manger" played on xylophone accompanied by timpani and other percussion.
The NC Symphony has a great mission of being the symphony for all North Carolinians. They also have a roster of very engaging solosists who appear with them at various locations around the state. Two examples this season are Robert Levin and Marc-Andre Hamelin.
The Players presented Shakespeare's As You Like It, and as always, I left that performance with refreshed admiration for Shakespeare.
I was also really impressed by the way the actors seemingly selflessly pour themselves into their roles. For the most part, each one seems to seek just the right angle and right amount of energy for their characters. They don't seek to show off talent without regard to the demands of the character and drama at hand. This is really admirable as well, and could prove very instructive for musicians. We are often tempted to over-perform, to put too much or the wrong thing altogether into the musical vessel at hand.
Fleisher speaks of pouring one's musicality and so forth into the musical vessel. His playing also tastefully and compellingly snuggly fits the works he plays. Click here to see Fleisher playing Chopin Nocturne No. 8 on Youtube.
The NC Symphony played many Christmas carol arrangements on their concert. The real revelation was a work by Malcolm Arnold from the film The Holly and the Ivy. Arnold's imagination for orchestration was the star of the evening for me. One passage of particular beauty used oboe solo accompanied by the horns. Another novel passage was "Away in a Manger" played on xylophone accompanied by timpani and other percussion.
The NC Symphony has a great mission of being the symphony for all North Carolinians. They also have a roster of very engaging solosists who appear with them at various locations around the state. Two examples this season are Robert Levin and Marc-Andre Hamelin.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Christmas in Venice
We spent the Sunday after Christmas at Venice Presbyterian Church in Venice, FL.
The service was a service of lessons and carols. We were told that the basic format goes back to Archbishop Benson who chose the readings and so forth back in 1880. Also, the service of lessons and carols has been broadcast on BBC from Cambridge every year since 1928. (This reminds me that I read somewhere that Handel’s Messiah has been performed somewhere every year since it was composed.)
One phrase on the bulletin from Venice Presbyterian refers to the “joy-filled traditional worship style for which VPC is known.” The service we attended perfectly exemplified that statement.
I’ll highlight some of the elements that made the service especially rich for me:
After the reading about the expulsion of humanity from the Garden of Eden, the organist played a setting of a very old and seldom heard hymn, “Through Adam’s Fall All Men Are Cursed.” This gave a sense of connection back through centuries of religious tradition.
Another musical highlight was a piano solo presented by the pastor. He played his well-crafted interpretation with seriousness and sincerity. The trajectory of each phrase was beautifully calibrated to fit into its overall context. His rendering was also characterized by striking shifts of color and very well-projected soft playing.
Just a little later, the choir sang an arrangement of “He is Born, the Divine Christ Child.” In addition to their good blend, the choir added depth to the service at this point with a verse or so in French.
Throughout the service, readers, many of whom were members of the church’s pastoral staff , read passages of prophecy or the details of Christ’s birth from Luke and Matthew. Each reader’s tone matched the respective reading like a glove. One conveyed the sweetness of the manger scene, another, the profound beauty of the coming of Christ, and yet another, the world of the Wise Men.
Regarding these readers, I appreciated being able to match the names in the order of service with the names of the pastoral staff on the back of the bulletin. Coming to the church as a visitor, it gave me a good sense of the warmth and range of some of the folks who minister in the church.
Two of the congregational hymns were “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “We Three Kings.” I thought the organist gave each of these just the right flavor. For the second verse of “Angels” his registration was very reedy and he played a little staccato. This underscored the hardy ways of the shepherds. And throughout “Kings” he maintained a sense of the gait of dromedaries throughout, thus carrying the congregation along on the journey of the Wise Men.
Two surprises (at least to me) were saved for close to the end of the service. The final congregational hymn was “In Bethlehem a Babe Was Born.” This was a new carol to me, and it did a great job of summarizing all the ground that we have covered in the service. The hymn went on to call for contemporary action regarding the ancient message we had been hearing. I also liked it because of a rarely-heard iii chord at the end of the penultimate line that harmonizes the word "forlorn."
The other surprise was the choir’s spirited singing of an anthem entitled “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy” by D. Johnson (same arranger as for “He is Born” mentioned above.) This piece was a combination of Bizet’s “Farandole,” “We Three Kings,” and “The First Noel” with quite a few glissandi thrown into the mix. But the great thing about it was the joyful and attitude of the singers! Trumpets and drums couldn’t have added any more life to the scene. The fact that the joy was deeply felt and conveyed with so little inhibition made me notice it and participate in it.
It was during that piece that I really understood the phrase from the bulletin about “joy-filled traditional worship style.”
Finally, after having such a good and uplifting time in the church, we were reminded through a thoughtful benediction and a Bonhoeffer quotation that the world outside the church’s doors is hurting and that we are called to make the joy of Christ’s Kingdom a reality in our world today. The service was bookended by this type of thought - the pastor’s prayer at the beginning provided that same sort of understanding of the context of our worship. We visited the Venice Presbyterian once before and heard the same type of message then as well.
We were very grateful for this Christmastide experience .
The service was a service of lessons and carols. We were told that the basic format goes back to Archbishop Benson who chose the readings and so forth back in 1880. Also, the service of lessons and carols has been broadcast on BBC from Cambridge every year since 1928. (This reminds me that I read somewhere that Handel’s Messiah has been performed somewhere every year since it was composed.)
One phrase on the bulletin from Venice Presbyterian refers to the “joy-filled traditional worship style for which VPC is known.” The service we attended perfectly exemplified that statement.
I’ll highlight some of the elements that made the service especially rich for me:
After the reading about the expulsion of humanity from the Garden of Eden, the organist played a setting of a very old and seldom heard hymn, “Through Adam’s Fall All Men Are Cursed.” This gave a sense of connection back through centuries of religious tradition.
Another musical highlight was a piano solo presented by the pastor. He played his well-crafted interpretation with seriousness and sincerity. The trajectory of each phrase was beautifully calibrated to fit into its overall context. His rendering was also characterized by striking shifts of color and very well-projected soft playing.
Just a little later, the choir sang an arrangement of “He is Born, the Divine Christ Child.” In addition to their good blend, the choir added depth to the service at this point with a verse or so in French.
Throughout the service, readers, many of whom were members of the church’s pastoral staff , read passages of prophecy or the details of Christ’s birth from Luke and Matthew. Each reader’s tone matched the respective reading like a glove. One conveyed the sweetness of the manger scene, another, the profound beauty of the coming of Christ, and yet another, the world of the Wise Men.
Regarding these readers, I appreciated being able to match the names in the order of service with the names of the pastoral staff on the back of the bulletin. Coming to the church as a visitor, it gave me a good sense of the warmth and range of some of the folks who minister in the church.
Two of the congregational hymns were “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “We Three Kings.” I thought the organist gave each of these just the right flavor. For the second verse of “Angels” his registration was very reedy and he played a little staccato. This underscored the hardy ways of the shepherds. And throughout “Kings” he maintained a sense of the gait of dromedaries throughout, thus carrying the congregation along on the journey of the Wise Men.
Two surprises (at least to me) were saved for close to the end of the service. The final congregational hymn was “In Bethlehem a Babe Was Born.” This was a new carol to me, and it did a great job of summarizing all the ground that we have covered in the service. The hymn went on to call for contemporary action regarding the ancient message we had been hearing. I also liked it because of a rarely-heard iii chord at the end of the penultimate line that harmonizes the word "forlorn."
The other surprise was the choir’s spirited singing of an anthem entitled “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy” by D. Johnson (same arranger as for “He is Born” mentioned above.) This piece was a combination of Bizet’s “Farandole,” “We Three Kings,” and “The First Noel” with quite a few glissandi thrown into the mix. But the great thing about it was the joyful and attitude of the singers! Trumpets and drums couldn’t have added any more life to the scene. The fact that the joy was deeply felt and conveyed with so little inhibition made me notice it and participate in it.
It was during that piece that I really understood the phrase from the bulletin about “joy-filled traditional worship style.”
Finally, after having such a good and uplifting time in the church, we were reminded through a thoughtful benediction and a Bonhoeffer quotation that the world outside the church’s doors is hurting and that we are called to make the joy of Christ’s Kingdom a reality in our world today. The service was bookended by this type of thought - the pastor’s prayer at the beginning provided that same sort of understanding of the context of our worship. We visited the Venice Presbyterian once before and heard the same type of message then as well.
We were very grateful for this Christmastide experience .
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Freshmen Devotionals
Last week was our last week of classes and our final devotional was as follows.
Musicians get very busy at Christmastime. There are extra concerts, church services, parties, etc., all of which require music.
Often we hear the complaint that the busy-ness and commercialism take us away from real devotion to Christ at Christmastime.
While the busy-ness of the Christmas season may distract us fom whatever routine of quiet time we may have, I think a healthier and more joyful approach to the situation might be to recognize that all the busy-ness, whether sacred or secular, is a reverberation of Christ coming into the world so many years ago.
Thus, as we go about the myriad of things we have to do in this season, we can engage in each of them worshipfully and joyfully as we remain mindful of Christ's coming that created this cultural rhythm that has endured for centuries.
Musicians get very busy at Christmastime. There are extra concerts, church services, parties, etc., all of which require music.
Often we hear the complaint that the busy-ness and commercialism take us away from real devotion to Christ at Christmastime.
While the busy-ness of the Christmas season may distract us fom whatever routine of quiet time we may have, I think a healthier and more joyful approach to the situation might be to recognize that all the busy-ness, whether sacred or secular, is a reverberation of Christ coming into the world so many years ago.
Thus, as we go about the myriad of things we have to do in this season, we can engage in each of them worshipfully and joyfully as we remain mindful of Christ's coming that created this cultural rhythm that has endured for centuries.
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