And in the “Adventures as a Church Organist, episode 813 …”

I found an article recently, written by Ashley Danyew, on the skills needed to be a church musician. The skills included:

1. Cadencing and vamping. For example, being able to extend or shorten the “Wedding March” depending on how fast the bride is walking. I’ll never forget that one particular wedding when the bride caught her shoe in the hem of her wedding dress, and it took forever for her to walk down the aisle! Or, what about the couple who literally raced down the aisle … you need to know how to come to a cadence quickly yet gracefully.
2. Transposing. Being able to play a hymn or song in another key without using a transposing button!
3. Composing. When you can’t find the right descant, or harmonization, or piece that fits the bill, you compose your own music.
4. Improvising. “Making stuff up” on the fly — without any written music in front of you; for example, adding “traveling music” before or after the children’s time.
5. Chord and scale patterns. Being able to play all the major chords and scales for choirs to warmup.

The complete article may be found here: “8 Skills that set you apart as a church musician.”)

Let me expound on number 2, transposing. Two weeks ago I had to demonstrate my skill in transposing unexpectedly when I was playing at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. The last hymn was in the key of A-flat (four flats), but the next piece, the Angelus, was in the key of G. I didn’t give the new pitch fast enough, and the priest sung the introductory verse in the same key of A flat! (Actually, that’s perfectly reasonable!) That means I had to instantly transpose the Angelus from G major (one sharp) to A-flat (four flats). To say that I panicked was an understatement, because this is definitely an “8” out of “10” on the level of difficulty scale, but luckily, everything went fine since I transposed “by ear.” Most people didn’t even notice that they sang the piece in the “wrong” key. I sure did, though!

Last Sunday, we arrived at Nuuanu Congregational Church to find thick dust everywhere: on the floor, the pews, the organ console, and especially, the organ bench. There has been construction on the building to correct concrete spalling, and at the last moment, the decision was made to set up chairs outside on the lanai, and hold the service there. I, however, cleaned off the organ bench and. played the service inside as usual.

It meant, however, that the service started late as chairs were being set up at the last moment and there were kinks in the sound system, delaying the service further. Remember, this was the fifth and final week of my doing double duty — playing the service at two different churches — and leaving by 10:15 was critical to arriving at the second church on time.I started to panic when the sermon only started at 9:45 am! I sent a quick text to the choir director at St. Mark’s that most probably I would arrive late. As it turned out, I missed the opening hymn and the Asperges.

[Out of the five Sundays, I only arrived on time twice! -groan!]

It was so weird! I heard the service over the speaker system, but I couldn’t see any of the action. That means I couldn’t see:

1. When the Peace was finished being passed so that I would know when to start the next hymn.
2. When the offertory plates had been finished being passed so that I would know when to start playing the Doxology.

Now you must know that at Nuuanu, the organ console is behind a screen, but normally I still have a view of what’s happening. Talk about being a “blind” organist!

I just have to chalk it up to: Another Sunday, another adventure!

Here are some organist jokes to bring a smile to your face:

Q: Why are a organist’s fingers like lightning?
A: Because they rarely strike the same place twice.

Q: What do you call a successful organ player?
A: A guy whose wife has 2 jobs.

Q: What’s the definition of an optimist?
A: An organ player with a mortgage.

Q: What’s the difference between an organ and a trampoline?
A: You take your shoes off before you jump on a trampoline.

The organ is the instrument of worship for in its sounding we sense the majesty of God and in its ending we know the Grace of God.

source: http://www.jokes4us.com/miscellaneousjokes/musicjokes/organjokes.html