tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post1552605219522578973..comments2023-09-05T20:54:42.242-04:00Comments on A Latter-day Voice: Random Church Music ThoughtsPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11294214866282354575noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-76905663503320480882013-04-02T05:32:48.516-04:002013-04-02T05:32:48.516-04:00Such an amazing presentation and perfect voice! I ...Such an amazing presentation and perfect voice! I heard that lots of people were really like it and I want to have an update when will be their next presentation.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.raclawfirm.com/setting-up-your-record-label/" rel="nofollow">starting your record label</a>teresa bowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07534290439844564640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-91221414191216129372013-01-14T21:08:25.860-05:002013-01-14T21:08:25.860-05:00Our Stake Center has a Rodgers organ with a 32 foo...Our Stake Center has a Rodgers organ with a 32 foot stop, but out little chapel, alas, does not. I am the Stake Organist as well, though, so I get a chance a couple of times a year to play with the fun stuff on that organ (provided I take some time in advance to make sure I know what I'm doing).Mark N.http://ldsorganplayer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-1293966807264631872013-01-10T15:34:41.496-05:002013-01-10T15:34:41.496-05:00Mark, thanks for that tip! You demonstrate one of...Mark, thanks for that tip! You demonstrate one of the reasons there's such value in our holders of music callings to become as proficient as they can in those callings!<br /><br />One of our organists is taking lessons again (as an adult, after taking them at the university years ago) and she's introducing some interesting innovations in her playing -- simple changes in stops and volume that cause people to, as you say, take note. <br /><br />We lived in one ward with an exuberant organist who loved to play the fourth verse with those 32 foot pedal stops, which was awesome for the congregation (if a little tough of those of us seated on the stand right in front of the speakers...a unique feature of that particular chapel).Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11294214866282354575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-49989295166474048372013-01-10T15:25:10.096-05:002013-01-10T15:25:10.096-05:00"Any suggestions for promoting singing among ..."Any suggestions for promoting singing among the congregation?"<br /><br />I guess this is where I get to toot my own horn a bit.<br /><br />As our ward's organist, I think it's important for me to occasionally throw in a brief interlude between verses of a hymn, and maybe even a key change. Part of art is the element of surprise, and when the organist modulates into a different key, it pretty much forces the congregation to sit up and take note (so to speak, pardon the pun). The effect this has on at least some members of the congregation is, in the words of a visiting friend of our choir director, that "the organist helps us sound like the Tabernacle Choir". That is, of course, overstating things a bit, but it does help the congregation feel that something out of the ordinary has taken place, and I think the enjoyment for singing the same old hymns from the same old hymnbook goes up at least a half a notch. Which beats the heck out of the "here we go, singing 'How Firm A Foundation' again, in the same old way, for the 433rd time in my lifetime" feellng.<br /><br />Just like anyone else, the ward organist should give some thought to what it means to magnify that particular calling.Mark N.http://ldsorganplayer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-4173461467207838832013-01-09T09:05:19.593-05:002013-01-09T09:05:19.593-05:00So many personal experiences with music! I know I...So many personal experiences with music! I know I have sons who simply didn't sing in church after about age 12 -- something about some teenage boys, I suppose. (I was not that way, and even sang all through my froggy voice-changing period.) I sit near people in our congregation who have beautiful voices but for whatever reason do not believe they do.<br /><br />My SIL (the opera singer and now voice teacher) has taught me a lot about accepting people where they are. She talks about how some of her students are doing well to get the "arc" of the melody right. <br /><br />Church service is, of course, and interesting thing. Like playing piano in public, we learn all of our callings in front of others, and in each calling we are often stretched to the point that we know we cannot do it alone and must rely on the Lord for help, just as it should be. Whether that help comes in technical assistance and training or in learning how to motivate a congregation to sing, it is still needful for us to seek that divine guidance, isn't it?Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11294214866282354575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-4091914202358786082013-01-08T19:32:14.802-05:002013-01-08T19:32:14.802-05:00I am not a very well trained musician, but I do lo...I am not a very well trained musician, but I do love music. I never touched a piano until I was 10, and then begged my parents for lessons. They told me if I practiced for a year using the piano at the church across the street, they would buy me a piano. I practiced, they bought me my piano, and when we got married that's about the only thing Doug and I owned - two pianos!<br /><br />My first few years of lessons were from someone who was really just trying to do whatever she could to help her family out, but she wasn't very proficient at playing, let alone teaching.<br /><br />Then I offered to clean house in exchange for lessons with a better teacher. She fixed a lot of things for me, but I'm still not a very technical player, nor do I know much about theory. Good thing I have my husband, who used to live and breathe this stuff. He's still pretty passionate about it, which I find amusing and inspiring at the same time.<br /><br />I am SO grateful for a fantastic piano teacher for my kids. They definitely have a much better start then I did! <br /><br />I also SO agree with you about that piano in the YW room. I wish they'd move it somewhere it else and make those girls play! :) There are several who do play, and need to do it in order to learn to be the future ward organists of the world! Getting in there and doing it is really how I learned.<br /><br />I think ward choir director has been the most challenging calling I've ever had, mostly because I know there are MANY in our choir who are much more trained than I am. I do love the music though, and I try to do the best I can with it. The day I get released from that calling I will not be terribly sad, although I've enjoyed it and I'm grateful for what I've learned.<br /><br />Thanks for being such a great member of our choir (and your daughter and wife too!), and for the amazing piano teacher who resides in your home. I personally am very grateful for each of you and your gifts you share with us.Angiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11385872415743489630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-38066971641049508542013-01-08T11:22:29.826-05:002013-01-08T11:22:29.826-05:00Ah... Church music.
I have pretty much resigned m...Ah... Church music.<br /><br />I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I will probably always be a choir director in my wards. Which is okay. Because I really do love music, and I love directing a choir. Unfortunately, our current ward is a bit challenging. We have a lot of members with great voices, but their commitment to choir is ... nonexisitent? We get 5-10 members at choir practice on a good Sunday, and practice is right before Church.<br /><br />To compensate (especially for the lack of men), I frequently invite the men to sing as quorums. Last year I had the Elders' Quorum sing "Ye Elders of Israel". The EQP let me practice with them at the beginning of their lesson time on the first Sunday of each month for about 6 months, and then they sang. 25+ of them. It was <i>amazing</i>. <br /><br />For Christmas I had the entire Priesthood sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The bishop let me practice with them during opening exercises every Sunday between October and December, and 50+ men (I was honestly surprised that so many got up to sing!) sang for the Christmas program. It was thrilling.<br /><br />I basically have to commandeer time from the different organizations' meetings to get them to sing, but thankfully most of the presidencies are really gracious and let me do it (they like the music as much as I do, I guess).<br /><br />Because of the caliber of talent (almost all of our YW sing in one high school audition choir or another) and the lack of commitment, I have resorted to "telling" the organizations that they are going to sing, when they are going to sing, and then I just come in a practice. When I was practicing with the YW for Christmas, they all balked (we have a particularly hard group of YW, despite their angelic and highly-trained voices...) and the week before they were supposed to sing I told them at that point I had done all I could in teaching them the piece and training them. Now it was up to them. If they wanted to sound like a chorus of cats, it was up to them. If they wanted to sound beautiful, it was up to them.<br /><br />Guess how they sounded? ;)<br /><br />And congregational singing? Ha. Some day I will tell you about the time I mentioned the lack of congregational singing with our bishopric... and they asked me to give a talk about it. And after my talk, in which I quoted Elder Oaks who said that we need to at least crack open the hymn book during congregational hymns, there were still people who didn't even try to look like they were singing during the intermediate hymn... And doing choir & congregation pieces is more like me directing the choir with the back to them... we're trying to do more of that to get the congregation to figure out that they CAN and SHOULD sing... <br /><br />Any suggestions for promoting singing among the congregation?Beccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667724269493668949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-28525427614630820082013-01-08T06:15:14.397-05:002013-01-08T06:15:14.397-05:00I'm especially excited about church music rece...I'm especially excited about church music recently because I found out that we are having a British Pageant on the grounds of the Preston Temple this summer! HURRAY!!!<br /><br />I'm desperately hoping I can take part in some way (I'm a Soprano) and my 6 year old daughter has applied for the stage part of the little girl (yes, that's all I know so far). <br /><br />No matter what, we will be there to watch. I can't wait to feel the Spirit of so many Saints gathered together to sing about our Church history.<br /><br />And yes, I like what you said about singing in church, too. :DSarahhttp://www.shelvesinmymind.blogspot.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8266009681076554415.post-22988509255220271872013-01-07T21:36:16.178-05:002013-01-07T21:36:16.178-05:00Wow, your thoughts are practically my thoughts! We...Wow, your thoughts are practically my thoughts! We are in the most challenging place I have ever lived including the little branch I helped open as a missionary in Florida over thirty years ago. One Sunday (here in Iowa) we sang "We're Marching on to Glory" a wonderful rousing hymn; but the chorister has one pace, funeral dirge, and it was painful to sing. I leaned over to my husband and said "This feels like we're on the Baatan Death March." He told me to behave. I have led choirs in four different wards and have always loved it. I love leading the singing. My first job in the church was at age 13 as the Junior Primary Chorister when Primary was on a weekday afternoon. I used to practice leading to LP's of the Mormom Tab Choir. It is my dream to actually lead them or an equivalent group, just once. Thanks for sharing, it was great to read the words of a kindred spirit. Rozy Lasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06019413665136390175noreply@blogger.com