Did you Fart?

I think I have one chorister who looks at my dismal blog.  Dave Allen entertained me as a kid.  I loved watching him sit in his high chair, smoking and drinking.  Dan, this is for you!

Learning to sing like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Here is some simple yet sound advice from the source.  

Choir can't sing?

One blogger states that it's not polite to discuss worship preferences.  Well, if your congregation doesn't sing, I found another blogger who offers 12 excellent solutions!

I may be preaching to the choir

Here's an article off the Religion News Service entitled, Many Church Choirs are Dying. Here's Why.  It's true that choirs and congregations may not be what they were.  There are many cultural reasons for this.  Where I would argue against, however, is the need for massive resources to lead a choir.  Not every church is a cathedral,  And it is not impossible to find appropriate repertoire for a small choir.  Perhaps the best resources today, are free.  The author also fails to recognize that traditional liturgy is actually on the upswing.

What type of classical musician are you?

I enjoyed this one.  Especially about the perfect hair and home cooked meals.  Whoever created this really knows their stuff!

Evensong Webcasts

I've enjoyed listening to bbc radio 3's weekly Evensong broadcasts for about ten years now.  I recently discovered a few others, which I like as well.   They allow me to listen from my phone while I'm on the train, or out for a walk.  The first is the choir of King's College, the other is St. Thomas, New York. King's offers valuable commentary before each recorded service, though St. Thomas' site has a nice calendar of events and daily web-casts.  If you get a chance, I highly recommend King's October 13th webcast with selections from Mendelssohn's Elijah.  The featured boy soloist is particularly outstanding.

Peter Philips on Conducting

I've had this one on Google Drive now for a while.  It's a good thing to know when to lead and when to get out of the way.   Peter Phillips' The Cult of the Conductor is one good essay.  I feel renewed each time I read it. 

John Elliot Gardiner reveals another side of JS Bach

I saw this in the Guardian.  Conductor, John Elliot Gardiner has new book entitled "Music in the Castle of Heaven."  On Bach's school in Thuringia, Gardiner writes that it was largely attended by the children of bourgeois tradespeople. However, he also sites documents which damn the boys as "rowdy, subversive, thuggish, beer- and wine-loving, girl-chasing … breaking windows and brandishing their daggers".

This is the Bach, I've heard about from my organ teachers, though, not the one I read about in my music history classes.  I appreciate that one of my favorites could quote scripture, and still pick up chicks.

Secrets of Organ Playing

I found this web site by Lithuanian organist, Dr. Vidas Pinkevicius.  He has many short master classes on topics ranging from  improvisation and articulation to organ building.  Even if you know some of these things, there is something for every organist to take away from this site.

RIP Marie-Claire Alain

 

I was saddened to hear of the death of truly one of the World's greatest musicians, Marie-Claire Alain. I love her playing of Bach and French Baroque repertoire.  She was 86.

The following was borrowed from www.artsjournal.com.   Her father, Albert Alain (1880-1971), was an organ composer and builder. Her composer brother, Jehain Alain, died fighting the Germans in 1940, at the age of 29. Marie-Claire played his works all her life.

A second brother, Olivier Alan (1918-1994) was an organist and director of the conservatory in their birthplace, Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

 Marie-Claire Alain recorded the complete organ works of J S Bach no fewer than three times.

If you have a spare 9+ minutes, please take the time to watch the following video of her playing at St. Bavokerk, Haarlem, The Netherlands. The massive organ was built between 1735 and 1738 by German Christian Müller. At its completion, it was the largest organ in the world. Many famous people have played on the organ, including Mendelssohn, Handel and the ten-year-old Mozart in 1766.

We love the quote at the beginning of the video, which we assume was from her, that says: "When you listen to Bach, you see God materializing."

Richard III had a Brummie accent

"Ground penetrating radar" was to find the remains of Richard III.  I've been very curious about this story.  For instance, what led researchers to a parking lot in the first place?  And how can they determine with certainty such details as a man's accent?   Perhaps the most significant question to come out of this was from by a late night comedian who asked, "is there no limit to how far these paparazzi will go in invading British royal's privacy?" 

 

 

The Thurible Swing

 

I enjoyed this archival French video from 1960.  The footage is from Francein, showing a Corpus Christi procession. The best part for me was watching those guys swing thuribles like they just don't care. 

Inovating innovation

Just when you think arts funding couldn't get any lower and when the value of art has fallen below fluff status, then comes this.  Namely, two articles, one from five leading businessmen on creativity and innovation in the workplace.  The other, from a government south of the equator - "Brazil to give $25 monthly culture stipend to workers to go to movies, read books or visit museums".  As for the first article, I've sat in Howard Tullman's office (Howard is one of those five businessmen) and was blown away by the use of technology, art and career planning for students at his academy.   And as for the second, if you want educated and creative people, you need to invest in the arts.  What's interesting here, though, is that rather than giving that $25 directly to artists and arts organizations, Brazil gives it to each citizen for him or her to decide how it be spent.  As someone who works in arts funding, I find that pretty innovative.

On being a Good Chorister

I don't know Chris Rowbury apart from his blog, From the Front of the Choir.  But, I thought his post from 2009 entitled, How to be a Good Choir Member  might benefit my own group. Working with volunteers has a few challenges, though in my experience, they are most often not musical in nature.  Chris compiled some common sense guidelines that I think are worth sharing.   

A Christmas Wedding

This weekend I had the great honor of leading the choir/organ music for the marriage of my former teacher and good friend, Mark Downey.  The wedding mass took place at the Church of the Holy Family in suburban Park Forest.  The organ is a nice Schlicker/Berghaus.  I really enjoy playing a smaller baroque style instrument in an intimate space.  Clean playing is requisite but so rewarding - at least to my ears.  The organ play-list included Daquin's Noel VI, Bach's In Der Ist Freude, Marcello's Psalm 19 and  David Johnson's Trumpet Tune in D.  

Rethinking Baseball, Apple Pie and Chevrolet

I love this story "Why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas." Why is it that American companies do everything so much better overseas?  Cars sold by Ford in Europe actually have style.    And some of the best yogurt I ever had was purchased at a French McDonald's. Then I read that KFCs in Japan are featuring Champaign and whiskey bars while Wendy's restaurants are advertising American style foie-gras-and-truffle burgers.  Where can I find this America, anyway?  These people really know how to live.

Advent prose

Author of "A Wrinkle in Time", Madeleine L'Engle, wrote this poem I saw in an Anglican musicians' list feed this morning.  I agree, it speaks well to this Advent's tragedies.

First Coming
by Madeleine L'Engle

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time.
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine.

He did not wait till hearts were pure.
In joy he came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
he came, and his Light would not go out.

He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

25 Ways

After spending the last year as organist at a large Roman Catholic church in north suburban, Park Ridge, Illinois, I'm headed back to All Saints Anglican church in Bolingbrook after the first of the year.  I really miss the creativity of being music director and the friendly atmosphere of this small parish.  As I was browsing through my files, I ran into this great free resource from Selah publishers: 25 Ways to Become a more Successful Church Musician, and was happy to spend my lunch hour reading some great material.     

Leonard Bernstein and the Mystical-Magical 5 Levels of Musicianship

My Best-Man and mentor, Mark Downey, shared this with me some 20 years ago.  Thankfully, it  resurfaced.  It is such great information that it must be shared.  My favorite part of his lesson was the story of Leonard Bernstein performing a work from the piano (with the LA Phil) at the Hollywood Bowl.  During the performance, a bumble bee sat on his nose.  When asked by a critic how he was able to continue performing, he said he didn't even notice.  Such was the maestro's level of concentration!!

Leonard Bernstein was an excellent teacher; helping hundreds of students who attended his master classes. A student asked, “maestro, what is the one quality that distinguishes a good musician from a great one?”

His response was quite interesting. Here is a summary. I’ve adapted for singers, especially those singing in churches. Many musicians learn notes, rhythms, phrasing and dynamics, then call it a day. The really good ones realize this is only about 10% of the process. Here is a short summary.

Level	Technique/ Skills	Left-right brain/ creative soulfulness
1 Many singers hate this level because it focuses on the left brain.	What are the correct notes and rhythms?	Almost all left brain.
2 Church choirs often get stuck here and as a result, the music seems “boring” to the listener.	Notes and rhythms learned	Body starts to relax, some right brain experiences
3 The body now begins to relax and even movement within the body takes place. The body wants to move while singing. Give it permission to move.	Dynamics and phrasing, nuances in the music begin to appear	Most musicians stop here! It’s a shame because the really good  music is ready to be sung and blossom forth
4 The CSO most likely achieves this level with certain conductors. You can often tell how musicians respond to certain conductors. Think Solti-Barenboim-Muti!	Much more feeling in the musical line, more nuances within the notes, phrases and chord structures	Body becomes very relaxed, right brain is now in control. Body doesn’t think about fingerings, breath support, where the cut-off is… BUT the person is aware of their surroundings.
5 The most difficult level to achieve because it requires discipline to block “stuff” out and to empty the mind. It’s really letting go!	Creative process now takes over. The musical line is free and not obstructed in any way.	The performer is not really aware of his/her surroundings, temperature, coughs in the audience, being thirsty. This is when music is truly created.

 What level are you singing at? Challenge yourself to dig deep into the music, never singing two notes alike, singing with color and energy. You will be richly rewarded for your efforts.

Summary by Mark J. Downey

Healey Willan's Missa Beviseses

I just sent in my request to borrow Healey Willan's Missa Brevis No. 2 in F minor.  His little masses are quite nice.  His works may be borrowed, rented or purchased through the Canadian Music Center.  I haven't used their services in the past, though I'll let you know how that goes.