Picnic review

It was a hot, summer morning, but it was a great day for a picnic. I know not everyone shares my opinion, but I think the outdoor worship service is one of the best of the year.

I want to thank the many people who worked to make everything go so smoothly. There were many volunteers that I can't even begin to name, because I was too busy with my own work even to see who they all were. I do want to thank Norm in particular, though, because I know he was there early, helping me find power cords and setting up tents and chairs. Plus, I think I spotted him later mixing lemonade and tending to the grill. It seemed like he was a part of everything! Of course, since it was a pot luck lunch, everyone there had a part in it. So thanks to everyone for a great worship service and lunch.

I was thinking about Pastor's metaphor of the pot luck and everyone's individual contribution leading to a great meal. In the same vein, this past week I built a small retaining wall in my lawn. It seemed like every brick in the store had some flaw, and I was constantly struggling to keep things as close to level as possible but knowing there were tons of minor issues. The end product, though, is something I'm quite proud of and enhances the yard.

Both examples are analogous to a choir (or to a congregation singing a hymn). For instance, while I can carry a tune, no one will ever sign me to a recording contract or ask me to sing at the Met. But when I was at St. Olaf, I was fortunate enough to sing in the annual Christmas Festival concert every year. Choirs don't require perfection from each member. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, as the cliche goes, but the more parts (the more voices) the greater the sum.

Church tour - the keyboard

At the picnic this past Sunday, I hope you all enjoyed not only the diverse styles of music, but also the diversity of sounds from the keyboard. I know sometimes it seems like the church has more instruments than one person could ever need with a pipe organ, a piano, a harpsichord, and the keyboard. They each have their uses and properties, however, and I strive to make use of each of them on a regular basis.

This past Sunday was an opportunity to feature the keyboard. The church's Roland Fantom allows for multiple sounds at the same time, so on some hymns you were hearing piano and woodwinds and pipe organ sounds. I could play the tri-fold Amen on a pipe organ and the Mozart variations on the piano - now that is a valuable resource for outdoor worship!

When the keyboard is indoors, it is actually linked to the organ with a midi interface. That means I can supplement the organ with any of the keyboard sounds, a huge boon to creativity and flexibility from the organ keyboard.

The church picnic

I'm writing this post a few days before our Sunday picnic, and the weather forecast is still not entirely clear. It looks like a hot weekend, with a chance of rain. Let's all cross our fingers and pray that we get a beautiful morning for our outdoor service.

Since I'll be playing a keyboard and not the organ, I'll get to play some of my favorite piano repertoire. You'll hear music from three centuries and styles. First, Mozart's Variations on a Theme of Duport from the 18th century. Second, Schumann's Fantasie in C Major will represent the romanticism of the 19th century, and third, I will play the 12th of Ginastera's 12 American Preludes.

Ginastera is likely an unknown composer for most people. He was a major 20th century composer from Argentina, whose early work often integrated Argentine folk sounds and whose later work tended to be more abstract and contemporary. The American Preludes were composed in 1944 in the middle of his career (he lived until 1983), and the music reflects both aspects with a rhythmic, dance-like motif in the bass and broad dissonant chords around it. The music may stretch your ear a bit during the offering, but I hope you enjoy the change of pace.

The sound is always different outside. There's no reverb and less sound from the organ than the keyboard. In the different setting, you'll hear yourself and each other in a new way. Don't shy away from it! Confidently sing the great hymns we've chosen, including a great spiritual "My Lord, What a Morning." Then stick around to enjoy the picnic!