Organists - for LK

“The organ is the enemy of worship, as most Christians know. Scripture says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ This is not the organist’s philosophy. Organists despise stillness. They’re sitting there with the organ equivalent of a 300 hp Ferrari and they want to put the pedal to the metal and make that baby fly.”

For Christmas I bought myself "Life Among the Lutherans" by Garrison Keillor. The quote comes from this book and nearly had me peeing my pants. It was twice as funny because I hung onto the book until after Christmas Day waiting to read it though it arrived in November. On Christmas Eve we went to a local Presbyterian church with a fine organist. I know nothing about what it should sound like but could tell from the ego and fancy footwork that this was supposed to be a treat.

They tenor they hired came and stood next to the organist and watched him at work for the Postlude. Now, I'm not musical but I have an idea of how to write a service and I am dying of curiosity of what that last musical number was. We had just finished with singing by candlelight and I expected a triumphant sort of processional. Whatever it was - I have to say it was frightening. Truly. It had the horror of Good Friday but without the respectful funereal style. I thought maybe it was me. But C and I discussed it and both had the same reaction - "What on earth was that!?" Sounded like the coming of Hell. I took the program home but alas it does not note what was the tune.

So when I read the lament of Cindy who is trying to sing along with the visiting organist I howled with laughter:

"But after the offertory Cindy lost her cool. He had decided that "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" was simply something he could not be personally associated with, a popular hymn, a hymn that these peasants knew practically by heart. No, he waved off the choir and instead played the offertory, some medieval-sounding thing with trumpets and sackbuts in it and dukes and the Marquis de Sade and armor clanking...."

I read this aloud to C a few days after Christmas Eve - we both agreed that this was a great description of whatever the piece was that was played - Marquis de Sade and all.

Garrison Keillor's public work is quite funny. His observations of Lutherans seem dead on for Ontarion CRC'ers. It must be a cultural thing more than a theological. Now that we are without cable C and I listen to his monologue through iTunes on from the Prairie Home Companion. I wish I had his talent!

I miss LK's approach to music. We sang There is a Redeemer yesterday in class but the pianist played all the verses. LK used to leave one verse silent and it was beautiful. I can see how people become attached to "the right way" of doing things!