The Ward Organist

Sunday, March 7, 2010

I have become the ward organist. A few of you have heard the story. The first Sunday I was there, after church the elderly woman who leads the singing in sacrament meeting asked me if I could play the piano. I told her I could and she was so excited, saying something like, “I have been praying for a piano player.” She asked if I could play for the choir and I said yes. They would start practice next Sunday.
The next week was our first time driving to church by ourselves. Jack and I had gotten lost but we knew we might so we left early. We walked in about 9:25 and people on the stand were worried. They motioned me to come up. I went to the stand and said, “Would you like me to play for sacrament meeting?” They said, “Yes.” As the meeting was started the bishopric member mentioned something about having the music people show up on time. So afterward, I asked if they had a piano player. They said no. I asked if they would like me to play every week? They said yes. I guess they thought someone had asked me. I’m kinda used to being called to positions, but I guess they do things a bit different. That’s okay, I can do different.
The next week I decided I should play the organ. I went about a half hour early because I couldn’t get into the building during the week. I am not a very good organist. In my ward in Colorado, there are several very accomplished organists, but they all have small children. I was called about a year ago to play the organ. So I sat down to look over this organ. It was very simple and after a few minutes, I was able to figure out a nice sound but I am still learning the pedals. The first song hardly anyone sang. It wasn’t a common hymn but I wondered if maybe they didn’t play the organ for some reason. Afterward, I mentioned something to the chorister, but she said it sounded great. An elderly Maori man came up to me and said that it had been a long time since someone had played the organ for sacrament meeting.
Yesterday, I got to church early enough to get a mellow sound for prelude and one for singing. Things went okay. I would surely like to get the hymns before 9:25 Sunday morning so I could practice, but I don’t think they do things that way. After sacrament they asked me if I could play for a baptism. I said, “Sure.” After church I went to the primary room to start some prelude. The bishopric member who was conducting put a men’s choir hymn on the piano and said they would be singing it. The hymn had been transposed, could I play it? I said, “Yes.” He said I just needed to play the introduction. Now this had happened the week before. A priesthood men’s choir had sang in sacrament meeting. It consisted of the Polynesian men and sang part of it in Maori. I played the introduction and they took over singing accapela. So I thought that is how they would do it this time. It came time for the song, I started the introduction. Half way through the introduction, the man singing said, “That’s not the one I’m singing, I’m singing hymn, 220.” So I quickly changed to hymn #220. He starts singing and I quit to let him sing. He stops and looks at me and motions for me to keep playing. So I played for him. Now my back is to him and he is singing kind of what I would call the “Don Ho” version, so the tempos are very liberal. I just have to follow closely to what I hear. Thus continues the experiences to this ward organist.