tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5858517326970034511.post7004427946093876242..comments2024-03-14T09:13:18.887-05:00Comments on Pianonoise: A union of oppositesmichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11810440838755257114noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5858517326970034511.post-69349619743548545892019-05-14T10:50:39.566-05:002019-05-14T10:50:39.566-05:00I hope so, too, Terence. Thanks for the observatio...I hope so, too, Terence. Thanks for the observations. Also looks like I should check my comments more often! (I had the flu the day you posted this but it has now been 6 weeks. woops!) Glad folks like you are out there.michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11810440838755257114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5858517326970034511.post-13709405296671070202019-03-29T03:02:58.829-05:002019-03-29T03:02:58.829-05:00Couldn't agree more with this. I've recent...Couldn't agree more with this. I've recently started playing the organ for Mass at the church I serve, and one of the many things I enjoy about it is the spontaneity and having to work with so many people.<br /><br />For example, you can't really predict how many verses of a particular hymn you'll be playing. Or maybe the music director will want something done differently. Case in point: for the Responsorial Psalm last week, my music director wanted me to add an imperfect cadence to the response. So I had to adjust on the fly, which was fun. Naturally, during the actual Mass, I forgot about transiting from chord I to chord V, so my fellow choristers were reminding me.<br /><br />Another important thing is that, as organists, we must never overpower the choir and congregation. Like what you wrote, a lot of times I take cues from the choir, music director, and cantor. If its a mellow piece, for instance, during the second verse I'll provide minimal accompaniment, before returning to the full plenum on the final verse. I'm not there to show off my musical prowess, how well I memorised the pedal lines, my ingenuity at reharmonising the hymns, my creativity with various organ registrations. I'm there to provide musical accompaniment to the choir and congregation via the skills God has given me, and I hope I do so for a long, long time.<br /><br />Terencehttps://www.instagram.com/terencemcspicy/noreply@blogger.com