A most "moving" Easter

Here’s a little tell-all of one of those decisions made by a church administration that my musician friends and I STILL cringe over, more than two decades later. But it is also a bit of a success story, because I managed to have a little fun with it:

The new "gymnatorium" had just been completed at a church I was serving as organist. The pastor thought it would be a terrific idea to take that room for its first spin with the largest crowd possible.

Hmmm, EASTER SUNDAY would be a good time.

Yes, EASTER SUNDAY. Let’s move all Easter services into the gymnatorium.

All of them.

And that’s what happened.

So picture it:

1) A gorgeous, traditional Georgian room with a splendid acoustic and a 72-rank Aeolian-Skinner installed in 1949 was going to be standing silent and unoccupied on EASTER SUNDAY.

That’s EASTER SUNDAY.

2) A short-order digital organ was to be rented and PATCHED INTO THE HOUSE SOUND SYSTEM in the gymnatorium. Translation: the organ’s sound was to be produced by speakers that were not designed for the dynamic and frequency range of an organ. And the sound system was to be run by non-musicians. Draw your own conclusion regarding THAT particular sound mix.

3) The gymnatorium was (and still is) so poorly designed that there was not enough stage space for the choir to sit onstage. And there was (and still is) virtually NO wing space. Therefore, the 60-voice choir had to travel up and down some little steps, single-file, to and from the stage to sing their anthems. It was decided that the organist would cover up that traveling with pretty music…

…on the digital organ patched into the house sound system operated by non-musicians.

Well, so let’s try to find some fun in this: the organist put his head together with like-minded musicians and came up with a brilliant idea for what music to play during those onstage/offstage choir moments:

Tunes from South Park: The Movie, played slowly, ecclesiastically, beautifully...

…on the digital organ patched into the house sound system operated by non-musicians, in the ugly room deemed a suitable venue for Easter Sunday just because it was a big, new room.

It was “moving” music. And the choir moved to it, as planned.

Three people in the room knew what was coming, and only one other figured it out during. No one else noticed. (Then again, who would admit it?)

Aeolian-Skinners I have known

I believe in Aeolian-Skinner. I love its history. I love reading about it. I love sitting at those vintage consoles. And I love the sound. Even the ones that don’t sound all that great. They are still history.

I have been bestowed the honor of being invited to perform for the third annual East Texas Pipe Organ Festival in November. ETPOF is a celebration of the work of Roy Perry as manifested in the Aeolian-Skinner organs of East Texas and northern Louisiana. I’ll be performing on the “masterpiece in miniature” (Scott Davis’s term) at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Kilgore, Tex. To perform for colleagues is one thing, but to perform for colleagues who share my love of these instruments is something else! I can’t wait, and I’m already practicing feverishly.

I thought I would share a little who’s who of the Aeolian-Skinners I have known, in no particular order. This is as much for my own amazement as for yours. Until now, I had not thought of how long and life-changing this list is. This list is only those organs I have played, not just heard in person:

Op. 883, the National Cathedral. The organ continues to inspire controversy, but that space inspires nothing but the best in mankind. It was on this organ that I played a recital that I got just for the asking. That, too, is a career-enhancing move – ask, and ye shall receive.

Op. 1308, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Shreveport. A treasure, thanks to Roy Perry and Bill Teague.

Op. 150, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, N.Y. A magnificent rebuild after the fire of 2001.

Op. 1196, Covenant Presbyterian, Charlotte. My very first. And my first 5-manual console. And my first full-length 32-foot Bombarde. Whoa!

Op. 1159, Duke Chapel. Strictly speaking, an Aeolian. And what a sound! And it is in excellent condition, thanks to Foley-Baker. Go thou and treat thine ears.

Op. 1463, First Presbyterian, Kinston, NC. Buried treasure way out in eastern NC. It’s got some kick, and the space puts one in mind of National Presbyterian.

Op. 1101, First Presbyterian, Lenoir, NC. I ‘presided’ there for two years after moving back to NC. Same vintage as the lovely things I left behind at First Presbyterian, Houston. Basking in history everywhere you go ain’t a bad thing.

Op. 1339, First Presbyterian, Morganton, NC. This one was fun for me and a friend during college years, until the secretary caught us and kicked us out. I guess she didn’t like hymns.

Op. 713, First Presbyterian, Wilmington, NC. Strictly speaking, an E.M. Skinner. And what a sound. Go thou and treat thine ears.

Op. 712, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Winston-Salem. Another E.M. Skinner not to be missed. Go and enjoy the hospitality of John Cummins as he leads you through every breathtaking stop.

Op. 1257, Winthrop University. A stunning G. Donald Harrison signature in an enormous space. And in splendid condition, thanks to Orgues Létourneau. This organ is in danger of not being used much, if at all, these days.

Op. 1029, First Methodist, Beaumont, Tex. A respectable instrument in a perfectly sublime space. Go and at least treat your eyes, if not your ears.

Op. 1149, First Methodist, Houston. A huge, thrilling instrument in the most dreadful space ever rendered by the hand of man.

Opp. 912 and 912A, First Presbyterian, Houston. My favorite organs in Houston in many ways. I ‘presided’ at these organs every Sunday for seven years. Loved them with all my heart. They are in splendid condition, thanks to Schoenstein and the curatorial efforts of my successor, Rhonda Furr.

Opp. 976 and 3013, Christ Church Cathedral, Houston. The big organ has been refurbished to an unknown degree (to me). It is a bit of a sister organ to Op. 912A at First Presbyterian and is equally lovely in different ways.

Op. 1173, First Presbyterian, Kilgore, Tex. Roy Perry’s masterpiece. GO. GO. GO.

Op. 1174, First Baptist, Longview, Tex. A huge G. Donald Harrison signature. A classic, and one of only three organs in the world to bring tears to my eyes on first hearing. My students are believers, too.

Op. 1500, St. George’s Episcopal, Port Arthur, Tex. A respectable late effort of the company. It may no longer be there.

If I omitted one here, it’s a tragedy. None deserves omission. Long live those who keep these organs alive.

Help Yourself VI

It's time for another exciting episode of Free PDFs from Joby Bell. Today's episode is about love, music, and baptism.

Click, print, and use these arrangements freely, with my compliments:

WONDROUS LOVE octavo

WONDROUS LOVE reharmonization

ENGELBERG ("When in our music" text) in G, with descant

ENGELBERG (Baptism text) in F, with descant

baroqclassicalantic

Ah, terminology.

I prefer “French Symphonic” over “French Romantic.” I feel the Romantic stuff happened in the opera houses and on the concert stage. But French Symphonic was more literal to organ music. “Sym” [‘together’] and “phonic” [‘sound’] form the perfect word to describe what Cavaillé-Coll pulled off, by combining reeds and mixtures together from the Classic organs. He found a way to provide enough wind and proper voicing so that “full organ” (not just “plein jeu”!) might be achieved.

And the work of Cavaillé-Coll was “symphonic,” NOT “orchestral!” A thousand times No.

As for “French Classic” vs. “French Classical” vs. “French Baroque,” I’ll defer to Cavaillé-Coll once again. “Baroque” reminds this writer too much of Bach (wrong country) and the various King Louis-es (wrong audience) to be applied to organ music. “Classical” smacks too much of Mozart (wrong country AND wrong audience). But “Classic” is perfect, especially since Cavaillé-Coll himself referred to the older organs he renovated as classique.

Now, closer to home:

I have dealt with electronics geeks working as “sound engineers” who do not correct you if you call them “acousticians.” I train my students to run the other way when they encounter this. Hanging around that cannot be a good thing.

Then there is “acoustical treatment,” which is described as “necessary to deaden” a room. I prefer it “temper” a room.

In tuning temperaments, certain intervals are characterized as “wide” or “narrow,” rather than “sharp” or “flat.” I can live with those euphemisms, since “sharp” and “flat” may suggest “sour.”

Then there are some committee decisions, with which I sometimes say I am “less than pleased.”

Then there are those brides and/or wedding soloists I describe as “typical.”

I suppose non-organists characterize organists in their own way, too. “Old” tends to come to many minds. So does “crotchety.” And “opinionated.” I can’t imagine why.

We ain't done yet

My studio is in the news again.

They just published an article in The American Organist magazine that sketches their impressions of the 2012 East Texas Pipe Organ Festival.

They and I are about to publish some ads that use some vintage-looking photos they posed for a few weeks ago. Be prepared.

They and I just got back from an organ crawl to Charlotte and environs.

And I just booked a large van for a trip with them to visit some organ builders in the Midwest this summer.

I'm exhausted, but the comments I get from others make it all worth it: "You and your students do lots of things together. That is so wonderful! I wish my teacher had done [this and that]..."

And that family element cannot be denied. It is important, and I have said that before. Honestly, I don't know any other way to do things in this business!

Breaking my own rule

I don't play encores, but I'm about to prepare one for a recital.

Encores have gotten out of hand. There are some pieces – MANY, actually – that need no encore after them. So don’t play one. Any time I hear a downer of an encore played after a major upper, I'm, well, DOWN after that. If a piece ends with a big, fat period, then that should be the end of the sentence for that recital. If they really want more, then they should re-invite the performer back sometime.

I once heard a huge recital end with the Vierne Sixth. No encore is needed after that piece. But the performer played one, but even he said that it is difficult to find something to follow such a monumental piece. And so I say, "Don't! Leave them wanting more." The last encore I played was about 3 years ago, only at the pleading of my host.

But I'm about to prepare an encore. I'll be prepared to play it, but I won't force it if the applause doesn't warrant it. That's another point that needs to be made: encores should be played after at least the second or third curtain call, not the first. Encores are earned, not forced!

Anyway, I'm closing a recital with the entire Symphonie Romane. That is not the easiest listening, especially when a person sees the name Widor and expects something as tuneful as the Fifth or Sixth or the Toccata. So, I'm planning to add the Mulet Carillon afterwards, but only if the audience begs for it with tumultuous applause for the Widor. If they seem exhausted after that, then we should move on to the reception.

The moral of the story is that if you're reading this and plan to attend my recital in Greensboro (see the sidebar to the right), AND if you want to hear the Mulet Carillon, then you should clap the night away and glare at anyone who doesn't!

Ten years and one year

Dates and facts hang around in my mind. On March 28, 2003, I was on the bench at the Asbury United Methodist Church in Little Rock, preparing for a recital, when I received the call that my father had died. That was exactly ten years ago today.

Today is also the 70^th anniversary of the death of my homey Sergei Rachmaninoff. Today is also exactly one year and eight days after my mother’s death. With the exception of my birthday, the month of March has become a gloomy one.

I wrote both my parents’ obituaries. Mother’s is in another post from a year ago. Now here’s Dad’s:

Mr. Donald Ray Bell of Statesville, NC, died suddenly Friday, March 28, 2003. He was born Nov. 25, 1936, to William Clyde and Oma Travis Bell. He was raised in Iredell County, graduated from Scotts High School in 1955, and as a youth attended Diamond Hill Baptist Church. After training at the Nashville Auto-Diesel College and completing training with the N.C. National Guard, Mr. Bell joined Bell Construction Co. of Statesville, founded by his father in 1946. He worked for Bell Construction for the rest of his life. Mr. Bell was married on June 25, 1960, to Judith Tilley Bell, who survives. Also surviving are two children, Talana Bell Wilkins and husband Mike of Dothan, Ala., and Dr. Joby Bell and wife Dr. Susan Murphey of Houston, Tex. Mr. Bell is also survived by his sister, Evelyn Bell Plummer of Winston-Salem; and twin sister, Dorothy Bell Davis of Lynchburg, Va. Several nieces and nephews also survive. Preceding Mr. Bell in death were his parents and three elder brothers Boyce, W.C. "Buddy" Jr., and Bruce Bell.

At the time of his death, Mr. Bell had been president of Bell Construction since 1987. He had retired from the National Guard in 1996 after serving for 38 years and attaining the rank of sergeant major. He sang in the choir and served as deacon for many years at Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville. He was heavily involved in set design and construction for the Statesville Easter Pageant and chaired the building and property committee for Front Street Baptist Church, where he was also a member of the Jabez Sunday School class. Mr. Bell was an active member of the Gideons International and a board member of the Monticello Volunteer Fire Department.

Funeral arrangements are with Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home of Statesville. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 9 p.m. today, March 30, at the funeral home. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 31, at Front Street Baptist Church, with the Rev. Gerald Bontrager officiating. Burial will follow in Iredell Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers will be Dwayne Bell, Billy Ray Compton, Ted Evans, Danny Johnson, Adam Lasarsky, Keith Netterwald, Stanley Parker, Danny Stikeleather and Lonnie Wooten. Honorary pallbearers will include Jerry Johnson, the Jabez Sunday School class, all deacons of Front Street Baptist Church, all employees of Bell Construction Co., and all personnel of the Monticello Volunteer Fire Department. Memorials may be contributed to Front Street Baptist Church, 1403 W. Front St., Statesville, NC 28677, or to the Gideons International, P.O. Box 148, Statesville, NC 28687.

Speaking in tongues

I spent quite a few hours in airports this past week. And I love doing that, by the way. Especially when it's big, nice airports full of great restaurants. I highly recommend Terminal D at DFW.

My father always said that sitting in an airport can be the best show in town. You see all kinds of, um, characters walking by. Business men chatting away at each other, other business men chatting away at thin air through their Bluetooth, mothers yelling at children, children yelling with no discipline, people running to catch that flight, people almost wearing skimpy outfits, people pulling old suitcases covered in duct tape, and so forth.

One of the more fascinating elements of this best show in town is in the languages you hear. The foreign tongues are interesting enough, but the use and abuse of ENGLISH can get pretty interesting:

"Yeah, it was...like...awesome...and...like..."

"Yes, we can do a custom bi-foot Davidson valve with the retrofit Hooker gauge on a 30-degree parallel trunk. Yes, I'll have Nancy run a twist prognostic flow on that, and we'll get it right out to you, probably by Wednesday at the first algoscrew..."

"Naw, man, she jus messin wid you. You shudin put up wid dat..."

"Is this the plane to Scranton?..."

Or the dude behind me on an otherwise quiet 6 am flight, chatting away at a Catholic priest, connecting all kinds of imaginary dots between Christianity, Creationism, and the military. And coughing as if he had stopped smoking just the day before. I longed for a screaming baby instead.

The point of all this? Imagine how a conversation among organists would sound to an innocent bystander:

"We're going to get our flutes re-felted..."

"That 16-foot Open was just too big for the room..."

"The tongues are loose. We need to get Robert to re-do the wedges..."

"Yeah, those chests need re-leathering..."

"Should you draw the pitches up through the Tierce or just use the Cornet in the Dialogue?"

And so forth. Well, that's all for me today. I need to go "find more occurences of Haec dies in the Romane..."

Turn the tables

Here's an idea:

Churches ought to apply for the privilege of hiring some (SOME!) church musicians. Here’s the ad I would place:

WANTED: one church to provide musical inspiration, a smart congregation, and even-handed employment for an organist. Qualifications of this church include but may not necessarily be limited to the following:

-- Lead by example to encourage the congregation to remain quiet for preludes and postludes.

-- Stay out of the way regarding hymn tempos.

-- Provide an acoustical environment that enhances worship.

-- Allow only musicians and professional sound technicians to run sound, if any.

-- Adhere to all published wedding rules. If none exist, allow the organist to write some.

-- Establish and maintain a chain of command that actually works. The lay governing body should demonstrate a track record of refusing to hand its power over to the pastor.

-- Keep staff turnover at a minimum by providing proper pay and a professional work environment.

-- Stop paying dues to the Willow Creek Association.

-- Provide time off for both vacation and continuing education. One should not be used to “satisfy” the other.

-- Overhaul the music program with the music staff’s knowledge, guidance, and participation.

-- Provide the organist exclusive access to the organ chamber. Take the chamber keys away from the cleaning crew and maintenance crew.

-- Cooperate with the organist in allowing the console to be left unlocked and available to all.

-- Allow the organist to teach on the church organ.

-- Allow the organist to get actively involved with organ maintenance. This will save the church money on little things that go wrong in the future.

-- Upload photos and specs of the organ on the church website, as directed by the organist.

-- Allow the organist 24-hour access and alarm codes to the building. He’s got to practice, you know.

Interested churches should send an electronic package containing 1) a letter of intent, 2) references from at least three previous musicians on your staff, and 3) any evidence at all of an effective lay governing body to joby(at)jobybell(dot)org. Serious applications only, please. Files containing misspelled words, poor grammar, or the words "blessed" or "awesome" will not be considered. The successful church meeting these qualifications will be considered carefully and fairly. In the unlikely event that a church like this really does exist, then the organist will probably have had a coronary from the shock and will not be able to hire it. But a guy can dream.

GLO-ria! GLO-ria!

It's Vivaldi's birthday.

It's also mine.

Neither he nor I will be taking the day off.