Thursday, March 25, 2004
Some musical odds and ends
Kingsfold is one of my favorite hymn tunes. My flute player has a hard adjustment this year, as the parish is learning "I Heard the Voice of Jesus," and she is used to "Star of the County Down," a very similar tune attributed to a Celtic source.
Another choir member suggested we do Bob Hurd's "Behold the Cross" this year. I find I like it very much. At the end of practice tonight, someone brought a piece of Ricky Manalo's, "O Word of God" I think the name is. It's the sign of a healthy music group that people don't want the practice to end. Another healthy sign is when members love music enough to bring suggestions. I haven't had a group like that in some time.
Three months from now, I have to play hammered dulcimer at a wedding. (The nice thing of the past four years is that I've not had many wedding gigs -- Saturday free time!) I used to dread playing for weddings of people I don't know. When I was in Iowa, Anita and I would have the engaged couple over to the house. In a relaxed atmosphere over a beer or a lemonade, we would present lots of options, and I found working with these young people very rewarding. (Mothers weren't invited.)
Anyway, this is the first wedding of someone I know in about three years. It means I'm going to need to get serious about dulcimer after Easter. I go for several weeks without playing it, then it's time for catching up. If I were a full-time musician, I would play it more. Where can one find the time?
