Title: A Workshop for Organists and Choir Directors October 17, 1998 - Watertown, SD
Author: Mary Prange
Last saved by: usr108

A Workshop for Organists – Enlivening the People’s Song 
Mary Prange, July 2002

I.	Principles of Lutheran Worship 
1.	Let the Gospel be the predominate voice in worship
2.	Let the people participate (your job – Help the people participate!)
3.	Let all of God’s gifts be used in worship (music, art, architecture, spoken word etc.)
4.	Let the experience of the church be honored (what has stood the test of time?)

II.	Worship – the most important activity of the church

Quotes from Christian Worship Manual Chapter 1
p. 4 “Believers desire to express in public what they believe in private, and they long to share with other Christians what they believe as individuals. In public worship, therefore, God speaks and his children respond.”
p. 5 “In its public worship more than any other place, Christian churches look and act like the Holy Christian Church, i.e., the assembly of believers.”
p. 10 “Without the Gospel to enliven faith, all congregational activities would quickly come to an end.”
p. 10 “…those who lead in public worship find a powerful incentive to make worship the preeminent activity of the congregation and to put their hearts and hands and voices to eager and careful work as they plan, prepare, and preside at worship.”
p. 13 “To some, worship ought to be able to function as evangelism, education, discipline, and counseling. When public worship begins to carry all these responsibilities, its own objectives can hardly be met.” 
Struggle in ALL Christian churches today – where is worship going? 

III.	Main Function of the Organist – to help the people sing better
Reading Material for every church musician: 
The Church Musician, Paul Westermeyer, Augsburg Fortress 10-33999
Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down - A Royal “Waste” of Time, Marva J. Dawn - Eerdmanns Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI 
Christian Worship Manual, Planning Christian Worship, Christian Worship Handbook – Northwestern Publishing House
Let the People Sing – A Keyboardist’s Creative and Practical Guide to Engaging God’s People in Meaningful Song,  David M. Cherwein -CPH 99-1666
Playing Hymns and Liturgy – most important job you do (don’t spend time on other music until you have spent time on the hymns and liturgy)

IV.	Critical factors in hymn playing – Rhythm and breathing
Lutheran Worship – a DIRGE?? (song or hymn of grief or lamentation, a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music) WHY???

DFA syndrome (Cherwein p. 12)
•	Doubt – does the organist give a clear signal to begin singing??
•	Fear – if not, I might solo – “Oh , NO!!”
•	Abstinence – “I quit!” (The organist is not leading in such a way that I can follow!)

Rhythm – related to tempo
Tempo – general rule – shorter hymns slower (stately), longer hymns faster (lively)
Play legato or detached??? That’s how get rhythmic playing!

Breathing: You have to give the people a chance to breathe even if it means cheating on the time! LIFT YOUR HANDS OFF THE KEYBOARD – THAT’S THE SIGNAL TO BREATHE!!

Hymn Introductions
Purpose?  Let people know (1) what the melody is and (2) how fast you plan to play it. (3) Can also indicate the style of the hymn by the way you articulate (legato, detached) and by what registration you use (bold, quiet).
Play the whole hymn through? Sometimes? Never? Depends on how familiar the hymn is and how much time is needed to find the page!
How will people know it’s time to sing? Lift your hands! 

Time between stanzas: Think about it!! Give people a chance to catch their breath – can they anticipate when you are ready to begin again?? Lift your hands!!

Registration: Don’t play every hymn exactly the same. Change registration on some stanzas – what is the mood of the hymn? Meditative? Joyful? Determines how you play it! 

Articulation: Will you play everything smoothly connected (legato) or somewhat detached?

Alternate Accompaniments: I use rather sparingly! Depends on how well the congregation knows the hymn, whether the choir can help lead, if I can play the alternate acc. really well! 
Don’t irritate the people!!!
Some things to try: Play just the melody on some stanzas for variety (I do it in three octaves – r.h, l.h, and pedal) or add a few notes on last few chords or give a little breather before the last stanzas of a long hymn.

Other topics:
	Accepting Critical Comments From People – 
Welcome comments so that you know how you are doing in the eyes of the people. The last thing you want to do is irritate people. 
Leading worship is a benevolent dictatorship – sometimes you decide what’s best for the people – not what’s best for you!! 
You are not in this to display your abilities as an organist – your job is to HELP THE PEOPLE SING BETTER!!!

Examples:

CW 1 “The Advent of our King” 
Tempo: stately
Rhythm: 1-2-3-4 0r 1-2?
Introduction: Hopson p. 147 or Burkhardt p. 4 (r.h. and pedal)
Stanza 3: part melody in three octaves, part harmony
Stanza 5: repeat last phrase for a breather before doxology – broaden tempo
Stanza 6: Behnke p. 28 - tag on final stanza from Hopson p. 147

CW 3 “Lift Up Your Heads”
	Tempo: Lively
	Rhythm: Triple time – always a bit of a challenge to keep the people moving!
	Introduction: 1^st two and last two phrases – alternate unison, harmony
	Pedal: detached to provide percussion – rhythm
Breathing: may have to cheat in the middle of the lines to give people time to breath on a hymn that MOVES ALONG!

CW 11 “Comfort, Comfort All My People”
	Tempo: lively
	Rhythm: mixed meter – 3’s and 2’s
	Introduction: Hopson p. 117 – watch out! notes values and melody not quite the same as CW!!
	Stanza 2: alternate unison and harmony
	Tag after st. 3 to announce broadening of tempo:
	Stanza 4: Burkhardt p. 26
	Breathing: cheat on time in middle of lines

CW 18 “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You”
	Tempo: broad and steady – think 2’s not 4’s
	Rhythm: as legato as you can get – think long lines – sit very still – relaxed
	Introduction: Solo out melody – play the whole thing
	Melody: fairly predictable 
	Breathing: should not be a problem
CW 23 “Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel” 
Style: plainsong – character changes at refrain
	Introduction: Hopson p. 168-169 – long version, short version
	Alternate acc.: Hopson will work – tag on the end an octave higher

CW 58 “See In Yonder Manger Low”
Tempo: Broad 
Rhythm: think 1-2-3-4 - long stately lines
Melody: 2^nd phrase has unpredictable jump – play it in unison
Refrain: pedal down an octave, fill in the chords, end on D7 – G
Breathing: not a problem! Try pedal totally legato!

CW 62 “Joy to the World”
Tempo: lively (fast not as important as rhythmic)
Rhythm: pedal detached to provide percussive effect
Introduction: Short and sweet!
Alternate harmonizations: 
Evaluate: Burkhardt – p. 6,7,8

CW 98 “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now”
Mixed meter, cheat in the middle of lines to breathe, 

CW 105 “O Sacred Head”
Mixed meter – half unison, half harmony – move it along!

CW 107 “Deep Were His Wounds”
New melody – fairly UNPREDICTABLE!! Play unison on leaps!

CW 142 “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
Very rhythmic – mixed meter – detached

CW 200 “A Mighty Fortress” 
Jump an octave at the end – very rhythmic, mixed meter
Unison on “Jesus Christ it is…”
CW 256 “How Great Thou Art”
Don’t count – just feel it! Solo melody on stanzas. No breaks in pedal
Breathing is not a problem.

CW 327 “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” 
Basically sustain all pedal notes in verses – refrain seems more detached

CW 363 “The King Of Glory”
Pedal provides percussion – detached on refrain. Solo melody on refrain.

CW 436 “Jesus, Shepherd of the Sheep”
Last stanza – 200 Last Verses p. 31

CW 451 “Precious Lord”
Don’t count – just feel it! Fill in all the chords – play SA an octave higher –
Pedal and octave lower – solo melody.

CW 556 “Rise, Shine, You People”
Unpredictable melody – lots of 3-octave unison – move to harmony at the end of the ends of the phrases. 
Lively tempo – breathing basically built in by rests

CW 564 “There Is a Balm in Gilead”
Sustain pedal (pedal point) – solo out the melody octave higher – fill in all the chords.

Hymn Introductions and Variant Accompaniments:

Michael Burkhardt - Easy Hymn Settings Many volumes – work for introductions, accompaniments in some cases, service music. Also As Though the Whole Creation Cried Morningstar Music vendor table.

Concordia Hymn Prelude Series: 47 or so volumes. Invaluable for introductions as well as service music. Discount is large if you buy it all. Ask at CPH vendor booth.

John Ferguson – many are more difficult, but some variations are quite easy. 

Hal Hopson –The Creative Use of the Organ in Worship ($40 – well spent!) see NPH vendor table. 

John A. Behnke The Creative Organist Hope Publishing (see NPH)

Noel Rawsthorne 200 Last Verses Anglican hymns – look over index carefully (NPH)

Hymn Playing -