Sometimes tender mercies come in unusual ways.
Last night we had our stake temple day, and prior to our temple service, we had a chapel session where the stake president and temple president spoke to us. It's embarrassing to admit this, but I often have a hard time sitting in the chapel waiting for things to start, because I have to listen to the organ music, and frankly, most all the temple organists play horribly.
In sacrament meeting you can kind of ignore this, but in the temple everyone is silent, and that brings the badly-played organ music to the forefront. Now, I'm not a mean critiquer. Not at all! It's just that I have a very hard time turning off my teacher ears. I can have the kindest of feelings toward the white-haired little lady sitting on the bench. But I still can't ignore the playing. It's not so much wrong notes as it is poor technique and choppy playing. Yes, I sit there and remind myself that this organist probably has never had lessons, it's not her fault she can't play well. But it doesn't remove the fact that the music is distracting! Because instead of just listening to the music, or having it be quietly in the background while I read my scriptures, I spend all my time in the chapel reminding myself that it isn't the organists fault she can't play.
Last night was a totally different experience. We had a fabulous organist. She was a little old lady, exactly the type you'd expect to play schmaltzy music poorly. But she had excellent technique. Her hymn-playing was vigorous. Her stop choices were appropriate for congregational singing. And she improvised. She didn't "play by ear", which basically means tinkling around on the keys. She improvised. After the closing hymn, she began the postlude by improvising a little rhythmic motive that she played with, then bringing the hymn melody out above it. It was so well done! It was wonderful!
She was blind. James turned to me just before the opening hymn and whispered, "I think the organist is blind." I watched her closely after that, and yes, she was blind. I was in awe!
It might seem like a small thing to anyone else, but to me, to be able to go to the temple and hear great music is a tender mercy. And to see that great music coming from someone whose life has so obviously been touched by adversity is a lesson.
Last night we had our stake temple day, and prior to our temple service, we had a chapel session where the stake president and temple president spoke to us. It's embarrassing to admit this, but I often have a hard time sitting in the chapel waiting for things to start, because I have to listen to the organ music, and frankly, most all the temple organists play horribly.
In sacrament meeting you can kind of ignore this, but in the temple everyone is silent, and that brings the badly-played organ music to the forefront. Now, I'm not a mean critiquer. Not at all! It's just that I have a very hard time turning off my teacher ears. I can have the kindest of feelings toward the white-haired little lady sitting on the bench. But I still can't ignore the playing. It's not so much wrong notes as it is poor technique and choppy playing. Yes, I sit there and remind myself that this organist probably has never had lessons, it's not her fault she can't play well. But it doesn't remove the fact that the music is distracting! Because instead of just listening to the music, or having it be quietly in the background while I read my scriptures, I spend all my time in the chapel reminding myself that it isn't the organists fault she can't play.
Last night was a totally different experience. We had a fabulous organist. She was a little old lady, exactly the type you'd expect to play schmaltzy music poorly. But she had excellent technique. Her hymn-playing was vigorous. Her stop choices were appropriate for congregational singing. And she improvised. She didn't "play by ear", which basically means tinkling around on the keys. She improvised. After the closing hymn, she began the postlude by improvising a little rhythmic motive that she played with, then bringing the hymn melody out above it. It was so well done! It was wonderful!
She was blind. James turned to me just before the opening hymn and whispered, "I think the organist is blind." I watched her closely after that, and yes, she was blind. I was in awe!
It might seem like a small thing to anyone else, but to me, to be able to go to the temple and hear great music is a tender mercy. And to see that great music coming from someone whose life has so obviously been touched by adversity is a lesson.
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