MIDI recording

[methodistgirl]

Thank you for all your advice
I've heard a lot of "it does work" and plenty of "it doesn't work".
I figure it would be pretty easy to start by doing the prelude, offertory and postlude, I'ts just the hymns I'm worried about.
Again, thanks
-Alex

PS it is a 38 rank pipe organ

If it is the tempo you are talking about I have a tip. When you play the
foot pedals tap on the key to keep rhythm. Sorry I can't spell it.
Hopefully the congregation will keep up.
judy tooley

[musicalis]

Hello
I think I can help you but I have to go away from home for a few days. When back, I'll see what I can do.
just tell me name of the midi ports. Are they "in" "out" "thru" ?
Do you or your friends have some midi devices (keyboard, sequencers ...) ?

[musicalis]

I am back
But do you still need help ?

[Krummhorn]

If it is the tempo you are talking about I have a tip. When you play the foot pedals tap on the key to keep rhythm. Sorry I can't spell it. Hopefully the congregation will keep up.
judy tooley

Hi Judy,

Congrats - rhythm is spelled correctly ... many people stumble on that word, the longest word in the English language in common use without any vowels .

I have trouble swallowing the phrase "hopefully the congregation will keep up." What happens when the congregation doesn't keep up? Does the organist keep going leaving them one or more measures behind? Hymn playing/singing is not a race to see who gets to the Amen first ... !

The organist can provide "incentives" to speed up congregational signing. What works for me is to insert additional notes/chords instead of just holding a whole note chord at the end of a line. The other thing that can be done is to add additional leading notes between chords and sub-dividing the beat in our heads.

For example, Oh God Our Help in Ages Past is pretty much straight 4/4 tempo. When playing it, think two eighth notes for each quarter - you'll be surprised at how much more exact the tempo remains throughout the hymn, and the congregation will sense this tempo and will not drag it down into the cellar.

The late Dr. Alexander Schreiner was a master at hymn playing. I have several of his publications that feature various hymns with leading notes inserted, and as such not only add beauty to the hymn, but also promote keeping the proper tempo.

[methodistgirl]

There is one contemperary song that I play tapping my foot on the
bass pedals and that's My Life is in You Lord. It works because the
congregation will clap to the rhythm of it and keep up with it. You
need to look that song up sometime. I love it!
judy tooley

[Krummhorn]

Heh heh ... Lutheran's don't do "happy clappy" hymns ... our services are mostly "high church", or what CT64 so eloquently describes as "bells and smells" except we only do the incense (smells) on special high feast or holy days.

I believe it was Garrison Keillor who made reference to Lutheran's being "God's Frozen Chosen" !!

[methodistgirl]

I know what you are saying. Some of the older methodist who go to the
traditional are stiff necked like that.
judy tooley

[Corno Dolce]

Hi Master Krummhorn,

"Lutherans don't do Happy-Clappy hymns"???

Ummmm - I beg to differ with you dear sir.

I can't stand "Happy Clappy" - It just makes me want to barf and run away.

Sincerely,

CD

[Krummhorn]

I know what you are saying. Some of the older methodist who go to the traditional are stiff necked like that.
judy tooley

"Stiff Necked?" Hmmm, "Frozen Chosen" I can live with, but stiff necked ... hmmm ...

Hi Master Krummhorn, "Lutherans don't do Happy-Clappy hymns"??? Ummmm - I beg to differ with you dear sir.

I can't stand "Happy Clappy" - It just makes me want to barf and run away.

Sincerely, CD

Ok ... touche' ... Maybe I should amend my statement to read "Our Lutheran church doesn't do happy clappy" ... we are an old Scandinavian Lutheran church and not likely to change anytime soon, thank goodness.

[methodistgirl]

Krummhorn! Why don't you or your church pick a night for the young
people and have a contempary service for the teens and others who
enjoy songs like My life is in you Lord, and Shout to the Lord which is
really pretty by even Don Moen? Have something for today's youth
and young at heart.
judy tooley

[Krummhorn]

The median age group of our congregation is 68. Our current congregation size is about 450, and the youth can be counted on two hands. We tried a Saturday evening service years ago and had less than 10 people show up for services - then we tried to attract more youth with a contemporary worship format ... it did not attract any young people, even after a two year run.

What we have going now is two worship offerings on Sunday mornings:
1. Traditional (high church) Liturgical (CT64's version of bells and smells).
2. Convergent Worship where we combine toned down traditional with contemporary, and eliminate all the bells and smells.

So far, that seems to be working with a combined average attendance for both services at around 335. It will drop dramatically towards the end of April when all the snowbirds leave for home ... they winter here and leave before the blast furnace hot summers.

About the most "rocking" hymn we have done with any success is Leaning On The Everlasting Arms ... sans the happy clappy clapping and yelling "amen, brother" and such.

Traditional music has been a stalwart for our congregation since day one back in 1963. We are still the ONLY Lutheran congregation, in all of Tucson, with a 100% pipe organ being used for worship services, an honor we have had since 1979 when our Möller was installed. My Pastor loves the organ and all its literature, especially that of the old masters like Bach, Buxtehude, Pachelbel, etc.

[Corno Dolce]

Dear Master Krummhorn,

If you go to a Lutheran Church in Scandinavia that has a Gospel Concert you'll see all the Scandinavians whooping it up. The saying goes: "Scratch a Swede and you'll see the skin of an African".

Cheers,

CD