Youth Sunday Music

It's a pretty short list of music, but what a service! Kaitlyn, Jordan, Olivia, Alec and Rosy did a great job! The other liturgists and worship helpers made it a truly special day. Awesome!

You are my King (Amazing love)
Lord reign in me
Word of God speak
Forever
I could sing of your love forever
Amazing grace
Give thanks

Things really took off after worship, when folks stuck around for food and fellowship. Folks seemed to not want to leave. Forty-five minutes later we finally were able to start cleaning up! What a day!

New Organ

A new organ has been installed at Jacob's School of Music at Indiana University (Alma mater of our own David Starkey). The dedicatory recital will be streamed on Friday 4/30. Check out the details here, and especially take a peek at the photo gallery of the installation at the bottom of this page. Enjoy!

Bell Festival II

Just a couple of additional pictures...

Obama Drama for real

The President and First Lady were in Asheville this weekend. Idle chatter at our house was along the lines of, "I wonder if he'll try to meet Billy Graham while he's here." Our usual source (KMS, Jr.) was remarkably tight-lipped, if indeed he had any line on POTUS' and FLOTUS' weekend plans.

The Obamas did all the "very Ashveille" things: lunch at 12 Bones (ribs) on Friday, dinner in the Village on Friday evening, a visit to the Biltmore estate, and a round of golf at GPI (Grove Park Inn) where they were staying.

Then came word early Sunday morning that a meeting in Montreat with Billy was in the offing. Word was that Montreat Road would be closed to traffic between 10AM and 1PM. YIKES! Throughout the morning the information became a little more refined. By 10AM there were cones along the street, but no closure. We got word at the beginning of 11AM worship that the streets would be closed at 1145AM and remain that way until 1PM. Shannon invited folks to do as they needed (including departing after the offering!! A couple of folks bolted then; a few darted out after the sermon and missed the lovely anthem and the offering). The hospitality ministry kicked into high gear and had a slightly beefed up offering available for the folks stuck after worship. There was a certain camaraderie that settled in as we waited.

The motorcade blasted through about 1230PM. We had a nice crowd (including those who had skipped all of worship in case the crew had passed through earlier in the time frame!!), and even some enthusiastic bell ringers showing their support!


I remarked to Shannon and others that the first family had indeed all the "very Asheville" things on their short weekend, the only item they'll have to do to next time to make the Asheville experience complete is visit with us at BMPCNC for Sunday worship!

Thanks to Kent Patton for the photos.

Bell Festival

Above: Lucy D, ever the bell diva, assiduously reviews her music between rehearsals.

Our handbell ringers were in Flat Rock, NC this weekend for the 17th Blue Ridge Handbell Festival. This was the second year the event was held under the aegis of AGEHR Area III and the second also at the Bonclarken Retreat facility. Our ringers had a nice time. They were blown away by the tempi. Luckily we're not required to use the same speeds at home when we perform the music! The weather held clear until, of course, load out. The people and the equipment didn't get too wet, but it slowed things down a bit. We're now looking forward to a joint concert (with the bell ringers at Black Mountain UMC) this fall. More on that later.

Below: Mary V, Faith B and Wilma L pause between a classroom session and rehearsal.

Temperament and Tuning

Here is a very helpful article that is part book review and part introduction to tuning theory.

The author is Jan Swafford (b. 1946) who is an American composer and author who teaches compostion, theory and musicology at the Boston Conservatory and writing at Tufts University.

The book under review is How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should Care) by professor Ross W. Duffin. Swafford pretty quickly leaves behind a real review of the book, and concentrates on explaining some of the issues involved in tuning and temperament in very readable language. Here's an excerpt:

There have been some 150 tuning systems put forth over the centuries, none of them pure. There is no perfection, only varying tastes in corruption. If you want your fifths nicely in tune, the thirds can't be; if you want pure thirds, you have to put up with impure fifths. And no scale on a keyboard, not even good old C major, can be perfectly in tune. Medieval tunings voted for pure fifths. By the late Renaissance the tuning systems favored better thirds. The latter were various kinds of meantone temperament. In meantone, most of the accumulated fudges were dumped onto two notes, usually G# (aka A flat) and E flat. The shivery effect of those two notes played together in meantone temperaments earned it the name "wolf," which, like its namesake, was regarded with a certain holy fear.

Enjoy the article.

And FYI: the choir anthem for Sunday: it's in A-flat major. But nary a howl to be heard anywhere!

Music for 042510

FirstLight
Gathering Songs
Come let us worship and bow down
Here I am to worship
Come, now is the time to worship

Prayer of Praise Response
Alleluia, alleluia (Sinclair)

Offertory
Savior, like a shepherd lead us (Barker, piano)

Doxology
Give thanks

Closing Song
You are my all in all

11AM
Hymns
Easter people, raise your voices (REGENT SQUARE)
The King of love my shepherd is (ST. COLUMBA)
Savior, like a shepherd lead us (BRADBURY)

Introit
Jikelele (God is everywhere)
Emily Wasser, soloist

Prayer of Praise Response
Fishell, Alleluia, give thanks

Anthem
Allen Pote, The Lord is my shepherd

Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow (with Alleluias) LASST UNS ERFREUEN

Benediction Response
Danish, Three-Fold Amen

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Gaither, Because he lives, Libby Barker, flute
Offertory: Lee G. Barrow, Festive Bell Flourish, Adult Handbells
Postlude: JS Bach, Today the son of God has Triumphed