Staheli's "The Iron Rod" on 4-hand organ with male quartet

[Max Walker]

I thought perhaps you might enjoy this. 

In my LDS congregation, we are terribly spoiled. This Sunday, we're doing Ron Staheli's "Hold to the Rod" (performed in LDS General Conference 2011) with a male quartet and 4-hand organ. All men. We have 3 solid male organists and good vocalists. This time, I'm singing, and am excited to be using relatively new member of the congregation and a former bishop on the organ. This helps to establish the new member as a ward musician and gives our former bishop a chance to play again. (He plays at all Stake Conferences, but hasn't been able to play in the ward for some years -- bishop followed by high council.) 

We're playing it on organ straight off the piano staff, the way it was done in General Conference. Organ adjustments for the piano arrangement are very minor, mostly with handling the bass clef. The organist is doing some of it all on manuals, only adding pedal as he increases other registration. It makes a nice build. The touch is very detached, providing a nice rhythmic support without being bouncy or pianistic. The use of reeds for the descant line is very effective, adding to the "calling" effect of the plea, "Hold to the rod!"

And there is little that beats the sound of four High Priests singing the climactic "...is the word of God!" at full voice! Except, perhaps, the lyrical, fatherly sound on the last page's echo of, "will safely guide...." 

With a choice of good organists, we are venturing out now to use organ beyond congregational work, and it is working rather well. 

Parenthetically, we also have several very good pianists. Our ward choir is currently only an "insta-choir," where we are, once again, spoiled. We fill the stand each time. We still do this with piano, and the pianist is capable of interludes and key changes without difficulty, so these are added in. The choir sings from the hymnal (copies of hymns distributed with notes: Women sing parts on verse 1, men sing melody unison verse 2, etc.) We have good singers who not only can follow those notes, but also can follow the director so that we neither want for sound nor for expression. At some point, I would like to explore doing this insta-choir with organ, too, for obvious reasons. But for now, this uses the maximum of available talent and that is a very good thing. 

[David Chamberlin]

Well, I’m glad for you and all who can enjoy all that with you. Sadly, as you know, what you describe is far from the norm – for almost any church. Terribly spoiled is right!

--David

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[Dan Eickmeier]

I agree David, it sure isn’t the norm for a lot of churches these days to have such a wealth of musicians like Max is talking about here.  In this part of Canada where I am, in churches around here, we’re lucky to have choirs of 15 people at the most.  That sounds really cool what you’ve got going there Max.    

[Mark Richins]

I love how you've adapted the music you perform for the talent you have available in the ward.  I think there is a case to be made for that.  Many great composers worked around the musical abilities they had available.  As a ward music chairman I've been able to put together a few SSA arrangements with flute parts simply because that's the talent we have available right now.  I also wonder if there is more musical talent in the ward than people are letting on.  We simply need good music leaders that are good at leading and coaching them.  

On Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 11:28 PM, Dan Eickmeier <va3et...@me.com> wrote:

I agree David, it sure isn’t the norm for a lot of churches these days to have such a wealth of musicians like Max is talking about here.  In this part of Canada where I am, in churches around here, we’re lucky to have choirs of 15 people at the most.  That sounds really cool what you’ve got going there Max.    

On Nov 16, 2017, at 11:57 PM, David Chamberlin <da...@chamberlinmusic.com> wrote:

Well, I’m glad for you and all who can enjoy all that with you. Sadly, as you know, what you describe is far from the norm – for almost any church. Terribly spoiled is right!

--David

 

From: Max Walker

Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 3:15 PM

To: LearningOrgan

Subject: [LearningOrgan] Staheli's "The Iron Rod" on 4-hand organ with male quartet

 

I thought perhaps you might enjoy this. 

 

In my LDS congregation, we are terribly spoiled. This Sunday, we're doing Ron Staheli's "Hold to the Rod" (performed in LDS General Conference 2011) with a male quartet and 4-hand organ. All men. We have 3 solid male organists and good vocalists. This time, I'm singing, and am excited to be using relatively new member of the congregation and a former bishop on the organ. This helps to establish the new member as a ward musician and gives our former bishop a chance to play again. (He plays at all Stake Conferences, but hasn't been able to play in the ward for some years -- bishop followed by high council.) 

 

We're playing it on organ straight off the piano staff, the way it was done in General Conference. Organ adjustments for the piano arrangement are very minor, mostly with handling the bass clef. The organist is doing some of it all on manuals, only adding pedal as he increases other registration. It makes a nice build. The touch is very detached, providing a nice rhythmic support without being bouncy or pianistic. The use of reeds for the descant line is very effective, adding to the "calling" effect of the plea, "Hold to the rod!"

 

And there is little that beats the sound of four High Priests singing the climactic "...is the word of God!" at full voice! Except, perhaps, the lyrical, fatherly sound on the last page's echo of, "will safely guide...."

 

With a choice of good organists, we are venturing out now to use organ beyond congregational work, and it is working rather well.

 

Parenthetically, we also have several very good pianists. Our ward choir is currently only an "insta-choir," where we are, once again, spoiled. We fill the stand each time. We still do this with piano, and the pianist is capable of interludes and key changes without difficulty, so these are added in. The choir sings from the hymnal (copies of hymns distributed with notes: Women sing parts on verse 1, men sing melody unison verse 2, etc.) We have good singers who not only can follow those notes, but also can follow the director so that we neither want for sound nor for expression. At some point, I would like to explore doing this insta-choir with organ, too, for obvious reasons. But for now, this uses the maximum of available talent and that is a very good thing.

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Mark Richins

Pianist, Composer, and Music Teacher

Mark Richins Music

"Music is something that is felt, the ear is only a passageway"