I've been told it's a peculiar affliction, but I've always enjoyed listening to beginning Suzuki music students. There's a warm place in my heart for the Book 1 repertoire, both piano and violin. I'm not a music teacher of any kind, but recently I had the privilege of introducing my six-year-old grandson to pre-Twinkle and Twinkle on the violin. He has been taking piano lessons with his other grandmother for a year, and his mother laid the foundations for violin playing with him, so I was able to step in and reap the benefits of a prepared and eager student.
It was glorious. I can't begin to describe how much fun it was. He's very responsible with his half-sized violin, and the need to put it away carefully did not deter him in the least from getting it out several times a day, begging me to teach him something new. He has a good ear and an observant eye, and catches on very quickly.
His excellent violin is a gift from his aunt—it was hers during her Suzuki days—and has only a first finger tape on the fingerboard, she having passed the beginning stages with a smaller size. When it was time for him to learn a song involving the second and third fingers, I explained that he could use his ear to help him find the right finger placement, or I could put on some additional tapes. He asked for the tapes. While I was searching the house for appropriate materials, I suggested he listen to the piece and see what he could figure out on his own. As I was returning with scissors and tape, I could hear him playing: playing the whole phrase in perfect tune.
I put the tape away. He's not always perfect by any means, but if the note is off he's learning to notice and make the correction. I find this awesome.
I know most people aren't as enamored of beginning violin music as I am, but there are some relatives who might enjoy the following. The first is a pre-Twinkle piece called See the Pretty Flowers, and the second is the first Twinkle variation. The videos were made after he had practiced the pieces maybe half a dozen times.
The sad part is that for most of the year we're 1300 miles apart, so teaching him is a rare and special privilege. It's a relay, and I've handed the baton back to his very capable (though very busy) mother. Too bad his aunt—who is both a music teacher and a violinist—is almost three times as far away as I am.
Sunday, June 2: How Great Is Our God (Chris Tomlin, arr. Jack Schrader, Hope Publishing Company, C5491).
(A reminder, for the record: neither of these recordings is of our choir.)
UPDATE 10/25/19: I see that the automated update of Flash to iFrame has once again chopped out a section of the post between the first video and the last line, hence The Gift of Love is missing.
This is another reason why I like the Episcopal Church. Two weeks ago we honored and prayed for our mothers, but subtly; it was not a major part of the service. Ditto for today and our veterans. We briefly recognized them, and prayed for them, but the service itself was arrayed according to the church calendar, not the secular calendar: the occasion was Trinity Sunday.
Which means, as it often does in Episcopal churches, that we got to sing St. Patrick's Breastplate. :)
Our anthem was Holy, Holy, Holy set by Robert Clatterbuck to the good ol' Pachelbel Canon music (Hope Publishing Company, C5470). Once again I couldn't find an appropriate YouTube video, so I'm falling back on the sheetmusicplus site, which is a very good rendition, actually.
Today we celebrated Pentecost. Here in the U.S. we do not have the wonderful Swiss custom of a Whit Monday holiday, but we did get to sing great music in church.
Any day that begins with Hail Thee, Festival Day, one of the greatest hymns in the Episcopal Hymnal—equally good for Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost—is definitely off to the right start.
Our choir anthem for May 5 was My Father's World (Gregg Sewell, Tribune Music, 10/2985K). I can't find a performance on YouTube, but there's a version available at sheetmusicplus (jazzier than the way we sang it).
Here's last Sunday's: Cradle Me, Lord (Poorman, Alfred, BSC00283). Just a reminder: this isn't our choir singing; I make these posts as a kind of audio and video diary to help me remember what we've sung, and I'm grateful to those who have provided YouTube versions, because there's nothing like hearing the anthem, even if it isn't exactly the way we sang it.
Our choir anthem for April 21 was Lord, Listen to Your Children (Ken Medema, Jack Schrader, Hope Publishing, GC 850O). Here's a recording. (Just a reminder: Unless otherwise noted, these performances are never us, but thanks to the wonders of YouTube, you can hear the song anyway.)
What made this anthem especially fun was our guest director, Carl MaultsBy. My introduction to Carl MaultsBy came at the bishop's consecration, where he played the piano as we sang one of his compositions, so I was looking forward to this Sunday. I love the way he worked with us, and if we never quite got the spirit he was hoping for in the piece, the joy in his piano playing more than made up for it.
I've started a new category, Music. For now, it's a place for me to keep track of music we sing in choir, and other music that interests me. I'll add YouTube videos when I can—almost never of us, but just so that we (and anyone else who is interested) can hear and remember the work.
For example, this past Sunday we sang My Eternal King (Jane M. Marshall, Carl Fischer #CM6752).
