Things that make you physically sick to your stomach

About exactly one month ago we had a new organ installed at the church.  The short story is that the desire for a new organ was a long, drawn-out process that looked like it would never happen.  And there were debates about what brand and type of organ to get.

As it happened, we were gifted with a substantial amount that covered most of the cost of the organ.  So we now have a new Allen Q350 organ at church.  It's a really great instrument that will improve the musical quality of the parish.  It replaces an older electronic organ.

The new organ has something like 48 speakers spread throughout the building.  There is a set at the back of the church on each side, there is a set above the choir section on each side, there is a set in the sanctuary on each side, and there are two LARGE bass speakers that sit on the floor against the wall behind the altar.

Last Monday, December 2, we hired a guy to take down the four old speakers that were hanging from the ceiling.  When he showed up, I told him, "You need to take down the four old speakers and shelves.  The new speakers on the new shelves stay, and the speakers behind the altar stay.  You're only removing the old big ones."

I checked on him once to see how things were going, and all was progressing well.

TODAY . . . I had some former parishioners (as in, "We used to attend here 40 years ago") come in for a visit.  I was showing them around, getting them caught up and chit chatting, when I mentioned the new organ.

"Can we see?"

You betcha.  We went into the church, showed them the organ and pointed out the six banks of speakers and the two . . . WHERE THE HELL ARE MY BASS SPEAKERS????

Yep.  The two big (36"x18"x18") bass speakers were gone.  Just . . . gone. 

I tried to remain calm while also trying to get them out of the building.  I began making phone calls -- police, insurance, contractor -- covering all my bases.  While the cops were here, I heard back from the contractor.

"I thought you said to take ALL the big speakers."

"No."

"I'll try to track them down."

A few hours later, they were returned.  The organ company is coming through town this weekend and will re-attach them.

After all that, I need a glass of wine and a football game on TV.

Alone

So all the girls are gone.

Mrs. Ref and The Kid headed up to Portland today where they dropped off Emma at the airport for her flight back to school, and then the two of them plus The Kid's friend are staying in the city for the day.  They will catch a matinee of "The Book of Mormon."

Which leaves me in the house alone watching football games (currently watching the FCS National Championship game between NDSU and Sam Houston and rooting for NDSU) and playing on the computer (life's tough).

While I was noodling around online, I came across some youtube clips of Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra of Cleveland.  Yep . . . Styx and a youth orchestra.  Here are a couple of clips for you, and then you, too, can head over to youtube and spend the day watching the rest of them.

First, Miss America.  This was never my favorite Styx song, but it goes well with the CYO:



And second, for my friend Tripp, Boat on the River, for no other reason than Tommy Shaw is playing the mandolin:



And finally, the interview about how it came about and the show:

I need to see my confessor . . .

So I was cruising through blogland today and John Scalzi over at Whatever turned me onto a new guilty pleasure . . . So wrong, yet so right.

Dawn, if you're reading this -- I WANT . . . this album.

So, without further ado . . . ROCK SUGAR



Yep . . . time to go to confession

This is Advent

Tonight was the town's Christmas Stroll. This is when all of the business open late, there are lots of goodies and drinks to graze on, there are a few contests around, various musical programs are here and there, a hay ride slowly rolls through town and Santa is at the local burger joint.

For a few of these I would heat up the church, put out a table of goodies, set out a little sheet about Advent and program Ms. Emily to play several Advent hymns continuously. I would also advertise that the church was open as a Quiet Space in the midst of the Christmas rush.

I haven't done that for the past two years because . . . well . . . nobody ever bothered to come in.

During the stroll, I ran into one of my newer parishioners. She approached me about an idea to play some quiet, instrumental Christmas music before service.

I said, "That sounds like a great idea . . . but you need to remember that this is Advent and Christmas doesn't come yet for another three weeks."

"So . . . "

"I try really hard to keep Advent and Christmas separate in the church; so what that means is that we don't have Christmas music until Christmas. You can certainly set that up for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the First and Second Sundays after Christmas."

Yes, I'm one of those Bad Ass Priests that doesn't allow Christmas music during Advent. But she was okay with that, even though she's been playing Christmas music since Thanksgiving.

This is Advent. It's all part of the watchful expectation.

More on music

In my recent post about music, I mentioned that I am not what you would consider an accomplished musician. In fact, I don't play an instrument, don't read music nor do I sing. And yet, here I am, in charge of the musical worship of my two parishes.

Emily has been a great help in this department. And, according to at least one person, so has my being in a tiny congregation where I have actually had to lead the hymns. This person basically said, "You've gotten better over the years."

However, I am not good enough to officiate an evensong service. Which is why I'm having my good friend Jane stop in town on her way back home from camp. She will dutifully and skillfully lead an evensong service up at St. Paul's this evening in just about two hours.

Here's hoping that we have more than four people show up for the service.

More FOH Stuff

So I told you about the books I bought at the Festival of Homiletics. I thought you might want to know what else I did there.

Among other things, I got to listen to some amazing music by the following artists:

Beth Nielsen Chapman, Darrell Scott and Adrienne Young.

It was WAY cool.

For My Brother Tripp

Found this just cruising around the 'net on my lunch hour and thought of one of my best friends, Tripp (otherwise known as AngloBaptist). And since he's always looking for odd and unusual musical experiences, I thought I'd post this up.

In general, I like it. I had to switch screen tabs though because the tank top was a bit much to visually handle.

EASTER

It was a good Easter Day. One service, the Vigil, at 6:15 a.m. We had 30 show up. The fire got lit, the Paschal Candle didn't go out, the Vicar stayed on tune during the chanting of "The Light of Christ," and it went pretty much as expected. We had some candle issues . . . wax on clothing, flaming cardboard protectors, a minor mishap with a candle . . . but we all survived. And a good brunch followed.

Pictures will be posted tomorrow -- that is if I can remember how to download pictures from the camera (because, you know, I'm so technologically advanced -- NOT).

Then we chased yarn all over the house in search of Easter baskets. Mrs. Ref found a fun little idea that she implemented last year. Hide the Easter basket, tie some yarn to it, then run the yarn all through the house, leaving the other end at the bedroom door. It makes getting around the house before church rather interesting, but it's fun.

This year I had to participate as well, since the Bunny left me a basket. I won't go into all the details, but I did receive a two-CD "Best Of" set of Led Zeppelin -- Early Days and Latter Days. I'm a happy Ref!

Then it was off to the Big City for some time off. Spring break at the school here consists of Good Friday and Easter Monday. So we headed out of town, caught a movie (The Last Mimzy -- good flick, go see it), stayed at a hotel with a water slide, and ate out. So it was a good family day off.

Hope your Easter was as enjoyable.

BUMMER

I received an e-mail from my friend and summer organist Dave Calendine last week. It reads in part:

My job with Olympia Entertainment here at the Fox Theatre (and all the other theatres we operate) has grown very steadily over the past 15+ years. I am moving up in the ranks of the company, and am now involved in the Operations Department of the Fox, City and Masonic Theatres, as well as three other large venues (Joe Louis Arena (Detroit Red Wings Hockey), Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers Baseball), Cobo Arena), all in downtown Detroit. . . . That means that I unfortunately will not be returning to Virginia City as a performer this coming year.

Well, good for him but bad for us. Dave is one of the best organists I have ever heard in my life and VC will be that much poorer without him this coming summer.

I wish him all the best and (Dave, if you're reading this) hope you get some vacation time to come out for a visit.

MUSIC APPRECIATION WEEK

This has been Music Appreciation Week in The Kid's music class. They had instructions to go listen to some old music and then bring in a few selections to share with the class. So of course, she immediately heads to my collection of Styx albums.

After recovering from the shock that my musical style preference is, apparently, NOT "classic" but simply "old," I helped her out. Besides, it gave me an excuse to listen to all that great music again.

Lady, Christopher, Mr. Christopher, Suite Madame Blue, Lorelei, Crystal Ball, The Grand Illusion, Come Sail Away, Renegade, Pieces of Eight, Babe, Boat on the River and many more. It was fun hanging out with her and listening to all that "old" music; a regular album party it was (although she kept calling them CD's).

You know . . . I can't sing a lick, and I have been asked to just listen. But we all have songs or bands that we get attached to and, for a bit, we enjoy singing along. I was that way with Styx. And I was surprised to find out that after 15 years (as a good estimate) of not hearing certain songs and albums, the lyrics readily came back to me and I could sing along. Not only the lyrics, but I knew instinctively what song was going to play next. I find that truly amazing.

And then I found that truly embarassing. As we were listening to the last song from "The Serpent is Rising," I suddenly realized what was next. And, for a moment, I was embarassed.

As I said, The Kid was to pick out a few songs to take in. All of that good music, and she becomes enamored with this one. Geez . . .

So all night she was prancing around the house singing. All I could do was smile.

And she finally settled on several . . . . less amusing . . . . songs.