[Magdalen] Music memories

[Scott Knitter]

On Tue, Dec 23, 2014 at 11:36 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen
<magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> There are some gorgeous churches in Detroit dating from the golden
> age when it was the "Motor City"  An example is the Jefferson  Avenue
> Presbyterian Church, a ravishing collegiate gothic structure.  As  I
> recall, though, the sanctuary looks as though it should be the rear  end
> of the worship space, which is not uncommon for Presbyterian  churches.

Yes, it's what I call the "judiciary" style of sanctuary, in which it
looks like the ministers and choir are assembled to hear a court case.
Fourth Presbyterian here in Chicago is similar. Not a bad setup other
than that unique impression it can give (and I may be alone in having
that impression). I've been up there in the pulpit, as part of an
American Guild of Organists (I was a member by paying dues, not being
an organist) chapter "organ crawl." It's vertigo-inducing. Then we
went up to the carillon tower, where one of the organists in our group
treated the neighborhood to a rendition of Hyfrydol (a tune often used
for "Alleluia, Sing to Jesus") in F major but with B naturals instead
of B flats. I guess she was concentrating on hitting the notes with
good technique or something. She finished, and there was silence until
somebody said, "B-flat, Beth." She screamed and doubled over with
laughter. You had to be there, perhaps!


-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA