Old Church Accompanists Never Die...

Old church accompanists never die. They just sit around reading hymn books. I sat reading through the old Modern Hymnal this morning. Published in 1926 with round and shaped notes and orchestration for fifteen instruments, it was the first hymnal I knew. The titles are in Gothic typeface and all the hymns have an Amen at the end of the song. When I read through this lovely old hymnal, memories of people I have known and loved in church float to the surface. Mr. Crafton, #25, How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours sung v-e-r-y slowly... Mr. Buchanan, #259, We’re Marching to Zion sung with gusto...Miss Jeanette, #29, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God sung with conviction... Brother Rowan’s favorite invitation hymn, #121, Just As I Am... I know their favorite songs because we had hymn sings often in worship, especially on Sunday night. For thirty minutes, we would sing two verses of whatever number was called out by someone in the congregation. It didn’t take long to identify individuals favorite hymns.
These hymn sings were always fun, filled with laughter and talk back. As hymn numbers were called out, Miss Jeanette, who lead our congregational music, would stand in front on the platform, and lead us with precise patterns that fit the rhythm of the hymn...a graceful curvy right angle triangle for three quarter or six eight time, a tilted hourglass for four four time. She kept us moving along together, singing as a family. Even though you could hear Mr. Buchanan’s deep bass voice, Mrs. Tyre and Mrs. Coody’s country alto, Mr. Crafton’s slightly nasal tenor and Mrs. Woodard’s reedy soprano stand out over the rest of us, we were a congregational choir with everyone, children included, singing in joyful voice. I learned some important lessons during these hymn sings.
The first lesson I learned was the power of music to stir the soul. Hymns of the church, ancient and modern, have power because they tap the hidden places, the places where our heart for God dwells. It was no accident that Mr. Crafton loved How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours. His life as a hardscrabble dirt farmer in North Florida’s sandy soil was painfully poor. His daily life was full of struggle and worry trying to wrest a living from worn out soil. Mr. Buck’s (Buchanan) favorite hymn, We’re Marching to Zion, matched his persona... robust, basso profunda, full of purpose and the joy of living.
The second lesson I learned was the inclusion of all in this process. Children were encouraged to participate. If you didn’t call out a number, grownups would call on you. We might have been little in size but we were giants in importance for that small country church. We knew we were important because the adults knew our names, talked to us as we all stood outside in the churchyard visiting after worship. Mr. Howard would be standing, smoking, call us over and give us some bubble gum, play with us and tease us. He was our Pied Piper. Wherever he was, we wanted to be. We were all a part of the Family of God and that belief was reinforced every time we had a hymn sing.
The third lesson I learned was it doesn’t matter how beautiful your voice is, or is not. All voices are needed to produce a well sung hymn. Mrs. Buchanan’s monotone blended in nicely, like a bagpipe, when we all sang together. My loud, high piping childish soprano rested comfortably next to Mrs. Rowan’s voice. Carolyn Woodard’s playing the piano was the voice that held us together, showed us the musical path and delighted us with new sounds. My heart’s ear still hears the joyful sound of all the voices in that little church family lifted up in song.
As our worship group gathered Sunday morning, we sang around my old piano. This piano is an upright my mother bought for our piano lessons. It was old when we got it and it is an antique now. When I place my hands on the keyboard, the memory of the hours I spent playing hymns as a child rush like a mighty wind through my soul. I have been blessed by church music and church people who loved church music. I want to share one of my favorite hymns with you. It is on Youtube. My friend Sandra sent this to me this week and it enlarged my soul. Find a quiet space and let your soul soar with the young voices singing Amazing Grace. And remember “There’s within my heart a melody, Jesus whispers sweet and low, Fear not I am with thee, peace be still, In all of life’s ebb and flow...”

Http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtrnB4FZ-yc