remembering
  • henrik.hank
    Posts: 103
    Pax!
    How do you remember the chants/hymns and organ accompaniments? Do you have a special technique or is this just not important for you? Do you find remembering church music different from remembering other kinds of music?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    Remember? What was that you were talking about again? LOL
    Thanked by 2MarkThompson Ben
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Are you talking about sitting in the pews or sitting in the choir and remember hearing particularly good accompaniments, or are you talking about playing from memory?
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    I intoned the wrong Gloria at our 11am Mass today. The worship aid said Gloria VIII, but for some reason the ICEL Gloria just came out.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,325
    Remember how the melody goes, like to sing them? Remember how the accompaniment goes, like to play from memory? I don't understand the question.
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • henrik.hank
    Posts: 103
    I guess remembering would be playing without needing sheet music or at least not being too dependent on it.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Aha! ... Memorizing ... which means committing to memory, not just remembering.
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    Memorization has been more difficult for me as my sight singing skills have improved and I rely less on muscle memory.

    I still try to memorize things, as it helps free musicality, especially if I'm directing. And it's a great bonus that memorization also helps keep the brain sharp.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    I have stopped memorizing Sunday music. It changes to fit the liturgical year, so it isn't an economical use of time to memorize pieces I wont use again for a year.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I have looked suspiciously upon memorizing music since I heard an anecdote about the Julliard String Quartet falling on its face trying to sight read a piece written for them in front of an audience - they spent so much time memorizing and playing memorized music they basically forgot how to read.

    In church playing, when you might be called upon at a moment's notice to sub for a colleague with flu, and having to possibly play unfamiliar music at a moments notice, sight-reading skills are (to my mind) much more important.

    Having said that, If you are going to use, say, Sanctus XVIII per omnia saecula saeculorum, you might as well commit it to memory to save having to have another book fall off the music rack during Mass.
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