Program for Vespers with Pope in DC
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Here is the program for the Vespers with the Holy Father -- yes, a bit late but it is great to have it.
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    If I don't offend anyone, what was going on with the hymn? He clearly clipped every single phrase by almost an eighth note. I'm not someone who says of hymnody "play it my way!", but I had NEVER heard of such a practice. Anyone else do this? what's the justification behind it?
  • Darcy
    Posts: 73
    Oh my, thank you Jeffrey. I am actually listening to it right now from the Tivo. I play it often, it is so soothing. My 3 year old daughter calls it the music show, and requests it sometimes. It helps my 5-month old sleep (yes!).
  • OlbashOlbash
    Posts: 314
    Gavin, one of my organ mentors does that on every hymn he plays. I haven't had the chutzpah to ask him why. It seems to me that when breathing with the congregation one should add MORE time between phrases, not clip them short. Can any of you organists out there attest to whether or not this is standard performance practice in any particular school of hymn-playing?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I have encountered this before, as well. There is a practice among some organists that halves the value of the last note in a phrase, or at least drops a beat on longer note values to allow time for breathing. I have no idea where this originated, but some organ professors do teach this. It has never worked for me. I have to add time for my congregation and pastor to breathe. If I don't add the time, they will do it anyway and come in late on the next phrase.
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