Ode To Wilber Snapp
Who is Wilber Snapp you ask? Why, he is the organist who was ejected from a game for having the audacity, after a questionable call, to play Three Blind Mice on the organ. Other great moments of ballpark organists are recounted in this nice article by Roy Rivenburg in Saturday LA Times, including the playing of I've Got a Name during the introduction of Mark Grudzielanek, and a rendition of Is That All Their Is?, after a streaker ran across the ball field.
Alas, the thrust of the article is the demise of the organist at the ball game, replaced by inane, pounding, incessant rock music. There aren't enough of us purists out there to fill the ballpark anymore. You know who we are. . those who find the GAME entertainment enough. Well, the Angels have lost their organist, Peggy Duquesnel, and I suppose Nancy Bea Hefley of the Dodgers isn't far behind.
Going to Dodger Stadium used to be good, relaxed, safe family fun. Now it is a Raiders game played without a clock.
Alas, the thrust of the article is the demise of the organist at the ball game, replaced by inane, pounding, incessant rock music. There aren't enough of us purists out there to fill the ballpark anymore. You know who we are. . those who find the GAME entertainment enough. Well, the Angels have lost their organist, Peggy Duquesnel, and I suppose Nancy Bea Hefley of the Dodgers isn't far behind.
Going to Dodger Stadium used to be good, relaxed, safe family fun. Now it is a Raiders game played without a clock.
posted by stewdog | 9:11 AM | Permalink
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13 comments
13 Comments:
Alas. The only organ music I like is the kind played at baseball games.
I can sometimes appreciate a good funeral dirge. Also, the group Yes had a tremendous keyboard player named Rick Wakeman. He had a solo album call The Six Wives of Henry the VIII, which had some good organ music. Also, Procol Harem's Whiter Shade of Pale, has a great organ in it.
Isn't A Whiter Shade of Pale based on a Bach piece? Speaking of Bach, I'm expecting Sadeeq to chime in any minute with a defense of Bach's organ works.
Sadeeq is too lost in deep thought of the writings of Annie Dillard to come down to earth and discuss organ music. But then agan, I have know his Sadeqqness to tinkle the ivories from time to time.
I googled the song up with "Bach" and got that: "The music is based on "Sleepers Awake," one of the movements in Bach's "Suite No. 3 in D Major."
There's an organist at CIV's church who is supposed to be very good. Every time they invite pros in to play a concert, it always includes our music direct/organist playing with them. His music makes me want to run out screaming and become an atheist. But, as I said, he's said to be good. I like it better when he switches to piano, because he can't get as loud, but then he bangs away on it, as if he can't control the dynamics without the volume control switches and pedals.
CIV does not have such a problem with synth type rock music and enjoys A Fifth Of Beethoven, for example. Just spare me the church pipe organ and funeral like music.
CIV, maybe it's time to cross the line and join one of those new touchy feely churches where the music is always acoustic guitar and the songs are Cumbaya, Michael Rowed The Boadt Ashore, and Blowin' In the Wind. That organ is starting to sound a little better now, isn't it.
Actually, I attend the family Mass, where the contemporary choir plays and sings. No Kumbaya, but a lot of "Eagle's Wings" and "Blest be the Lord." We even have "ethnic" music ("Soon and Very Soon," "Pan de Vida") which puzzles me, given the makeup of the parish (white bread, anyone?).
Anyway, CIV has never had the nerve* to disregard parish boundaries and shop Catholic churches, much less other churches. Masses, yes, but not churches. Maybe when I'm a REAL geezer, I'll hit the early Mass where there's no "dad-gum few-ner-al or hip hoppy music."
(* Can you guess what kind of school CIV attended during the formative years of 6-12?)
Catholic?
Remember these oldies-but-not-so-goodies, C.I.V.?
"We are One in the Spirit"
"Take My Bread" (I ask you, take my heart, I love you, take my life, O Father, we are yours, we are yours).
"Whatsoever You Do . . ."
I have to admit a soft spot for "Be Not Afraid." And every good Friday, they do "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?" THAT gets me. And of course "Jesus Christ Is Risen Today" every Easter Sunday. But why do I never (or VERY rarely) hear Amazing Grace at mass? Is it like the Protestants own it or something? You'd think if they'd prefer to do something that's more intimately connected to Catholicism, they have a whole rich history of beautiful music to choose from (Palestrina, anyone?)-- but noooooo, they have to do the Protestant lite thing.
If CIV were music director, church music from the late 50s to early 60s would be banned for fifty years or maybe played at a max of 1 old people's Mass per week, until demand for it dies out. But if it is played, it would have to be on a piano, not blared over a huge pipe organ.
Church "folk music" from the late 60s to early 70s would be consigned to a wax museum's leisure suit exhibit.
CIV much prefers the contemporary church music (in the blue Gather books) but thinks all white churches play Afro-American (that's what it's called) spirituals at their own risk of ridicule. Also, English speaking parishes should only rarely play Spanish hymns and then only after training the Anglos in the correct pronunciation. It is embarassing to stumble over "cuerpo del Senor" and have it come out "puerco del Senor."
Oh, and CIV may be the only person alive who does not love "Amazing Grace."
Songs I've heard in church that I like:
Amazing Grace (I really liked Judy Collins version in the 60's)
Morning Has Broken
Rock of Ages
Most Christmas Carols
Shall We Gather By The River
Come Tell It Over The Mountain
I Saw Three Ships
Gregorian Chant
CIV is always amused when they play We Are Called which starts out sounding just like Come Sail Away by Styx.
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