The Search for a Pianist

 

Up until last Sunday, the process of hiring a new pianist for Massey’s Chapel was unpleasant and discouraging.

We advertised several ways and snagged a handful of applicants. Massey’s pays a very good salary, and I thought musicians would be beating down our doors, but it hasn’t turned out that way. I was given two names of musicians who have played for churches, but they don’t want to do that anymore. They told me churches overwork and underpay their musicians.

Not Massey’s!, I pleaded. One hour on Sunday! No choir! No second service! No offertory and no postlude! No organ! They would be expected to practice, of course, and we do ask for two "musical offerings” (3-4 minutes) each Sunday from the pianist, but it’s their own choice of hymns ideally played with their own flair.

The musical offerings were favorites of the congregation when Andrew was with us. He made them into his own masterpieces, and the congregation chorused with “Amen!” when he finished. We liked to try to name which hymn he had played, and this made us all more hymn-literate.

We do not expect our next musician to be Andrew; goodness, we’ve talked enough about that!

Pianists have been auditioning (most of them for two consecutive Sundays) during the regular worship service since the beginning of January. Even though all of them have resumes a mile long, they’ve mostly been young men who are unfamiliar with church. One of them did not know what Communion is. Another did not understand the concept of singing verses.

In general, those who have auditioned have trouble reading music in a hymnal because the treble and bass clefs are separated by a bunch of verses. Most of them played too slow, and their musical offerings were straight-up hymns played tortuously slow without the “flourishes” that I requested. The pianists have failed to adapt the musical-offering hymns in their own way, even the jazz musician. Was I not clear?

Most of the musicians attempted to download their music with varying degrees of success rather than borrowing a Hymnal. One of them played four verses of “The Old Rugged Cross” as a musical offering but left off the refrain – because he did not know the hymn.  One of them played two lesser-known Baptist hymns! 

None of them lives in Durham. They have driven in from Raleigh, Greensboro, and Mebane.

Sunday attendance is way down, and no one “amens” anymore.  The worship service lacks its previous uplifting energy.  Up until last Sunday, Massey’s Chapel was getting sullen about the auditions, and they miss Andrew. We all miss him, me most of all.

However, last Sunday, Becky from Mebane arrived. She is more mature and used to playing for churches. She can sight-read hymns. Her playing for congregational singing was just right, her musical offerings were outstanding, and the Amen Chorus began once again. I was giddy with relief and could hardly focus on my part of the service. 

We have one more applicant who will audition the next two Sundays - also from Mebane -- who was raised United Methodist, hallelujah. Becky will return on March 3, and then the Staff-Parish Committee will have to make a decision.  

Here’s what I know: God is with us. My prayer – and the prayer of the church – has been that God will bring to us the right musician.