Our pastor has asked me to play something for the Easter service.
Today I had a chance, at the beginning of daughter’s nap, to look over my tune list and run through a few possibilities.
I don’t play any specifically Easter-themed music, except the English Country Dance tune that happens to be named Easter Thursday, perhaps referring to Maundy Thursday, the night of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.
One medley that might be appropriate is a pair of tunes written by Jerry Read Smith for his Christmas album, One Wintry Night, which goes along with the Ruth Bell Graham book by the same title. The first piece is called “The Storm” and the second is the title piece.
I couldn’t figure out how I used to play either tune. Bits and pieces came back to me as I noodled, but there’s still a fair amount that I need to recover or else rearrange.
I like including a bit of Christmas in Easter and vice versa.
Another possibility would be to just pick something pretty and joyful, even if the title doesn’t have anything to do with Easter. Something like my Third Street Market, perhaps.
And while I was looking things over, I remembered bits and pieces of other things I used to play, including a little original piece in Bb (because my extended range dulcimer makes Bb almost as playable as the more common keys) I’d forgotten about completely. It will all come back, I suppose, as I play more.
That’s great that you were asked to play for Easter. I assume this means you are settling in to the new church? I know about things coming back to you – I’m just starting to play again after a rather long hiatus. I wasn’t that good to begin with and the hiatus didn’t help a bit. 🙂
Settling in? Well, we keep going, anyway! It’s not without difficulties, but it’s where we’re going to be.
Wonder if you have ever heard Rich Mullins’ “Creed”? Might be appropriate for Easter.
Enjoy!
Richards, yes, thanks, I know “Creed,” although I’ve never learned to play it. I also don’t plan on singing. I’ve chosen to go ahead with “Easter Thursday”; my arrangment includes one verse of “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.”