Surviving the Prelude

Dr. Tom Troeger is an ordained Episcopal priest and preaching professor at Yale. He is also an accomplished flutist and a published hymn writer in many hymnals, including The Faith We Sing. At the 2007 Preaching from the Center event for pastors in conjunction with The Fellowship's national convocation held in St. Louis, he cited a book that he always recommends to his Yale students titled Surviving the Sermon. The book makes the point that every sermon preached is actually three sermons:

I believe there is a similar dynamic at work with the organist's prelude, the choir's anthem, or a soloist's song. There is the music as intentionally performed, the music heard individually by those present, and the music heard and internalized by the group.

The organist has diligently practiced Bach's Toccata in F Major and plays it for the prelude. She has worked hard and long on it and has mastered the intricate fingerings, the difficult canonic voices, and the challenging pedal passages. It is a long and demanding work, and the organist plays it well. The tension builds and builds toward the climactic conclusion, which comes at just the right moment to start the service on a majestic and praise-filled note. The organist's entire effort, from practice to presentation, has been an act of personal worship as well as an offering of deep commitment to the worship life of the congregation. Some individuals offer a hearty "Amen!" and some applaud. Others have covered their ears with their hands because they can't stand the volume or the organ's pipes. Some think, "That was a fine prelude, a great performance," while others think, "Now, THAT'S great worship!" And there are those who wonder how long it will be before the church joins the modern age and gets rid of the organ and organist and brings in the guitars, drums, projectors, and screens. On an individual level, there are great differences over the organist's prelude. As a whole, however, the congregation recognized and was grateful for the organist's diligence in preparing such a challenging work and offering it in worship. They were caught up in a high moment in worship to begin the service. They may realize that the large amount of money in the budget to pay the organist and to keep the organ tuned and in good operating condition is really a good use of their offerings.

In the example above, despite there being one organist, one piece of music, and one performance, the music actually enjoyed (or suffered) multiple hearings, multiple receptions, and multiple responses. For some, it was a great act of praise and worship; while others had to struggle to just get through it €" they had to survive the organist's prelude. Every time church musicians offer music in worship, the same dynamic is at work, with multiple hearings, receptions, and responses €" be it organ music, praise team singing, a vocal soloist, the choir anthem, the bell choir ringing, or the children's choir singing.

Knowing this can help musicians understand, respond to, and deal with the different reactions they receive from the congregation, whether those reactions be praise, scorn, threats to leave the church, or offers to contribute financially to the music budget. The same music may be heard and received quite differently. Understand the motivation and background of the response, and measure your own response accordingly. Always respond with intelligence, understanding, and grace. Accept and return good will. Attempt to disarm and diffuse hostility. Do not return anger with anger.

Understanding that Bach's F Major Toccata may cause someone to react with rage does not necessarily mean you should not play it for the prelude. But it does mean that you should try to understand the reason for that rage and respond positively, understandingly, and graciously.