"God Be With You"
In the time of COVID-19, when we are not together physically for worship, our St. Paul's Music Ministry team has kept busy.
Music Minister Dr. Felix Eisenhauer is producing a series of piano improvisations inspired by the Hymn appointed for the day. These piano videos are bringing comfort to so many of us. Check back here for new videos, or visit our YouTube channel.
Choir Director Tara Eisenhauer is challenging choir members to improve their singing. She and Felix are providing audio recordings for the four parts, and are even convening weekly choir rehearsals using Zoom technology. The choir also stays in touch via text thread and a Facebook group page.
St. Paul's organist Sara Edwards continues to practice on the historic 20-foot tall Felgemaker pipe organ at St. Paul's. This famous organ has 1,144 pipes, ranging in size from 1/2 inch to 9-feet tall. It's called a "tracker organ" and was built in 1899. The organ is completely mechanical.
Its first home was a Catholic church in Ohio. St. Paul's acquired it in 1979, raising funds to hire Manuel Rosales, curator of the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ, to remake and retune the 115-year old instrument. The organ sits in a loft at the rear of the church's sanctuary.
But this week, Sara recorded "God Be With You" on a Rodgers organ at the Seventh Day Adventist church. She recorded it on her phone.
She noted that, "At St Paul's, my phone was picking up the tracker clicks as if there was a roomful of reporters snapping photos at a press conference." So she headed across town to "borrow" time on another instrument.
Felix emailed the recording to Rose, who saved and edited on her iPhone's voice memo, added some photos she's taken on the campus (augmented with a couple from Unsplash) to create an iMovie, which we loaded on Facebook.
It's not perfect, but we hope you enjoy it.
"God Be With You" is our concluding hymn during Lent. On March 8th, sensing that the growing crisis might mean we'd have to close the church for a while, many of us teared up as we sang this song together.
"God be with you till we meet again,
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again.
God be with you till we meet again,
’Neath His wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still divide you,
God be with you till we meet again.
When life’s perils thick confound you,
Put His arms unfailing round you,
God be with you till we meet again."