Plus, Notes on the Organ, and More
Donald’s fingers flowing on 88 flowing keys:
Did you think that sustaining rigorous river
Would roll out freighters of flowers, sweet cargo—
Those improvisations of our favorite hymns,
That fluvial fulfillment, forever?
Notes slithered like silvery
Schools of fish, sliding surreptitiously
Over layered slate in a lush slush, or
More likely, sliding brilliantly,
In a brisk brook.
The music “took,”
And tuckered pilgrims also attended
To Blue Grass ensembles, or to accompanied
Soloists soaring with a Gospel story,
To children singing sweet and low—
None for “Show,”
But to witness to goodness, God-ness, kinship,
The familiar awakened to Gusto:
Allegretto, allegro, presto!
Sometimes the grand
Organ mocked thunder over a roaring river,
Or a small rain might tingle, linger—
Pipes, two keyboards, and numerous
Foot pedals, close—Forget it!
Music pressed out or carefully knitted,
Plunged, or skittered,
Mildness might reign, or a rich sound riot.
A Labor of Love, to play the Living Piano,
And to let loose
The Organ’s multiplicity and
Elegance, Music from its Loft, for
Forty Years, a Biblical number,
(We’d better let Donald go.)
And the Living Piano’s
And the Organ’s possibilities
Never ending.
BUT
We have not begun to consider
That delineated trail
Through the high mountains
Of Bach’s Cantatas,
A Christmas Benefit Performance
With Choir, Soloists, and Orchestra,
Nor the Gargantuan Glory
Of Gospel Choir,
Nor Susan Du Laney’s invaluable overseeing
Of these extensive Services
And her generous offerings of hospitality
Then and weekly!
Nor have we considered
Carol Sings with the Grace Band,
Nativity and Christmas Eve Candlelight,
Advent and Lenten Services,
And Susan creating visual
accompaniments;
Nor Maundy Thursday,
And Good Friday Night sadly
Spun out in quiet darkness,
Nor Palm Sunday,
Nor Glorious Easter Morning!
Nor red Pentecost,
And Susan’s support of Holy Week’s
Culmination Worship Services.
So, please, if you’re not averse,
Choose one of the above,
And add to this verse, a verse.
To complete, in due time
this remembrance.
And let Donald’s Riff and the River
Keep rolling, moving in your mind along
With a Treasure-trove of memories
Of Donald and Susan and their Dear Family,
And let the Organ and our Singing redound
Always to the Glory of God.
Amen.
© 2022 by Sandra Duguid-Gerstman