 Image by Pexels from Pixabay The diversity of music at Plymouth is an especially joyous facet of my tenure with you. I see musical diversity as a strength which allows for greater connection among a diverse people whose life experiences can be so varied. Beginning on Jubilee Sunday, August 29, the "eclectic" style of worship familiar to those who attended the 6:00 p.m. service moves to the 9:00 a.m. worship time. The 11:00 a.m. service will continue to offer the familiar "traditional" style of worship with organ and choir. Truthfully, musical diversity exists across the entire spectrum of our services with cross pollination freely engaged in. In the end, it is the spiritual essence and intention of the music that can lead us deeper into the divine. And this mode of spiritual transportation appears in varied guises, to be sure! A piece of music that is viscerally transcendent to one can be received by another as an outright snoozefest. It is fascinating! A composer's vision—and message— is simply not going to reach everyone universally. It is like trying to plug an HDMI cable into a USB port. It will not work. That is, unless one is willing to invest in an adapter... It is a healthy venture to be exposed to the musical creations of composers and songwriters both living and past. Just as one can experience the imagination and perspective of a brilliant author (or even just an interesting one!) from the pages of a book, music can broaden one's spiritual, emotional, and intellectual landscape, even if the music is upon first listen off-putting (I find.) We may not possess the compatible receptors for everything we hear initially—but it is possible that they can grow into being if we're open to it. A book I think about now and then which relates to this topic is A Song to Sing, A Life to Live by Don and Emily Saliers. I led a Zoom forum on this inspirational and poetic read about a year ago. The father and daughter co-authors come from two very different musical worlds: Don from the liturgical church tradition as an organist, composer, and choral conductor and Emily as one half of the successful folk rock duo Indigo Girls. Together, they explore the spiritual commonality between their respective musical turfs and their joint experiences with cultures worldwide. It is a compelling study and delights in the diversity of musical traditions. We crave transcendence and music is one of the most effective conduits into this spiritual realm. One person may feel exhilaration at a high decibel heavy metal show while another is uplifted by the sweet melancholy of a band like The Cure. The ancient melodies of Gregorian Chant can bring the faithful to tears while the roar of a pipe organ leading a congregation in an old Germanic hymn could be seen as glorious. A touch of heaven is only within listening distance when we have willing ears attuned to listen—to really listen. Our souls just have a way to seek out and let in those sounds that create that stir deep within. Mark Heiskanen Dir. of Music AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Quartl - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41600645 Recently, I and twenty or so members of the Chancel Choir gathered at Bill and Anne Thompson's home for a time of fellowship and a celebration of Michele Betsill's upcoming adventure in Denmark as professor at the University of Copenhagen. It is an awesome opportunity but she will be missed at Plymouth! And some of us have only seen each other in two dimensions these past fifteen months, courtesy of Zoom. And for others, it was a reunion long time coming. Connection and camaraderie are essential components for choral singers, the most social of all music ensembles. We don't need an instrument to express our harmonies after all— just our natural selves. This became very apparent last Wednesday evening. These months of the pandemic have been anything but linear. As close contact could potentially be dangerous, it was always about finding a workaround: virtual choral singing approaches, prerecorded worship services pieced together throughout the prior week, livestreamed services, and more protocols than one would hopefully ever need again! Time-consuming. And often frustrating. But now, we can actually connect two points together...in a straight line at that! For example, you can drive from your home and pull into Plymouth for the 6:00 p.m. service and we'll all be together in real time. Soon, we can experience the 10:00 a.m. service in this same way on July 4. And the Chancel Choir will be there too...and the week after. What was once a major super spreader event (choral singing) is now laid low with these life-saving vaccines. It is an amazing transitional time now. So let's enjoy the return of immediacy and overflowing connection opportunities we once freely enjoyed. Strangely, the ease of simply doing something without the resistance of once necessary safety protocols makes me feel like a slacker. As if, "this is just too easy, really?" Maybe you can relate to that too. In any case, we'll get over it. That I'm quite sure of. Mark AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  Image by Elisabeth Leunert from Pixabay One hallmark trait of this pandemic has been the constant building up and casting aside of plans once the need subsides. Or, just changes. Lessons in adaptability have been aplenty! But it's also been a study in evolution. An example of this is the 6:00 p.m. "eclectic" service. At one time also known as "3.0" (the third service on most Sundays), it originated as an alternative worship experience that not only offered contemporary musical styles but innovative approaches to what a 21st century church could be like. Elements of this original design remain but contemplative characteristics began to become more prominent as the historical role of evening worship, such as the offices of compline and vespers, were given a greater influence to become a modern service of evening prayer. Then came the pandemic. The service went on hiatus as our energies were directed to the morning livestream service. Soon after, a call to offer a midweek prayerful respite became apparent so Wednesday Vespers emerged. This subconsciously became a resurrection of the 6:00 p.m. service but with greater emphasis on introspection and prayer considering the trying times we were in. Even the sung Lord's Prayer (John Newell's "The Prayer of Jesus") found its way back in without us fully realizing our intention. As the pandemic slowly began to subside, a "return to normalcy" became the collective desire and so the service returned to Sunday evenings after many months away, albeit on Zoom. Vespers was missed by faithful participants, including myself and the ministers, so we kept those introspective pieces that became refined during the months-long midweek run while reintroducing elements that have not been heard in quite a while. And now, the 6:00 p.m. service has fully returned and is the first live in-person worship service Plymouth has been able to offer in 14 months! If you have been keeping score, this all amounts to a reboot of a reboot of a reboot of a reboot. The result of this convoluted evolution courtesy of the pandemic is nothing short of a rebirth. The process reminds me of the signature mole dish by famed Mexican chef Enrique Olvera. This celebrated dish is heated and reheated repeatedly over time carrying over the delicious flavors from months ago while adding new and fresh ingredients for each day of service. The result is a living dish that can be experienced differently by guests at various times. But it's always an honest and delicious meal. As we find ourselves on the cusp of opening Plymouth's doors again, let us still catch the flames of Pentecost and walk into rebirth. Rising like the phoenix—in due time. Mark Heiskanen Director of Music/Organist AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Venicescapes - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90561708 I am a lover of lists. I see them as a two-dimensional external hard drive of the brain—order out of chaos. And as a fan of David Letterman, I of course gravitated to his Top Ten List bit. A seemingly neurotic impulse gone mainstream! So it only makes sense to end this year simply and naturally (everything this year wasn’t!) and include my own Top Ten List of Pandemic-Induced Reflections and Retrofits, Though Perhaps Somewhat Perversely Gained. 10. The glory of being an introvert (the whole planet now has a taste!) 9. The back burner of reconnecting with other styles of music come alive in Wednesday Vespers 8. The return of composition and arranging expressed, again, in Wednesday Vespers 7. As the band Depeche Mode sang years ago, “Enjoy the Silence.” Really, enjoy it! 6. Connecting more personally with individual singers and musicians in our live streams 5. Relishing the advantage of a broken organ and spending more time with my old friend—the piano 4. Embracing the “New Tradition”: an eclectic blend of ancient and new 3. The freedom of worship styles: adaptation mixed with intentional diversity 2. Absence breeds appreciation: the return of communal worship in 2021! 1. Adaptation is innate if one allows discomfort and inconvenience to subside See you on the other side…in 2021! Mark Heiskanen Director of Music/Organist AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Unknown author 1870 - http://revistaelbuzo.blogspot.com/2012/09/nos- Steve Jobs once noted that in developing his technology empire he did not think primarily in terms of goals. Rather, to serve his desire for innovation, he would just try something new and look behind him at the progress made thus far to determine the next steps. When I read this, I could not help but think of our present circumstances and the often ambiguous path ahead. And also, how this mindset can inform our decisions going forward. When the pandemic hit last March, we began streaming worship services within days of the shutdown. There was no tutorial or experienced live stream team to take the reins at first. We just did it and learned as we went. Members of the Chancel Choir have begun making videos utilizing the Acapella app for inclusion in our worship services. It was a process of glitch after glitch and we're still a work in progress. But into the thick of it we went! And soon, we'll test the waters with a brand new concept introduced in a recent New York Times article....drive-in choir! Choristers park around the director/accompanist and sing into wireless microphones using their car's FM radio as monitors. Do not be surprised to see videos of this quirky yet promising venture in the near future. As John Lennon once sang, "Strange days indeed!" With the new pattern of pre-recording services once per month, we can now think in terms of production: an opportunity that did not exist before. Christmas Eve will be quite special with a plethora of instrumentalists and singers participating that would never be able to inhabit the chancel together in real time. The benefits of the virtual realm. With the organ now up and running (yay!), musical presentations both live and pre-recorded will follow. There will be an Advent concert on Sunday, December 13 featuring the organ and guests. An "Organ Encounter" (a chance to see and hear what makes this wonderful machine tick!) will be coming in the new year. Other musical collaborations will no doubt follow. We shall see, again, where the muse leads! Despite growing up on the shores of Lake Erie, I don't swim. Embarrassing, in a way. Nevertheless, it is necessary for all of us to take that deep dive. So far, so good. Mark Heiskanen Dir. of Music AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Mrs. Gemstone - https://www.flickr.com/photos/21893264@N00/4403017430/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79291945 As we plan and offer worship through these pandemic times I have been needled with the question: what can a contemporary Christian worship service be like? We certainly know it can be virtual. At once removed but uniquely intimate. Perhaps evidenced by watching on Sunday mornings in your own home, with your own coffee mug, and in your favorite leisurely nightwear! Personally, my view on this topic has evolved incredibly over the past ten years and particularly in my tenure here with you. Traditional worship is the backbone worship format in our community but there is so much more. The Vespers service has been a particular blessing during this pandemic. Based on the ancient office of the canonical hours, this brief 30 minute prayerful service is intended to be a source of rejuvenation and healing as the day draws to a close. A service of comfort and hope. A reminder of the eternal Light in the darkness. Chants or hymns are sung interspersed with prayers, poems, and scripture. Musically, one can expect a broad range of contemplative styles drawing from the Celtic, Ionian, Anglican, and Taizé traditions with touches of jazz, folk, and minimalist influences. Those who have attended the 6:00 p.m. services will often find many similarities, including the regular use of the sung "Prayer of Jesus" by John Philip Newell. Another similarity with the 6:00 p.m. service is the free and improvisatory nature of the music-making. I will often say to the musicians who participate that we never play the same thing twice! I have yet to do so with the "Prayer of Jesus." We also explore the connections between sacred and supposed secular music by recognizing the intersecting spiritual dimensions. You will have noticed we occasionally have a "6:00 p.m. @10:00 a.m." service which has featured music by The Beatles, David Bowie, even Dave Brubeck. The structured appeal and respect for history of traditional worship is beautiful. The music and ritual honed over the centuries is a treasure to the church at large. But it is a blessing that at Plymouth we have the freedom to create new traditions with just as much intention: all for the glory of God. A revelation to me was in my preparations for this week's 7:00 p.m. Vespers service on August 5. I knew I wanted to compose a chant or two. Arrangement and reharmonization is a weekly task for this service just as it was for the 6:00 p.m. But I wanted to do something different....and then the floodgates opened. I did not so much compose all four chants but rather notated what was flooding into my mind. The results were satisfying and surprising in their insistence to come to life. And I thought how wonderful to be so inspired and contribute to a service at Plymouth in this way. And to have the freedom to do so. The process and experience was no different than composing for any band I was in back in the day. Diversity at Plymouth comes in many forms. It is the one aspect of being here that continually enriches. From my corner of worship life, it is a blessing to be a part of. I invite you to take part in Vespers, perhaps this week, and immerse yourself in Plymouth's vital worship life. Even during a pandemic we can be connected, if not in person, in spirit. AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Wegates - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83316019 Foremost on my mind during these challenging times is gratitude. Thankful for our local leaders, both in government and at Plymouth, for their reasoned approach to the pandemic. Grateful to live in a region of the country that values science and truth, at least more than others. I have experienced cultures where this is not the case and it is disturbing. In this time of pandemic, it would be frightening. It is the age old question of how we respond to change, isn't it? In the coming months, the Chancel Choir will transform into a virtual choir as we see this pandemic through. The Plymouth Ringers may return in some form too as restrictions are sensibly lifted over time. And our streamed Sunday morning and Wednesday evening Vespers services will continue to be offered with familiar faces playing instruments and singing through your two-dimensional screen. A truly strange experience by the way to be in the near empty sanctuary with our energies focused on the little red "all-seeing-eye" of the live stream camera! But we have all gotten used to it. And amazing that we can even do any of this at all. We will be together again when reason will allow it. Until then, Zoom on and be safe. Mark Heiskanen Director of Music AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Own work by Ecw.technoid.dweeb - I (Ecw.Technoid.Dweeb | contributions | talk | ☮✌☮) created this work entirely by myself., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12477587 by Mark Heiskanen Director of Music Those who I have worked with in rehearsal will have heard me speak to the virtues of silence. In a musical score, these easily dismissed moments are notated as rests. There are many kinds of rests expressing varied durations, literal or approximate. Sometimes, the only indication of a rest from a choral composer is a breath mark. So, how long is that breath? This decision by a performer or conductor is crucial to the phrasing and musical satisfaction of the work for music maker and listener alike. What one is basically determining is the value and quality of the silence. Another way silence is expressed in musical terms is through articulation and agogic accents. As an organist, these tools are essential for an instrument that does not offer much in the way of touch sensitivity. One solution is to impose a variation of touch. In Baroque music, the standard approach is through the concept of Ordinary Touch. An articulated legato technique named by Baroque writers, the performer leaves a slight space between each note while retaining the forward momentum of a phrase. These tiny spaces offer rhythmic clarity and definition to each note played. This is a helpful approach for a musical style that often embodies a dance-like character. The agogic accent is a manipulation of the timing between two musical moments. For example, by delaying the onset of a chord following a rest by just a microsecond, a sense of anticipation and drama can be achieved. The maligned pregnant pause can be repurposed for sound artistic ends. Thirty years ago, the band Depeche Mode released a video for a fantastic tune of theirs called "Enjoy the Silence." In the video, singer Dave Gahan, attired in the garb of a wandering king, travels through a scenic landscape carrying a cheap fold up chair. Occasionally, he is inspired by the view to set it up, have a seat, and take in the wondrous panorama of mountains and forests. After this brief interlude, he folds up the chair and continues his journey seeking out another scenic vantage point to enjoy. His lonely journey through the wilderness is only a metaphoric representation of the song's lyrics. But I have found this song title freely entering my mind these days. When depicting the value of the musical rest in rehearsals, I have often offered the directive, "enjoy the silence!" It has value. And not just one beat, or two, or three...the value is in the quality of silence. The silence affects our perception of a musical phrase. The quality of the release of one note prepares for the onset of the next. We can perceive these subtleties of space whether consciously or not. Here's to hoping we can all, in this time, appreciate the space in between. Enjoy. AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here.  By Enzolan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48815516 Advent is a season of waiting, reflection, and renewal: the hope for new light to enter our lives. It is one of the briefest seasons of the liturgical year second only to Christmas, lasting just four weeks. It is easy to miss. The busyness of Christmas shopping, arranging of travel plans, preparing for house guests (planning and preparing church services!) often overshadows the present: this fleeting season of Advent. The annual Longest Night service, this year on December 22 at 6:00 p.m., acknowledges the shorter and darkening days of December but welcomes the promised Light of Christmas. A beautiful Advent message. On December 15, we will experience services of lessons and Advent carols. Inspired by the Anglican Advent Carol Service instituted in 1934 at King's College, Cambridge, the words of the Old Testament prophets will be followed by seasonal carols telling of the coming Light in Christ's birth. The choir anthem offering for the 11:00 a.m. "choral" service on December 15 beautifully speaks to the heart of Advent. "Lord, Before This Fleeting Season," a poem by Mary Ann Jindra, asks God for an enlightened appreciation of the season: "to walk slowly," to give our "heart a leaning to hear carols," to "do less," "go less," and, most importantly, to "simply, peacefully, celebrate You." A lovely meditation for this time of the year and one duly needed. The composer Libby Larsen masterfully sets Jindra's text and succeeds in embodying the tidings of Advent. I leave you with the following prayerful synopsis of this work by the composer herself....have a Blessed Adventide. There are moments in life, private moments, when we seem to see beyond the reality of our lives -- when we are flashes of clairvoyance. At these times we know joy, peace, wisdom, hope, with a surety that sustains our belief in God. So stunning they are, that we are simply unable to recreate even a pale shadow of that eternal touch. All we can do is believe in the knowledge that such moments exist for every human being. Mark Heiskanen Director of Music/Organist AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here. "My masters are strange folk with very little care for music in them." Johann Sebastian Bach  By Johann Sebastian Bach - http://marc5solas.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/bachsdg1.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52280857 Bach's quote of frustration with his employers certainly cannot be applied here at Plymouth! I appreciate the value placed on music and liturgy in our hallowed halls by the "powers that be" and you, the congregation. However, I have seen a more indifferent attitude towards sacred music in my time over the years, unfortunately, even in large institutions. To say this approach does not affect one's spiritual life would be short sighted. It was not by design, but last Sunday was a perfect example of Plymouth's music resources coming together for one very special day. In the morning, we had services of comfort, consolation, and hope supported by a poignant offering by the Plymouth Ringers, ending with a joyful chorale prelude by Bach himself. The Chancel Choir led the final hymn-anthem at the second service. It was glorious. The 6:00 p.m. service was transformed into Laura Nelson's service of ordination. The Chancel Choir returned with a beautiful rendition of "The Ground" by Ola Gjeilo supported by musicians and singers from within Plymouth's walls and the surrounding community. Many in the choir will be traveling to New York City this March 2020 to perform in a concert celebrating the composer's choral works with Gjeilo on piano. Bobby Brannock, the 6:00 p.m. service pianist and music coordinator, was also on hand and added his flair throughout the service. Because of the dedication of volunteers, the willingness to try new approaches, and appreciation for fine music to enrich our worship services and souls, we are in a very healthy place in the music program. I want to thank all who appreciate and give of their time and talents to all the music ensembles. Together with our volunteers and the rich musical talent from the community (we are blessed to have the fine music curriculums of CSU and UNC so close to us!), I endeavor to continue our current trajectory for many years to come. Thank you all for your support. "Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul." Johann Sebastian Bach Mark Heiskanen Director of Music/Organist AuthorMark Heiskanen has been Plymouth's Director of Music since September 2017. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Mark has experience and great interest in a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock, musical theatre, and gospel. He is thrilled to serve a congregation and staff that values diversity and inclusion in all facets of life. Read his mostly-weekly Music Minute here. |
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