Dear Colleagues,
If you are anything like me, you occasionally wonder if all the work of Advent and Christmas is worth it. Do the hours of practice and preparation really matter? Despite all the planning and promoting, Christmas Eve attendance will inevitably be lower than in years past because of Covid. Even before Covid, crowds were less than in the "good old days."
Whenever I feel myself headed too deep down the road of despair, I remind myself of the French organist and composer Henri Mulet. Most of us know of Mulet for his Carillon Sortie or perhaps his fiery toccata, Tu Es Petra. Despite the beauty of these and other compositions Mulet gave up composing at age 33 (he would go on to live another 55 years). When questioned as to why he gave up composing. Mulet was said to have lost his great reserve, showed great bitterness and replied, “ . . . cartloads of music in France are waiting to be played and published. It is not worth the trouble of writing if the music will not be played.” I often wonder what Mulet would think if he knew that over a hundred years later, organists and audiences were still playing and enjoying his works...
The same is true for us in our roles as organists and music directors. How would our approach to the coming few weeks change if we knew that years from now, someone will be sitting around with friends and family reminiscing about the beauty of the music we produced? How our leading of Christmas carols or our choir was their favorite thing about the Christmas season? If no one else tells you, I am here to tell you that what you do matters. Your work has worth. Your work brings beauty into this world. Keep it up!
Andrew Herbruck
Dean