Twiddly bits between verses

[contrabordun]

Does anybody else share my irritation with these? I'm talking about anything from a 2 bar held note for singers with a chord progression underneath up to 4 or even 8 bars of tacet.

My experience is that no congregation ever knows when to stop singing and when to start again, partly I suspect because it takes courage for the accompanist to play out the whole interlude, especially if it's mostly longish notes, for fear of losing the congregation, with the result that they hear so many variations over time that they never learn it correctly.

This is often exacerbated by the use of an anacrucis at the start of some, though not all, of the verses.

[gwyn]

'Tis true, C.B.

The variables make all the difference. For example. The one variable that makes or breaks such interludes is tempo. Some organists, instrumentalists unwittingly accelerate through these. Then when the song proper returns no one has the slightest idea what the tempo should be and the first three or so bars of song are spent re-establishing the pace.

Simple rule; if they can't be played correctly, leave 'em out.

The other problem is that only the organist's best friend will dare tell him or her that he's making a pig's ear of the interlude and live to tell the tale.

Bach was master of the twiddly-bit, but he know what he was doing!

Some modern day interludes contribute nothing to the piece other than to give the songsters a chance to breathe in, since the may have taken no notice whatsoever of the rests in the verses and chorus.

[contrabordun]

Simple rule; if they can't be played correctly, leave 'em out.

Yeah, but that's where the trouble starts - if sometimes they're done with, and at other times and in other places without, then you have an instant chaos receipe.
And that's before you find the last sung note of the C major piece has a chord of D major under it and you need the interlude to take you somewhere you can start the next verse from.

[gwyn]

Abso-bally-lutleigh! A severe case of Other parish syndrome. Been caught like that a few times.

[oopsorganist]

This is interesting Contrabordum

I always wonder what to do in between verses? I cannot improvise so I am a bit stuck and silence is not good either. I manage to indicate when I am going to end by slowing down the last few bars... then holding the last note? This stops unruly congregation from carrying on singing because they can....We had a professional organist for a few weeks and he just swung straight in again and everyone got a bit blue in the face. Played at quite a pace too.

[contrabordun]

For what it's worth, I was taught (in the context of hymns) to leave 2 beats (in strict tempo) between all verses, and also between the playover and the first verse. After a fairly short time, the congregation catch on, because it's always the same, no matter what the hymn.

If you do try this, you have to be careful about the length of the last note of each verse, as follows:

2 or 4 time, no anacrucis: last note 2 beats, then 2 beat rest (eg St Helen)
3 time, no anacrucis: last note 4 beats, then 2 beat rest (eg Melita)

2 or 4 time, with anacrucis: last note 3 beats, then 2 beat rest (eg Gerontius)
3 time, with anacrucis: last note 3 beats, then 2 beat rest (eg Hanover)

Try it - it's much more natural in reality than it looks written down.

The key is that because it's always the same - 2 rhythmically felt silent beats - no matter what the hymn - it's secure, everybody knows what to expect.

I should credit Andrew Fletcher with devising these rules.

[musicus]

Yes, I think that is broadly what I was taught too. Strict time is of the essence. I never slow down at the end of a verse, unless (in exceptional circumstances) we are not doing all the printed verses and I need to signal the premature ending.

Treat introductions (and 'twiddly bits' between verses) the same way, of course; then people know (usually unconsciously) when to begin, and, feeling secure, sing so much more confidently. At all costs, eschew the 'gathering note' - playing the first chord and then waiting for the people to start. You are there to lead, not to follow (unless there is an overall conductor).

As for the main body of the tune, phrase it - not legato all the time, but with the less important beats played staccato or semi-staccato.

Here endeth the lesson!

(I'm not the world's greatest organist, but people do say they always know when to start and to stop, even if they can't say why.)

[dunstan]

As for the main body of the tune, phrase it - not legato all the time, but with the less important beats played staccato or semi-staccato.

When I do this I always try to have one voice (usually bass) running legato so the overall texture is lighter but not choppy. But that's just me.

[organist]

I came a cropper last Easter Day by deciding on the day to use Colin Mawby's Hymns for occasions for the last hymn "Thine be the glory". The trouble was that I warned the choir but not the celebrant or congregation and I didn;t play the interlude clearly enough - it has a solo for tuba or trumpet. Nothing much was said on the day but I got it in the neck when I was asked to attend a PCC meeting about another matter and this was months later! Added to this was a moan about singing Alleluia at special seasons. Again nobody had explained to the congregation why we were doing this! Not even me in my monthly parish magazine article!
I did reply that Easter Day should be special but next time I will get whoever announces the hymn number to give a health warning. It's the same with free accompaniments for last verses - they're fun but too many in a service can just be too much. I was taught to be rhythmic in the rests and NEVER to modulate from one key to another. Better to stop and then start again in the new key.
At summer school David Ogden was asked to modulate between items and of course he did it brilliantly but if you can't do something properly....
Mind you workshops have freed me up to do imrpovising and I'm improving!