Charles, I've done many, many gigs of this sort. Fortunately, I've found that modern folk are so used to loud, noisy music with electric instruments and drums (...those darn kids today!...back in my day...) that most people will consider nearly anything played on a solo lute to sound "relaxing," so you've got a LOT of rep to choose from. The easier polyphonic preludes work very well. If you play baroque lute, unmeasured preludes do the trick. Also, remember that 99% of the people aren't going to know dance rhythms at all so pavanes, allemandes or sarabandes are acceptable as long as you're not too lusty in your articulations. Passacaglias are good, too. Basically, anything that was meant to bring people to uncontrolled sobbing in ancient days moderns will think is "nice" or "reflective." :-)
When a recognizable tune was required, I usually just read from the 4-part choir/organ music that was at the church. This worked surprisingly well on ren. lute, often with little to no alteration. For baroque lute I had to have time to at least sketch out an arrangement. This took a lot less time than hunting down any of the period settings of sacred tunes, which, when you find a melody that's still in use, is never identical to the modern version - and congregations get hopping mad if the tune is not the EXACT one found in their hymnals! (They could care less about the harmonization.) Tuning: this is truly the bane of early music. If you're in a choir loft, you can go to the stairwell or even slip out to a vestibule or entrance way to quietly check your tuning if there's enough time. I had a regular job at a church where this was possible, but the high loft was at least 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the church in the winter, so this presented its own difficulties. If you're in front of the congregation your tuning options are much fewer and you'll have no choice but to be nearly to inaudible as you (try) to tune by ear. Its also visually distracting, but we don't have much choice with the lute. Don't get me started on the joys of tuning a theorbo to the organ during the congregation's "silent prayer" time! Chris --- On Mon, 3/23/09, Charles Browne <char...@brownecowie.fsnet.co.uk> wrote: > From: Charles Browne <char...@brownecowie.fsnet.co.uk> > Subject: [LUTE] [Lute] playing the lute during a Communion Service > To: "Lutelist" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Date: Monday, March 23, 2009, 5:09 AM > I have been asked to play my lute during part of the > Communion Service as the congregation come to the Altar to > receive The Eucharist. I am a bit dubious about this as I > fear it might detract from the service, apart from any > tuning difficulties. I would be grateful for any comments > and advice > thanks > Charles > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
