by andys 19 Replies latest watchtower bible
The time and effort to record every "kingdom" song in the book would take them away from the d2d.............
So it's better just to have one person pay the piano rather than a 50 or more person orchestra. By the time the WTS orchestrates the songs bit by bit for the conventions, it will be time for a new songbook.
I went into the cancer during the end of the boom (the last year where the number of baptisms in my congregation was double digits), and they had a piano at the Kingdumb Hell. However, it sat there while they used tapes. Then, they had an individual tape for each Kingdumb malady (unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of watching it eat the tape).
These days, it is all CDs. The utmost entertainment would be to listen to it start skipping out of control. It would probably sound better that way than it would if it played perfectly. Alas, it can't eat a CD or start skipping and popping like a record can.
In the late 1960's we had a little jazz combo, piano, violin and a guitar ! Needless to say it didn't last forever.
It depends on the congregation. In our congregation we don't have live music but I know other congregation where they have a lot of friends playing different instruments.
I'm surpised there are any congregations in either the United States or Canada that have live music, flying..., because I thought that the WTS had issued some kind of directive banning it altogether. The Society so likes to homogenize all other aspects of the cult that I would never think it would allow congregations any latitude on the issue of music.
My congregation had a beautiful white piano that simply gathered dust. There were one or two people who knew how to play and could do so rather well, I believe, but sometime in the nineties all live performances came to an end and the Society-issued cd set was used. I think talesin's parents were right to think that the WTS didn't want any kind of attention or honor being paid to the player. That would divert it away from itself, and that could not be allowed under any circumstances.
The color is being leached out of the organization. Eventually, it will be one gray, anonymous, non-descript pile of unappetizing manure. But wait! It's that already, isn't it?
Quendi
nope....because the player was "seen by men" or some such ridiculous thing.....everything has to be canned and from brooklyn or patterson these days. people might look with admiration at someone playing who was really talented, and that could be idolatry you realize....
or if there were more than one capable person there could be rivalry as to who would play....then if you had a really lousy pianist who happened to be married to the PO, and you had a concert pianist married to a nobody or worse yet, single....well, you know who'd get to play...........
Not really, the Kingdom Hall that I used attend uses an Ipod to play the songs.
Crapola played the piano at my childhood KH up until a few years ago, as a matter of fact the piano she played is sitting in her living room as I write this down. She's trying to sell it to get a smaller one if anyone's interested.
WOW! The piano at our hall went the way of the Dodo in the early 90's with the hall renovation. Probably hadn't been played in years. Only one sister who played off and on before that...
As a kid, I also remember a real old- timer probably from the Russelite era, CRAZY AS A LOON who played kingdom songs on his violin at congregation picnics! Whacky, but cool. Never happen today.
Funny thing: 20 or so years ago, mom had a study with a couple who were musicians in their church. Studied for years, came to meetings, but in the end they couldn't commit. The reason?:
THE MUSIC SUCKS!!!!
....and still does to this very day.
I went from singing to records to sublime professional choirs at landmark NY churches to beauitful lay choirs at suburban churches.
Oh, the professional choirs were the best but the lay choir pours its soul into it. And Im the only one who would vote for a prof'l choir.
No one at my KH could read music or play an instrument. The school system offered free lessons. I played clarinet. No one ever asked me.My grandmother was very active and played piano, as she did in several halls. She was too old. They denied her a JW card, her treasured possession when she was too old to do all facets of the ministry work. NO compassion.
When we were given these pathetic song books, we were told there was a massive hoax played on Bethel b/c Beet-ho-ven and H_zummzummmdn snuck in the book. It sounded so dead. I've listened to some samples on wikipedia. They murder music. I'm a Beatles, Dylan, WHO, Beethoven, Bach, Handel, Mozart, fan What is wrong with the sublime approaching God.
