Just Grumbling A Little Bit. (Regret It Now)

Dad just came into the room and told me that I played too fast for the song, Richer Blood Has Flowed From Nobler Veins, which he requested last Sunday. Well, the truth is, I started out slow, intro and all. I played the speed I played for dad when he asked me to play it at home la. But then the congregation's singing started to pick up speed as the song went on to the 3rd bar or so. According to my experience in playing for MGC, and according to my knowledge that we don't have many good singers who can stick to the pianist's speed, I followed their speed. So instead of Andante, the song was going at Moderato.

I tried to explain why to dad, but he said:

You're the pianist. Aren't you supposed to be leading the congregation? You don't follow their speed, they're supposed to follow yours.

Sigh. It doesn't work that way... I tried telling him so and explained that the people who sing out of time because of their lack of communication with the piano far outnumber the ones who can sing properly. But he... sigh... I gave the example of My Tribute, where MGC is the only assembly that sings an extra bar one line before the chorus. He said that song is different but his song should be at Andante, and the "discussion" went on la.

Haiz. The pianist does not lead the congregation at all. A pianist once told me that.

We do not lead the congregation. The congregation is led by God. Remember that. Don't ever think of yourself as the leader of the congregation.

I can't remember who The Pianist was. I can't even remember whether The Pianist was a guy or a girl (hence the different coloured quote). What I do remember is what The Pianist said. I may make a difference in the worship, but I am really not the leader of the worship session.

The practical reason as to why I have to follow the congregation sometimes is that if I don't, everything would go haywire, because we'll be singing and playing (respectively) at totally different speeds and then they would end up confused and either me or the congregation would stop what we're doing.

Mum and Dad always had trouble agreeing with that.

Sigh.