Luther Rocks: Something Different:
In 2004 or 2005 I had the pleasure of playing along with a group led by Valerie Floeter (keyboards) and Patricia Backhaus (Trumpet). They are a duo group that has delved into the rich hymn history of the church and present them in mini concerts around the country. Valerie has put a lot of these hymns into more contemporary settings. I am hoping to present some of them here in the future.
This particular selection appeared in video form here a couple of years ago. When I saw it I thought it would be fun to do so I bought the music with the intent of adapting it for pre or post service in church (sans electric bass and drums) on trumpet and organ. It is currently on my list of projects.
I took the liberty of grabbing the audio from the video and put the trumpet part over the top of it. It was nice to 'perform' with Valerie again. It reminds me of some of the pop-rock-classical stylings done in the 70's.
2 comments:
I had occasionally performed with Val Floeter and Pat Backhaus. The two are very richly blessed.
The term "contemporary setting" here is a bit of a misnomer. Wind instruments, especially trumpet and trombone, have a very rich history in hymnody and liturgy since renaissance times (see also: Michael Praetorius).
It is by their own admission that the compositions are contemporary...unlike the traditional settings where the chord changes on just about every beat, Floeter relaxes the progressions. Women appreciate her writing too since the positions are smaller for their hands.
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