Before finishing my blog yesterday I jumped in the car and snuck over to an empty church to pick out organ music for Sunday. It was easy. I quickly decided to perform Healey Willan’s lovely little setting of Slane (Be thou my vision). For a postlude I landed on Bach’s G major Praeludium, BWV 568.
Our opening hymn Sunday is “Be Thou My Vision.” Our closing is “Hallelujah, we sing your praises.” The latter is a rambunctious South African song in G major. I thought it would be cool to move from it to Bach.
It’s interesting to me that the last time I performed the Bach piece was for an Easter celebration. I remember working hard on it. It’s satisfying that I can pick up a piece that used to be more of a project and know with a little rehearsal it will be good Sunday.
I returned after lunch to rehearse the Bach. It has some moving pedal parts that need to be practiced and I found one 8 measure phrase I will need to give some attention. Other than that, it’s all pretty much there.
I was surprised yesterday when I rehearsed Philip Glass’s Etude 11. I have been working on this piece for a while. It was the first of his etudes that I didn’t feel like I could read through accurately even under tempo. But yesterday it came pretty easily out of my fingers. I do like this piece.
It was very hot yesterday afternoon. I shortened my treadmill time to 25 minutes instead of 45. Half because I didn’t want to overdo it. Half because I was feeling lazy and ready for a martini in the heat.
I meet with my boss this afternoon. I’m pondering how to be helpful if she asks my take on this past Sunday. We regularly review the past Sunday and then talk about the upcoming Sunday in our meetings. I had some misgivings about last Sunday. It’s weird because I am so divided about church. I care and I don’t care.
I prefer liturgical worship that is coherent. At the same I pretty much abhor most of what passes for Christianity in the US culture right now. Fortunately my boss understands this about me and doesn’t take me all that seriously, though she does listen and consider my thoughts.
I hope today I can be helpful if called on.
Surprising New Evidence Shows Bias in Police Use of Force but Not in Shootings – The New York Times
Some interesting articles in the paper yesterday about studies. This one is also mentioned in the next link.
Police Try to Lower Racial Bias, but Under Pressure, It Isn’t So Easy – The New York Times
Our lizard brains are programmed in a way that we cannot help. But we can still think about how we act.
San Francisco Police Disproportionately Search African-Americans, Report Says – The New York Times
Why should San Francisco be an exception?