Texas Has A Whore House In It
As I had mentioned in a previous entry, during my tenure at the TOAD, I had a habit of playing some not-so-sacred music at times during the service. These were generally times when I was required to provide background music so we would not have dead air space and lose some of the radio audience, a real tragedy indeed. Anyway, someone out there in radioland had gotten wind of what I was doing and sent a note to Peasporridge. This resulted in a rather curt note from Hatchet (his wife) to me requesting that music be sacred. I complied with the spirit of the note but not necessarily the letter. From that point I made certain that my musical offerings "sounded" sacred. Besides, what did Hatchet know about music - to her the epitome of musical expression was that old song "I Want To Be Under the Spout Where The Glory Comes Out." She obviously had forgotten, or never knew, that some of the greatest hymns of the church started life as definitely non-sacred pieces. For example, "A Mighty Fortress", that great statement of faith, was originally a German dance tune. "O Sacred Head Now Wounded" was a little drinking ditty entitled "My Piece of Mind is Shattered by a Tender Maiden's Charms." "The Star Spangled Banner" started life as an English drinking song. Several settings of the Mass were based on folk songs. Anyway, I digress.
In keeping with the spirit of Hatchet's edict, the following sunday I chose a musical number, that although it sounded sacred, it definitely wasn't. A few evenings previously some friends and I had watched the musical "Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" There was one song, sung by Dom Deluise, that did sound slightly sacred; and it did have "Lord Have Mercy On Our Souls" in it. This became the offertory the following sunday, "Texas Has A Whore House In It" To my utter amazement it was well received by the audience.
After the service, a couple my warped friends and I were talking when Hatchet walked up. These two friends had been in on the scheme and knew the song. Hatchet was all glowing and patted me on the back and stated how much she enjoyed the offertory. "See", she said "You can play good Christian music - and it was Southern Gospel too! "
I bit down hard on my lip and nodded politely to her. However, one of my warped friends responded saying "I kind of reminds you of your days in the South, doesn't it?"
Hatchet replied that it certainly did and walked away telling me to keep up the good work.
Just another fun day at the Four Corners mother church, the venerable TOAD.
In keeping with the spirit of Hatchet's edict, the following sunday I chose a musical number, that although it sounded sacred, it definitely wasn't. A few evenings previously some friends and I had watched the musical "Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" There was one song, sung by Dom Deluise, that did sound slightly sacred; and it did have "Lord Have Mercy On Our Souls" in it. This became the offertory the following sunday, "Texas Has A Whore House In It" To my utter amazement it was well received by the audience.
After the service, a couple my warped friends and I were talking when Hatchet walked up. These two friends had been in on the scheme and knew the song. Hatchet was all glowing and patted me on the back and stated how much she enjoyed the offertory. "See", she said "You can play good Christian music - and it was Southern Gospel too! "
I bit down hard on my lip and nodded politely to her. However, one of my warped friends responded saying "I kind of reminds you of your days in the South, doesn't it?"
Hatchet replied that it certainly did and walked away telling me to keep up the good work.
Just another fun day at the Four Corners mother church, the venerable TOAD.
posted by Recovering4Sqr | 7:08 PM
6 Comments:
Again you have proved yourself worthy of being my hero! But there again, I'm a very bad man.
Two peas in a pod my friend.
A lot of things start out "bad" and end up Four Corners. Take for instance the place my parents met. Used to be a german beer garden. Now it is a Four Corners church! My, my.
And if they hadn't been dancing and drinking beer, they wouldn't have met and I wouldn't be here! So, go ahead and play the musical numbers with a past. Wait, I don't think I have the authority to tell you that! But I'll never tell! :-)
I know about the Four Corners... but I don't know about blogging... Have you gone to the Four Corners camp... the Crusty Cedars place? I remember the tent and the sawdust and the rolling and the crying... maybe that was before your time. Do you remember the days of Earl the Trombone man?
I've been known to play a few little ditties myself, Mr! Once I played a tune called "King Bird the Bird of Birds", which was a ceremonial piece I had made up for an inside joke between me and the hubby! I used it as a prelude at a wedding(I had always dreamed of doing that) and had to bite by lip thinking of the images it brought up in my head! Of course, it doesn't compare to your hilarious "Southern Gospel" tune, but we church musicians have our ways, don't we????
Give a kiss to that GORGEOUS little man!!(And his mama, too!)
Hey Esther - I knew Earl the trombone man, have been to Crusty Cedars, Life Bridal College. Also I think that it is remarkable that you can Blog - last I heard Esther Fricke died about 10 years ago
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