My Personal Favorite

I love good piano music. I wish that I could play, but like many others, I gave up taking lessons too soon and now I regret that. I've heard many professionals play and I have a few that I could listen to over and over again. But I have an amateur who is my favorite. I've worked with her for almost 50 years. Thousands of times over those years she has played while I have led music. Many times I've listened as she has played solos and offertories. But my favorite times are the private concerts that I get throughout the day as she practices or as she just sits and plays whatever comes to her mind. Now I admit that I am very prejudiced, but why shouldn't I be. God has given her a special gift. First, God has given her a special touch that is very soothing. He has given her the ability to play solos and also to accompany others, something that many musicians can't do. Even though she doesn't know all her chords and music theory, she has a special ability to add difficult and pleasing chords. A year ago when she accompanied a well-known trumpet soloist at Pinebrook, this world traveler remarked that he doesn't have a single accompanist who can add the beautiful chords that Dianne adds when she plays. God has also given her a special gift, the gift to play numbers without music and to transpose in her mind and play it in any key. Tell her what note it starts on and she can start there and play it in that key. A few times at the Sr. Saints Retreat, during a prelude, I have sat near her and randomly continued to suggest hymn titles to her. She would then play a brief interlude and go into that hymn without any music. Few people realize it when we do this, but it really is fun for the two of us. And she loves to spend time at the piano and that love shows in her music. Now, once again, I admit that I am very prejudiced and I know there are many outstanding amateur pianists around who have much more training than my wife - we have some in our church. However, last Sunday night she was forced to fill in with me when at the last minute we had to unexpectedly lead some hymns at Pinebrook since the pianist and song leader were delayed. She also did a brief prelude, without any music or practice. In the audience, waiting to do a piano concert later in the evening, was Don Wyrtzen, one of the most famous composers and pianists for years in Gospel music. He has traveled around the world giving concerts and is a professor of music. After his concert he came to Dianne and said how much he really enjoyed her playing. She thanked him and said that he was very kind. He promptly replied that he wasn't just being kind and that he was serious. He told her he would never make such a complement unless it was really deserved. And I believe he was sincere about that. He was also surprised to learn that she wasn't the full-time summer pianist at Pinebrook. So at least two professionals join me in recognizing that God has given her a special gift that she uses for Him. And I am blessed to benefit from this special gift almost daily. Now I know that she will be embarrassed when she reads this blog. But, I must say, thank you dear and thank you God.