Recently I had the opportunity to interview 25-year-old Dutch organist Gert van Hoef for Christian Renewal. We covered a wide range of subjects, including the place of the Psalms in corporate worship, the history of the Genevan Psalter in the Netherlands, and advice for aspiring young organists.
I asked Gert what it takes to be a good church musician. His response is worth pondering:
Church organists should always realize that they do not only play for themselves. They are to enjoy themselves, and it is their own worship, but they are also playing for the congregation. The principle is that those with talents are supposed to use them to serve the body. So church musicians are responsible to do their very best to make beautiful music as servants of the church. That was something I had to realize. The music should not be too complex but should reflect the meaning of the text. When I first started, I tried to show people how great I was. This attitude in myself was not good. Fast and glorious passages are sometimes appropriate, but our job is to serve and lift people up and encourage them. Also, they should not play pieces that are too difficult and cause them to make many mistakes. When I’m in the congregation singing, I should not have to think about the organist. I should be able to trust the organist and sing without interruption.
Click here to read the full interview.
Join the Discussion