Fulfilling Easter Gigs

[hyperbolica]

I'm not asking for anyone's views on religion, but Easter is a key part of brass players gig list.

I've noticed that some Easter gigs are more musically fulfilling than others. I played a Palm Sunday gig where we only actually played 2 tunes, and they were cheesy modern church choir accompaniment music with drums, guitars, recordings, lots of electronics... Next week for actual Easter sunday I have another gig where we take our full quintet, and get to play more serious classical music - more music and a wider range of music including some of what I consider "good" music.

Even though Easter gigs are usually better paying than other gigs, some of the music is more satisfying than others. What kind of other traits do your more satisfying Easter gigs have? Acoustic, play with organ, play with recordings or "plug-in instruments", amplification, play with choir, traditional services, modern services??

[JTeagarden]

When I lived in Munich, my favorite Easter gigs involved playing in a processional, as we walked and played in some town, as the gig always paid nicely for the effort, and was followed by weisswurst, pretels, and wheat beer.

Interesting little musical custom: If the piece is in a minor key, you would always play the corresponding major chord at the end of the piece, all, the German musicians knew to do this, it was just something you did...

[cmcslide]

I play Easter Sunday for a church that used to use brass quartet plus organ settings by Nehlybel. Kind of interesting to play, but also kind of over the heads of the congregation in my area! Now that gig is more conventional brass and organ pieces, with maybe a quartet piece or two on our own and a couple of pieces where we're playing parts with the praise band, so kind of everything.

I'd love to be on an Easter gig where we played this arrangement:

[tbdana]

For me, Easter gigs are more about the vibe than the music. The last two years I've played at a church that is mellow and sane, and has a super positive vibe. I play in a small orchestra that sits between the choir and the audience. The music director programs a wide variety, with varying genres of music and different vocal and instrumental groups. There could be a jazz trio on one tune, a barbershop quartet for the next, a solo vocalist backed by the orchestra, etc. The result is I only play a few pieces and am a spectator most of the time. A 1-hour rehearsal before the gig, the music is easy, the musicians are good, and the pay is excellent. And I go out of the gig having thoroughly enjoyed the "concert." Pretty ideal for me.

[GabrielRice]

I love my Easter gig, which is at Trinity Church Copley Square in Boston. If you've ever visited Boston you've probably seen it - it's the big church across the plaza from the old facade of the Boston Public Library.

There's a fantastic organ, and both the MD and assistant MD are award-winning organists and excellent choir directors. The contractor is a good friend and one of the best trumpet players in Boston, who hires an excellent group. The previous MD was Richard Webster, whose arrangements and compositions you might have seen at your own church gigs.

We also play Candlelight Carols services the week before Christmas. Here's a sample from a recording we did last year of that music:

[JLivi]

As long as a gig fulfills 2/3 of these things I'm happy to play it.

1) Does it pay well?
2) Is the gig musically fulfilling?
3) Are the people playing the gig cool/fun to be around?

As far as Easter is concerned, it took me a while to find a gig that I really enjoyed. I'm not an aspiring classical player, but I do love playing the trombone as best I can in any situation I get called for. I love to be challenged in that respect.

At this point in my career the gig has to pay enough that shows respect for my time, but I care most about the people I get to play with over anything else. Also, time away from my family is worth a lot too. I'm happy to have found a gig that's within 30 min of my house and only has one 60 min rehearsal (day of) and one service. My kids are too young for me to be out all day playing easter services. The money just isn't worth it to me right now.

On a side note, I have had to quit a church gig in the past because they were too extreme against my own personal views; oddly enough they also didn't pay that well.

[BGuttman]

I used to have a great Easter gig at a Catholic church not too far from my house. Brass quartet (I was low trombone) with 2 trumpet players I knew and liked, with organ. Same church used to hire us for Midnight Mass at Christmas. The church was in a poor section of town and got into financial trouble and had to cancel the brass, first for Easter and then for Christmas. Sorry to see it go.

My Brass Quintet used to practice in a church and in return we told them we'd do two services for free, but not Christmas or Easter. So we wound up playing the 4th Sunday in Advent and a Music Service in May. Worked great until our 2nd Trumpet player passed away and we just couldn't continue.

I've played a couple of Protestant services and my one complaint was how many times I had to play "Jesus Christ is Ris'n Today". After that service I didn't want to see that hymn until the next Easter

[JTeagarden]

I've played a couple of Protestant services and my one complaint was how many times I had to play "Jesus Christ is Ris'n Today". After that service I didn't want to see that hymn until the next Easter

At least it fits the theme: The Catholic Church down the street from me plays "Danny Boy" on its bells frequently, that well-knonwn Catholic hymn...

[LeTromboniste]

I prefer Psalm Sunday or Easter morning services. Catholic services for Easter Vigil especially in a bigger congregation, can be really painfully long, with all the baptisms. Although I do enjoy the playing in the dark and then the lights all coming on at Gloria.

For the second time in a few years, I'm in Athens for the National Opera's Sacred Music Festival, that takes place during Holy Week. This time we're playing some polychoral Easter hymns from Michael Praetorius' Polyhymnia caduceatrix et panegyrica. The pay is not great (it's Greece!), but it's an occasion to meet up with a few friends I rarely see who are all fantastic people and musicians and the music is super good. That and, of course, the food.

[JohnL]

At least it fits the theme: The Catholic Church down the street from me plays "Danny Boy" on its bells frequently, that well-knonwn Catholic hymn...

The tune predates Danny Boy; it's an Irish folk song (generally referred to as Londonderry Air) of debated origins. As with a lot of folk songs, people have used it with all manner of lyrics over the years, including some hymns.

[hyperbolica]

I used to have a great Easter gig at a Catholic church not too far from my house.

Catholic vs Protestant, honestly I prefer Catholic because it's more standardized, fewer options to get chaotic, and they are more likely to be dignified about things. Protestants will allow anything including electric guitars and drums, which are ok for what they are, but not for Easter. To me church music should be more like Bach than Air Supply.

I love my Easter gig, which is at Trinity Church Copley Square in Boston. If you've ever visited Boston you've probably seen it - it's the big church across the plaza from the old facade of the Boston Public Library.

Next to Copley Square and you can see the old church in the reflection from the more modern John Hancock building...

I was born in Boston, and went back for one year of school there. That area - Copley Square - is my favorite place to sit down. I love that church, although I've never been to a service there. I'm jealous of anyone who gets to play there.

[GabrielRice]

Next to Copley Square and you can see the old church in the reflection from the more modern John Hancock building...

I was born in Boston, and went back for one year of school there. That area - Copley Square - is my favorite place to sit down. I love that church, although I've never been to a service there. I'm jealous of anyone who gets to play there.

I think that's the genius of the Hancock Tower, that the reflective surface amplifies the beauty of the older buildings around it.

Copley Square has been undergoing an extensive renovation that has completely closed it off for over a year now. I'm looking forward to the reopening.

[heldenbone]

Best playing for Easter this year was a Good Friday Salvation Army service that combined multiple area corps and musicians from their bands, making a pretty fair pick-up brass band for the occasion. We mostly read from the band hymn book, reading one piece with the praise band musicians. It was a Seven Last Words service, with musical interjections at appropriate times from the brass, the praise band, a liturgical dance group, a choir, or a soloist. S A music and allied arts are thriving.

[tbdana]

This Easter I feel like I stole money from the church I played at. Four quick and very easy numbers (three hymns and one brass feature) in 15 minutes for $500, and then we were out of there, checks in hand, before the sermon even started. I did so little work I felt guilty taking their money. The music director is a friend, and I kind of felt like the money wasn't earned.

I deposited the check though. Makes up for all the pain in the butt gigs that pay crap.

[baBposaune]

This year I subbed for the tuba player on bass trombone in a brass quintet. We did a number of Canadian Brass arrangements plus stuff I would consider "standard fare" for Easter. The most fun was on the CB tunes plus one of our prelude pieces was Grainger's "Shepherd's Hey" which the congregation ate up!

The best Easter gigs I ever played were in San Juan Capistrano with two trumpets, horn and me on the tuba part. There were usually 3 services, the players were all fine musicians, the organist/choir director loved my playing and it was a yearly event until he retired. The new music director didn't use brass, which was a shame.

One of the most intense Easter jobs I ever played was in Studio City with Bob McChesney and Charlie Davis. I don't remember who played horn or second trumpet. It was at the church where they filmed the sermon scenes in the TV series, "7th Heaven." What made it intense was on one tune when we were all at a pretty full dynamic, Bob wanted to goose up his volume to come up to Charlie Davis' trumpet level and I went right along with him. Charlie then played louder and Bob and I went up another gear. The third time Charlie went into overdrive and we stayed where we were. Lesson: you can't beat Charlie Davis in a volume contest.

I've played Easter in Bel Air when Reagan was in attendance.

Best paying was at a Catholic Church in Huntington Beach with a midnight vigil and 4 services the next day. Payday be good.

[BrassSection]

Hmmm, 5 songs Easter Sunday…Trumpet, trombone, French horn, euph, and tuba! Nothing needed a tuba, bass guitar for lows. Grandson playing trumpet beside me, I settled on trumpet for 2 and trombone for 3. Nice having 2 brass! Oh yeah, volunteer playing.

Grandson and I were to do a trumpet duet, but he missed out on practice due to being in a basically head-on car accident. Guy failed to yield on a flashing left turn light. Sheriff car right behind the offender, perfect witness. Nobody hurt. Driver that hit my grandson was taking his drivers exam…I’m thinking he didn’t pass. Grandson’s perfectly good, no rust no dent Mazda CX-9 totaled.

[baBposaune]

I did so little work I felt guilty taking their money. The music director is a friend, and I kind of felt like the money wasn't earned.

Well, Dana I can help ease you of some of your burden. PM me for my PayPal info.