Kalimera Athena!

First Evangelical Church, Athens

saxophono goes to Athena

a small band from the ASO trundles back from a great weekend (a return visit for some) to Athens, where we were playing in one ordinary service and two special events, part of the church's evangelism ministry, where copies of dvds about Jesus's life, with other information in the packs were being given out at the First Evangelical Church in Athens. The website advertised on the big banners & posters around the city is www.christ.gr , if you're interested!

Some of us had been there during the Olympics at a mission they were running - literally hundreds of volunteers from all over the world were there as part of the Evangelical Church in Greece's Crown of Life project - amazing!

The people at First Evangelical were so hospitable - I don't think any of us had seen so much food on a plate in front of us for a long time, possibly ever! The sound their singers make is amazing - really full and open - and the basses are to die for! They sound just like Russian basses - wonderful. Their choir director, Vespina, speaks little english, but it' surprisingly easy to communicate with her, she's fantastic - really good musician and really nice lady.
Their pastor, Giotis, is lovely - and his congregation are truly inspiring in their willingness and boldness in evangelism.

on Saturday night was a concert in which their choir was performing an oratorio based on Peter's view of Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. It was written by Ippocratis, one of the members there, which he had orchestrated for our visit.
In the first half of that concert (divided up by a mini-sermon from Giotis) we and the choir did the Malotte setting of The Lords Prayer & "On the Cross" and "The Old Rugged Cross", and the Orchestra played the "Farndole" from Bizet's "L'Arisienne" suite & "Meditation" from Massenet's sacred opera "Thais".

Sunday morning was an ordinary Sunday morning service, and we played for the hymns and repeated the Malotte. The hymns were mostly traditional - "To God be the Glory", "Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer", "Crown Him with Many Crowns", "And Can it Be" - one of my (and Janet's) favourite of Noel's orchestrations, "Majesty". Before the service we played Elgar's "Chanson de Nuit" as an introit.

Sunday evening was a youth-oriented event (although people of all ages were there). I was on saxophone for most of it - with a couple of little solo-y bits thrown in. Pieces I emigrated to the sax for were "Kendrick Overture", in which the saxy-phone has a little solo rendition of "Meekness and Majesty". "Mazi" - a Greek song whose title means "together", "All I Once Held Dear", "Teach Me to Dance", "Great is the Lord" - which includes one of ASO arrangements' most known sax intros, "Soon and Very Soon", "We are Marching" and "Amparito Roca".
The viola didn't get a rest though - it had to play in "Shout to the Lord" (aka "My Jesus, My Saviour"), "Majesty" again, "Thelo" - Greek song whose title means "I Want..." and another little Greek song which was a prayer.

I really enjoyed having the sax bits to do - it's odd watching the strings playing away all the time while you're counting rests, then coming in from nothing to a solo. Had Yani with me - and his first ever time to misbehave (G# key stuck & reed started splitting) was timed just before my big ff "Great is the Lord" introduction, which was pretty much a segue from "Teach Me to Dance" or something, so there was me head down faffing with key for a couple of seconds in between. None of the rest of the band noticed though - even though I was doing weird things to try to make the reed behave. Oh what joy. Still, it was good to have it happen and find out from the first attempt that I can live with the extra joys of the woodwind section!

Janet was really good (and it was great to hear her being a muzo and playing flute/picc too. SHe makes a lovely big round sound when she plays - very nice) - I asked her to go through bits & pieces with me - she's really good at extracting decent breathing, even from me! Lorna (clarinet) helped out too. I think I managed to fake it enough that I didn't sound too much like a baby-sax!

It's made me want even more to work really hard on the sax though - I really enjoyed playing it. Vespina & Giotis both complimented me on my sound (?!?!?!?), which was nice - as did Noel. they said it was fat & big - which is the sort of thing I'm aiming for, so I think I'm starting off in the right direction at least!