Unique musical instruments

Perhaps you have noticed some instruments other than organ and piano being played in the services on Sunday. This past week, for example, you heard Will and Mary Bush playing a violin duet. St. Thomas is very fortunate to have many talented people ready and willing to play their instruments in church! I won’t begin to name them, lest I forget someone, but I’d like publicly to say thank you. I know it is much appreciated by everyone.

In addition, I also have a number of unusual instruments that I often like to play Sunday mornings; for example, you may have heard the bowed psaltery on July 4. The ancient Hebrews used a plucked psaltery to accompany the singing of the Psalms, probably improvised. The bowed psaltery was invented in the 1940’s in Ireland. I love to improvise Psalms with it as well.

On July 18 at Mass on the Grass you will heard Gabrielle Kunkel play the steel drum. The modern steel drum was invented in Trinidad also around 1940. Today the drum is constructed from the bottom of a 55 gallon barrel, sunk down in a concave fashion, and tuned with precision.

I also love the melodica, which is basically a foot-long keyboard harmonica. It reminds me of sitting around the campfire in the old west, and it can be really expressive.

From time to time you will also hear the wood drum (tuned), shofar (a real ram’s horn) , autoharp, wooden and metal glockenspiel, recorders (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), ukelin (like the bowed psaltery, but there are also strings to strum to accompany yourself), large Chinese gong, various drums, drum set (thank you Jim Blundell), vibes (thank you Paul Johnson), timpani, and Indian percussion, particularly wrist bands with bells (thank you Fr. David). Would anyone out there enjoy playing some of these with me? I can't do it all alone! Shoot me an email or find me after the service. your musician and liturgist, Charles