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The parish church was a very important place for me when I was growing up. We lived just a few minutes away, and I remember walking there with my parents every Sunday morning. Even as a child, I enjoyed Mass immensely. Following along in my father's prayer book, I would try hard to be very quiet, kneel up straight, and never turn around, lest one of my brothers poke me in the back!
The latter was the hardest, as I was very curious about the sounds that resonated from the choir loft. The music from the church organ made me smile and giggle with delight. Noticing this, my parents arranged for me to talk with the organist one Sunday when I was six. Soon afterwards, they bought me a small spinet organ and arranged for me to take lessons.
I became very attentive to the music used at Mass and collected all the responsorial psalms, hymns, and songs. In time, I learned to play them and many other types of music. My favorites were the liturgical pieces by Bach and Handel, especially “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” When I played this hymn and let my soul soar, I was sometimes too swept away to keep a grip on correct rhythm and timing!
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