From nearly two stories below, a ramrod-straight bearded man shook his head, "I don't know." Clad in a plaid pleated skirt topped by a white shirt, dark vest and over-the-shoulder scarf, he was surrounded by a dozen more skirted men, all wielding ancient wind instruments which hearkened back to battlefields of yore.
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| Scottish Bagpipe |
Forming a megaphone with my hands, I called, "Start playing the tune, so I can figure it out." He nodded. I climbed onto the organ bench and readied my fingers to hunt out the notes to play.
From downstairs rose a fascinating squeaky-like drone as the MacKenzie Highlander's Pipes & Drums' leader puffed out his cheeks and filled his bagpipe. Sounds jabbed the atmosphere as if the piper were an entire orchestra warming up before a concert. I focused on the main drone pitch, then matched it on my keyboard. I mouthed OK to the piper. We would be playing "Amazing Grace" in E flat Major - not that the pipers cared what key I played in.
The others pumped up their bags and joined in. Our rehearsal for the next day's wedding somehow coalesced. Like pied pipers leading their flock of one - me, they began marching up and down the aisles. When I could catch sight of marching feet, I did my best to stay in rhythm. The accoustics were so live - with a couple seconds' delay - that I couldn't just listen with my ears. The delay would have caused me to fall behind the ensemble. The rhythm had to be seen.
I wonder if the invitations to that wedding suggested that guests bring (unwrapped) earplugs. It must have been awesome, even shocking, to sit in the pews the next day, The decibel level of a 76 rank (set of pipes) organ with 3,668 pipes in concert with a pipe band would be off the charts, even painful to some ears. I grinned the whole time! (No adequate example popped up in my searching, but this video will hint at the sound. Just multiply the volume times twelve. )
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Growing up in a small town traditional Presbyterian church, I never heard "Amazing Grace". Searching through my hymn book collection, I can't find it until late 1970s editions. Were we influenced by changing society norms, what we termed consciousness-raising? Is that why we began to include simple, sometimes campfire-like tunes, with inclusive language in religious services? Folks songs, even kumbaya, found their way into Protestant and even Catholic hymn collections. (I chuckled when I once observed Martin Luther's protest hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is our God" in a Roman church Sunday missal. Though not a sing-along tune, it suggested that post-Vatican II Catholics didn't mind an occasional interfaith fling.)
One's choice of appropriate hymns for church depends on his upbringing, philosophy and personal taste. But, however you look at it, "Amazing Grace" is easy to sing - up and down a diatonic scale - and tells a feel-good story. Who is not moved by the story of John Newton, the 18th century slave ship captain, who became an abolitionist minister? Most Protestant churches now whip out this loved song when its theme of forgiveness and grace fits a service. And mature musicians, trained in different times, hop on piano benches and lead congregations in heartfelt singing. I love to play the first few verses in strict rhythm, then modulate to a slower last verse in a Southern Baptist rock, encouraging the congregation to emote, really sing out. Sometimes folks even clap afterwards - horrors!
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Somewhere in the Caribbean Sea, between Guadeloupe and Martinique in the French West Indies, the engines stopped. Before there had been a rhythmic purring under foot; now we felt nothing. My husband and I looked at each other. What happened?
Just then, the loudspeaker interrupted our concern. "Mates, all hands on deck. All hands on deck".
Most of the hundred vacationing passengers, clad casually in shorts and shirts, clambered up the stairways to the vast upper deck of the 280' schooner, s/v Fantome. The Captain and crew had kept their promise: they'd demonstrate that this big sailing vessel - an old lady built in the 1920s for the Italian Navy, but only used as a yacht - could actually sail. When I'd registered for a Windjammer Barefoot Cruise, I thought we'd sail the whole week. Once on board, I realized that keeping a schedule would be impossible if we depended only on wind power. But, now, we were going to sail!
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| s/v Fantome |
The crew and a few gung-ho passengers wrestled the ropes and sails. This beautiful vessel slowly began to move as the canvas extended upwards. All heads tilted and watched in wonderment to see what was for most of us a once-in-a-lifetime event. Yes, the old ship could sail!
Just when I thought it couldn't get better, the most amazing thing happened. The loud speakers burst to life and out came the haunting sound of "Amazing Grace" on bagpipe. As the sun glinted off the water and the sails rippled in the breeze, my heart was filled with sadness and joy and, it seemed, all the human emotions one could feel. To this day, it remains a key moment for me.
The year was 1987. Tragically, s/v Fantome and her crew were lost off the coast of Honduras in 1998 during Hurricane Mitch. This wonderful chapter in windjammer history ended. Fortunately, a former passenger has posted a tribute video. Take a moment for a vacation trip to the West Indies. Grab your sailing clothes, take off your shoes and climb aboard the Windjammer s/v Fantome.
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