MADISON — On Corpus Christi Sunday, June 19, Josh Wichger played the organ during Mass at Holy Redeemer Church in Madison, part of Cathedral Parish.
Wichger performed “Prelude in F Major” by J.S. Bach at the start of the 11 a.m. Mass.
It was Wichger’s first public performance on the organ.
Wichger, who is also the parish’s head altar server, has been learning the organ for about a year under the instruction of the parish’s Director of Music Bruce Bengston.
Wichger’s mother Monica, who sings in the parish choir, heard that Bengston was offering free organ lessons and Wichger realized that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn the organ.
Learning the organ
A junior at La Follette High School in Madison, Wichger described the way he learned the organ by playing different pieces of music:
“We start by identifying different parts of the music, challenging parts to play, and patterns in the music. Later we decide on which stops to use and other small details, such as musical phrasing. Along the way, I learn different techniques, methods, and patterns for playing the organ. Sometimes my teacher will have me do exercises from a method book, which have helped me in my organ playing.”
The “Prelude in F Major” is in Wichger’s words, “a two-minute piece consisting of three sections. It is one of the simpler pieces from Bach, which made it a great choice for my first time performing.”
The key to successfully performing in front of an audience is to remain calm and focused.
Prior to the performance, he kept a clear mind to avoid becoming stressed out about performing the piece.
While he was playing, he continued to remain as relaxed as possible to stay focused.
“Being relaxed during playing also makes performing a piece a lot easier,” said Wichger. “However, I was still shaking because of my nerves”.
Once finished playing, Wichger said that “everything moved really quickly”.
He had to get downstairs to help out with altar serving, but at the same time, he was trying to evaluate how well he did. “I was pretty relieved that I had made it through the piece.”
Monica was the one who encouraged him to start taking lessons, even though he was initially unsure about it.
She bought him books of music for playing and the special shoes required for the pedals and drove him to practices.
“All in all, I’m very grateful for everything she has done, and continues to do to support me!” said Wichger.
Other lessons
So far, he said that the most important lesson he’s learned since taking up the organ is the importance of focusing on one aspect of something at a time before moving on to the next.
“This was important for when I was learning the piece,” he said, “and performing it”.
This lesson came up again in English class, where the students focused on breaking up a large assignment into smaller, more manageable pieces instead of trying to take on everything at once. This lesson can be applied in so many aspects of life.
Wichger has considered playing the organ as a potential career path since it fits with his musical interests and is a job in high demand.
For now, he plans on focusing on familiarizing himself with the instrument by learning more music.
As for the Cathedral Parish, what stands out to Wichger is “how reverent all the servers, deacons, priests, and choir are. It’s a good reminder that we are in God’s house when we go to church and that everything we do there and in life is to get closer to him.”
Learning to play the organ is no small feat. Wichger can definitely be proud of how he gave back to his parish through the service of liturgical music.
Sylvia Patterson is an intern with the Catholic Herald.