Preparing Congregations for Worship

I've had the privilege to play the organ in the temple for 2 1/2 months so far, and it has been a wonderful experience. I have the early morning shift, every-other week, which allows me to be home before my kids leave for school. During this time, I've learned a lot about preparing those in attendance for worship, and I was able to implement these principles as I played prelude for our adult session of stake conference on Saturday evening.  I wanted to share my suggestions and experiences with you.


The picture I took before playing for the second time in the temple
Earlier this year, I attended a class where Mike Carson, former dean of the Utah Valley AGO chapter and current Bonneville District Convener, mentioned being careful not to be "intrusive" with our playing.  At the time, I didn't really understand what he meant, but filed that thought away for the future.

I began playing in the temple the first week of July, and it seems that each time I'm there I learn a little more about effectively preparing those in attendance for worship.  I now know what Mike meant about being careful not to be intrusive.  The purpose of prelude music isn't to call attention to ourselves, and we aren't playing to perform beautiful organ music.  The purpose of prelude music is to prepare those in attendance for worship.  While these following suggestions and applications are specifically intended towards adult congregations, I'm sure they can be adapted or modified for services which include children.

1. Don't compete for volume

While the temple chapel is generally very reverent, there are times when whispers or dialogue become noticeable and distracting.  Instead of increasing the volume of the organ slightly to cover the noise, I've learned that it's much more effective to decrease the volume of the organ.  If the organ is softer than the dialogue, generally the person talking or whispering will become softer or stop talking altogether as they respond to the decreased organ volume.

As soon as I began my prelude Saturday evening, the volume of voices in the chapel increased noticeably.  Instead of opening the expression pedals a little bit more, as has been my habit, I decided to try what works in the temple, and decrease the volume.  The volume of the voices immediately returned to the pre-organ level.

2. Keep it simple, and play the hymns

In the temple, the organists are asked to play the hymns and songs from the Children's Songbook as written, without alternate harmonies or arrangements.  The simple four-part harmonies and chord progressions do not draw undue attention to themselves and allow those listening to pursue their own thoughts and ponderings.

Saturday evening, instead of using my normal prelude books and pieces, I felt that I should use my copy of Easy Hymn Preludes for Organ, outlined towards the bottom of the article here, which was published by the Church in 1982 but is now out of print. My registrations were simple and subdued, the arrangements were beautiful in their simplicity, and many portions of the pieces are played in the manuals, using the pedals sparingly as emphasis.  This prevents the pedal drone that many prelude pieces utilize, and which I now think might contribute to more congregational noise.

3. Embrace silence

As I play in the temple, I am not afraid to lift all four voices at the end of phrases as the text directs, or where rests are indicated in the staff.  I allow some silence between hymns as I turn the pages in my binder of music.  Allowing that moment of silence reestablishes a quiet baseline, despite the volume of the music that comes from the organ.

After taking down the volume of the organ Saturday evening and playing a simple yet beautiful piece to begin my prelude, it was during the silence between the first and second piece where I really heard the volume of the congregation decrease. As I continued to play, if the volume started to creep up, I simply allowed for an extra moment of silence at appropriate times in my prelude music, and the congregation readily responded.

4. Do not look around

 During my orientation at the temple, I was asked not to look around as I played, but to focus on the organ and my music.  Following this direction allows me to focus on the Spirit as I contemplate the needs of those in attendance, instead of becoming distracted by the faces of those sitting in the chapel. I've found that I can sense the needs of those in the room best when I follow the Spirit's direction instead of using my eyes.

My husband did not drive with me Saturday evening, as it was taking longer for the the kids to finish eating dinner, bathe and settle down than we had planned.  I didn't allow myself to focus on whether or not he was here yet as I played.  I didn't look to see how full the chapel was getting, or to see how many people I knew that were there.  These visual distractions are just that--distractions.  They get in the way of the Spirit, and prevent the organist from focusing wholly on the prelude.  I was actually surprised when the meeting started to see that my husband had not yet arrived.  I was grateful that I was unaware of that fact until after my prelude had concluded.

5. Play with the Spirit

The hymns are powerful.  There are times when I'm playing in the temple that I feel impressed to play certain hymns, and I know that there is someone there who needs the comfort, strength, or healing power found in that particular hymn.  When I focus on the words and do not allow myself to be distracted with other things, I feel that my playing brings with it a special spiritual effectiveness that is not present if I'm just playing the notes with my thoughts elsewhere.

Before beginning my prelude Saturday evening, I took a moment to let go of the frenzied craziness of the day.  I took a deep breath, said a silent prayer, and allowed peace to enter my heart.  As I played the prelude, I felt the Spirit of the hymns.  I thought of the words of the hymns, and I sought to allow my playing to be an instrument in bringing the Spirit to the meeting. I had such focus, that there were times I completely forgot the room and the environment as I played the beautiful hymns of Zion.

As the chapel and cultural hall filled during my 15 minutes of prelude, I had the most wonderful experience. I was filled with the Spirit, and was able to play my pieces with that Spirit, and without distraction.  A beautiful reverence extended over the entire room, and I felt almost as though I was again playing in the temple as the adults who entered maintained the existing reverence of the room.  When the Stake President stood to begin the meeting, you could have heard a pin drop.  I was given the distinct assurance that those in attendance were prepared to hear the word of the Lord.


While I know that this experience is unique (I have never experienced anything like it), hopefully these suggestions and applications can help you as you strive to prepare your congregation to worship in your respective meetings.  I feel that I was taught these principles as I served in the temple of the Lord, and wanted to share with my readers.

As always, thank you so much for visiting!