When Harry Met Bessie

I was asked to play for a funeral in Independence this morning. I used to fill in at this church sometimes, back when I was doing substitute work. But I was substituting at one church or another every single week, so I finally just took a regular Sunday job. Nowadays, I don't get a chance to play at other churches very often ~ just the occasional wedding or funeral.

It's kind of fun, because every organ is different, and has its own personality. This one is very touchy. You breathe, and it plays. You have to be very careful. If you are playing a note, and even think about the neighboring notes, you get those too. So I played more major and minor seconds than I usually do.

My daughter says it's weird that I like to play for funerals, but not so much for weddings. I told her the reason is that at funerals, the people are most likely thinking about the meaning of life. But at weddings, they are thinking about the party, and how everything looks, and all kinds of things that are not important. Besides, my track record at funerals is better. When I play at weddings, they usually don't even stay married. But all of the people whose funerals I have played for have stayed dead, so far. (I like to think my work has an impact.)


This is a historic church. It is where Harry Truman went to Sunday School, and where he met Bess.



If I go through a hallway behind the organ, I come to a little sitting room, where they have a framed picture of Harry and Bess as children. It's very sweet.



It's a pretty church ~ there is balcony seating all around. When I have been there on a Sunday, there have been people seated up there.


Right outside this church, you can see the world headquarters of the Community of Christ ~ the muffin-top building is the Auditorium, and the corkscrew building is the Temple. They have the best organs in town.

I can't help thinking about Harry and Bess every time I come to this part of town. Years ago, I read the first half of David McCollough's Truman (I have read the first part of many books), so I remember a lot of little details about Truman's early life. (Since I didn't read that part of the book, I know very little about the second half of his life, although I do remember when he died. I was ten. It was around Christmas time. I was at my grandparents' house in Iowa.) I think it's cool that he took piano lessons, even though it was not considered "macho" to play the piano. He loved music enough that he learned to play the piano anyway, never mind what people think.

One of Truman's favorite pieces was Paderewski's Menuet. (That was one of my favorite pieces, too, much to my teacher's annoyance.) Paderewski was a concert pianist who became prime minister of Poland. I think that's cool too. As a composer, he was a one-hit wonder. I only know of the one piece. In fact, it's the only thing I know about Paderewski. (Other than the fact that he was prime minister of Poland.) When I hear "Paderewski," I think "Menuet."

But when I go to the Wikipedia article on Paderewski, it doesn't even mention the celebrated Menuet. Not that Wikipedia is the authoritative source on what is important about Paderewski, but it makes me realize that I don't know much about history.

I have lived in Kansas City for 23 years, and I have never visited the Truman Library, or taken a tour of the Truman Home. I hear that they are wonderful. People come from all over the world to visit these sites. Sometime, within the next year, I promise to take the time to be a tourist (without leaving town). I will take a tour of the Truman Library and Home. I've said it before, but now I'm saying it publicly, on the internet, so that I will follow through.

(What about you? Have you visited the important sites in your town?)