Applause after the Postlude?

By Mary Huff, Associate Director of Music

My isolation from live music during the pandemic was brief, unlike many of you who found lockdown without music to be long and difficult. I had the good fortune of being the “chief music videographer” when MAPC was producing pre-recorded services for over a year. Even so, hearing live sublime vocal music again after lockdown was overwhelming. I wept in the balcony, camera in hand, listening and rejoicing.

I know how much MAPC loves music and how deep your gratitude runs for those with whom you serve in ministry. That, coupled with your desire to thank Andrew Henderson, Director of Music and Organist, is why we now hear applause following the organ postlude. However, I ask you to reconsider your applause.

Why? You may be alarmed to discover that Andrew is not playing for you. On Sunday morning, we are singing and playing for an audience of one. Well, one as in, one God.

Liturgy is work, and we church musicians see our work on Sunday morning as an offering to God. We sing to God, we pray to God, and we praise God. That our work through music elicits MAPC to sing, pray, and praise more fully is simply evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, you see, there is no need for applause each Sunday after the postlude. It is for God. Now, if you wish to punctuate the organ postlude with an “Amen!” to end Andrew’s musical prayer, you are quite welcome.  

You may stay seated and listen to the postlude, or you may be buoyed out into the world right away. Stay and listen, rise and go, no applause necessary; be assured that we will count it all joy.