THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 26, 1996 TAG: 9607240174
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 76 lines
NEARLY EVERY SUNDAY morning for half a century, Geraldine Sawyer buckled on the hard-heeled shoes she favors when working the pedals of a church organ.
Then, in June, she retired after having served as an organist under nine different choir directors at four different churches.
The Norfolk native's first 10 years as a church organist were spent at Norfolk's WillowwoodPresbyterian Church. That was followed by a 10-year stay at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Then she played for Indian River Baptist Church.
After a time, Sawyer and her family moved to Great Bridge, where she learned that Great Bridge Baptist Church needed an organist. She applied and got the job and remained there for the next 11 years.
`` `Gerry' approached the position from a ministerial perspective first,'' said Allen S. Hendricks, minister in music and worship at Great Bridge Baptist. ``She focused on supporting others in the ministry of praise, rather than viewing this position as just another job.''
As more and more contemporary music was incorporated in worship services, Sawyer was called upon to play the synthesizer.
``I had not played the keyboard before and had to learn to read the orchestral score,'' she said.
``Her talent is much more than an ability to play technically difficult music,'' Hendricks said. ``She has a touch that demonstrates her understanding of the spiritual and emotional elements of beautiful music. Her music comes from her heart and her heart belongs to her Lord.''
She also passed down her love of music to her children.
``All of Mother's emotions and what she feels are in her hands when she plays the piano and organ,'' said her daughter, Betty Sue Harris.
Sawyer taught piano weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., allowing her to remain at home with her children, whom she also taught to play.
``The music that I remember hearing her play, the preludes and hymns, she still plays today,'' said her son, Lee Sawyer III.
The baby sitters who cared for Sawyer's children were often her piano students. Now her students frequently sit for Lee Sawyer's children.
Over the years, Sawyer's love for choral music has not diminished.
``I love the beauty of the human voice,'' she said. ``What I enjoy about choral singing is the sound and blend of voices.''
In reference to choral music, Sawyer saw her job as that of accompanist.
``The organist should add to but never overpower,'' she said.
Hendricks referred to the lyrics of a hymn which, she said, describe the former organist:
Give of your best to the Master,
Give Him first place in your heart;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you shall be given,
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.
For her part, Sawyer counted it all joy.
``The Lord blessed me in so many ways,'' Sawyer said. ``If you know your music and they (the choir members) know theirs, there's no problem.''
A music minister always strives to get the best effect from his choir, she added.
``The accompanist should be willing to give her best for the same reason because we're all there to praise God to the best of our ability,'' she explained. ``Since God provides the talent, he deserves the best from the individual musician. We develop our talents to offer praise to him through music.
``I tell my students the same thing,'' said Sawyer, who will continue to teach piano. ``If we want to please God, we should develop our gifts as well as possible to praise the giver.''
After 10 years of instruction four of Sawyer's students won the (Ignace) Paderewski Gold Medal during National Guild auditions. Several received Chesapeake Fine Arts scholarships.
``I'm proud of that,'' said Sawyer. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
``Her music comes from her heart and her heart belongs to her
Lord,'' Allen S. Hendricks, minister in music and worship at Great
Bridge Baptist Church, says of Geraldine Sawyer. by CNB