So....

David and I decided to practice his song last night at home. He was singing "The Promise" as part of the pre-service music to the Midnight Divine Service. David is a mega-bass, so I had to transpose the Clavinova down three steps. We finish up and I walk away from the Clavinova, leaving it on.

In a bit, I hear Cindi fussing that her guitar has gotten so out of tune. She just can't understand it. She's playing her guitar for some preservice music with the Diane, our organist, on her flute. The obvious doesn't occur to either of us...

Then as Cindi is practicing with the Bekah and Robyn before the service, David and I look up at the balcony puzzled. The guitar is just wrong. The girls can't sing that low. We don't know what's the matter, but it sounds like the guitar. THAT'S when Cindi realized what happened! She had retuned to the transposed Clavinova!!!

Time it ticking away now. She desperately attempts to retune, and of course! Breaks a string. She sends David to the house for the classical guitar just in case the 12 string can't be used. She does manage to get it back into tune right before time for the preservice music to start. So she's a bit rattled as the music starts.

And she's not the only one. I'm oblivious. I'm sitting at the Clavinova, ready to begin David's piece, and I *thought* he gave me the signal: "start." But it was instead the signal: "don't go." Red light, green light? Whatever! I plow into it. David's music is all out of order, and he loses his place, and well, an interesting bit of scat before he finally comes in with the words, and finishes the piece flawlessly. WHEW. He was embarrassed, but so I was. I had totally thrown the lad off. Sigh. End of story? Of course not.

I left the Clavinova on last night. Never thought about it. So....when Pat sat down at the Clavinova this morning to do the preservice music with the BELLS, she's three steps lower than they are for "Joy to the World." YOUCH! Cindi suddenly realized what was wrong; Millie holds up the bells; David rushes to Clavinova and transposes up again; and then with a second try, the bells and Pat do an absolutely bang up job on the pre-service piece (and their piece in the liturgy too).

The long and short of it is: don't let Pastor touch the Clavinova at Christmas; or at least, be sure and turn it off after each time he plays. Okay?