The Volunteer Organist 1909 Peter Dawson

James Pitt-Payne and Ian Cousins, Opera Australia - 14 Jan 2003

The preacher in the village church
one Sunday morning said:
"Our organist is ill today,
will someone play instead?"
An anxious look crept o'er the face
of ev'ry person there,
As eagerly they watch'd to see
who'd fill the vacant chair.
A man then stagger'd down the aisle,
whose clothes were old and torn,
How strange a drunkard seem'd to me
in church on Sunday morn.
But when he touch'd the organ keys
without a single word,
The melody that follow'd
was the sweetest ever heard.
The scene was one I'll ne'er forget,
as long as I may live,
And just to see it o'er again
all earthly wealth I'd give;
The congregation all amaz'd,
the preacher old and grey,
The organ and the organist
who volunteer'd to play.

Each eye shed tears within that church,
the strongest men grew pale,
The organist, in melody,
had told his own life's tale;
The sermon of the preacher
was no lesson, to compare
With that of life's example
who sat in the organ chair.
And when the service ended,
not a soul had left a seat,
Except the poor old organist,
who started toward the street.
Along the aisle, and out the door,
he slowly walked away,
The preacher rose, and softly said:
"Good Brethren, let us pray."
The scene was one I'll ne'er forget,
as long as I may live,
And just to see it o'er again
all earthly wealth I'd give;
The congregation all amaz'd,
the preacher old and grey,
The organ and the organist
who volunteer'd to play.

Soft karaoke
Words
treble clef 1
treble clef 2
lyric line
bass
*
The Volunteer Organist 1909 Peter Dawson
composed by Henry Lamb
written by William B. Gray
copyright circa 1909 - or before
sequence and karaoke by
James Pitt-Payne, London UK and
Ian Cousins, Opera Australia
on Tuesday 14 January 2003 at 22.40
in association with Doug Grierson
*
recorded on cylinder in 1909
by Peter Dawson
*