Well, I'm glad the music at the funeral went well. It does sound like the first organist was unjustifiable curt, and I sympathize with you for that. If the reason for not playing it was simply that it was a Catholic song, then that's not justified, either.

Still, I think it is important to remember that many or most church instrumentalists and choir directors are paid professionals with years of experience, and their experience should be respected. Musicians need to honor their audience, but it is generally up to musicians themselves to choose what is and isn't in their repertoire. If the audience has requests, the requests should be chosen from that repertoire.

It may not be the situation in your case, but there are many very demanding people who use churches only for weddings and funerals, and it can be difficult or impossible for pastors and church musicians to satisfy those demands. I suppose that doctors and car mechanics have similar problems with clients who want to exercise control that goes beyond the judgment of the professional.

So, my main point is that there may be two sides to the story.

-Joe Offer-