Martin Werner
It was Sunday morning. I was leading a choir rehearsal. My basses needed to sing a series of low Fs, which is tough for the baritones. I gave them a bit of advice: "turn your head slightly to the left and you'll buy yourself an extra half-step on the low end." Which is true; it works especially well if you tilt your head up a bit. I then added: "the guy who told me that trick is German, so you know it must work."
Two of my choristers were around the school of music of the University of Michigan when I was (the 80s) and thought they could guess who it was. Within a few seconds they had recalled the name: Martin Werner. Turns out Herr Doktor Werner is better known in this area than I thought. He's had a fruitful career in the west side of Michigan as a choir director. He also gets gigs as a whistler, of all things.
Anyway, to my old friend I say, Martin, if you've googled yourself and found this page: hello, and thanks again for the singing tip.
Umie the Umlaut says, "ask your doctor about the Fredösphere!"
1 Comments:
I was thinking of Martin Werner today during my lunch break at work. I decided to google him on the Internet tonight, knowing that his name is not unusual and that I might not have an easy time finding out what has become of him. I found this page immediately and knew that this is indeed the Martin Werner whom I remember so warmly.
I lived in Ann Arbor during the seventies and eighties. While there, I had the pleasure to sing in several choral groups - two at the University of Michigan, plus three church choirs. The second church choir of which I was a member was at First United Methodist Church with Martin Werner as conductor. I have had the honor to meet many world class musicians, including Horowitz, Stern, Ormandy and Marriner. I place Martin Werner right up there with them. He is, to put it quite simply, one of the most gifted people I have ever known.
I shall never forget Martin's cello playing, which was magnificent. To this day, the Beethoven duet for piano and cello in A Major is one of my perennial favorites. The first time I heard this piece, Martin was the cellist.
I also recall the awesome experience of performing Mozart's Requiem while in the First Methodist choir. At the end of our performance, the white baton flew out of Martin's hand and into the orchestra pit!
I delighted in hearing Martin whistle a broad repertoire. His rendition of the Trumpet Voluntary in D Major, formerly attributed to Purcell and now attributed to Clark, was particularly impressive.
I saw Martin Werner for the last time in the spring of 1987. His future was then up in the air. He was not sure where he would go next. The Rev. Dr. Paul T. Wachterhauser remarked, "Martin has treated music better than music has treated him."
I know how tough the competition can be. It seemed that, in Ann Arbor, there were twelve talented musicians in every alley! I hoped that Martin would enjoy the success that he so wanted and so richly deserved. I am thrilled to learn that he is doing precisely that. Upon receiving such good news, I shall go to bed tonight with a smile on my face.
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