I was the soloist yesterday for Easter Sunday at my church. I played with a new pianist who I knew would not be a super musician. I really wanted to play yesterday because besides being Easter, it was also my birthday. I collaborated with her on the choice of music: pieces with which she was familiar and weren't too difficult for her. She had the music for the past three months, she practiced diligently, and our rehearsal last week went well.

I attend an informal church, where we do all styles of music and services are casual.

Our opening piece, What a Wonderful World, went fine. During the meditation piece, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, she miscounted in one section; I was a bit annoyed but we got back on track and it was OK.

Just before we began our third piece, the offertory, I thanked everyone for their lovely birthday wishes. I said that I'd hoped to have woken up that morning resurrected, with 30 fewer pounds, no grey hair, and wrinkle-free. Everyone chuckled. I wished everyone a happy Easter, and announced the title of our new-age piece, Beautiful Thoughts.

About 3/4 of the way through, she had a piano solo, and I was waiting to come back in, and I waited, and waited.....she went off somewhere very pretty but nothing that was ever before heard by me.....I kept listening for a place to come in....nothing...I thought, OK, I'll just jump in and start, but there was no place that made harmonic sense, and I knew if I just started, I couldn't trust her to find me, as I would trust any of the other pianists with whom I usually play (who wouldn't have gone off like this in the first place). And of course, in my head were all my years of training and experience: "don't stop no matter what," and my years of drumming into my students' heads, "don't stop, keep going, the pianist will find you,"....but I just knew it wasn't going to happen.

By now, it was clear to the audience that I was lost, and of course they were thinking that I messed up. And from somewhere inside of me, out came, "Help! I need some resurrecting here!" The entire congregation cracked up laughing, and it gave myself and the pianist enough time to say, "top of page 6" and we started there together, and finished the piece, along with long and strong applause, not for the music, I don't think, but support for us getting through.