THE ALTO WORE TWEED

THE ALTO WORE TWEED
Mark Schweizer
224 pages
ISBN: 0-9721211-2-9
St. James Music Press
2002
$10.00

As a musician, it is wonderful to discover a musical mystery that encompasses both the literary aspect, as well as church music. THE ALTO WORE TWEED is a book within a book. Hayden Konig is a full-time police detective, part-time choirmaster and organist for the Episcopal Church, and detective novelist who writes in the old detective style of Raymond Chandler who used similes and metaphors to the extent of the descriptions being as interesting as the plot.

THE ALTO WORE TWEED is actually the Raymond Chandler novel writing story which is developed as Hayden scripts it out on Raymond Chandler’s old typewriter. This part is tested on the choir members each Sunday during the sermons.

In Hayden’s church is a new female priest who Hayden has difficulty in getting along. The priest wants music such as Kum-Baya and Hayden is masterful at playing and having the choir sing The Eyes of All by Charles Wood. For the non-musical readers the differences involve appropriateness, enrichment, musical class, and not being trendy.

In Hayden’s police work, Willie, the sexton, was found dead in the church during a conference for the Wimmyn’s Empowerment in the Ministry. Willie succeeded in vomiting all over the organ console before his death. His body was discovered due to an anonymous call made from the church. Willie was not the most loved person in the church congregation due to his lack of bathing habits which was covered up by excessively using after-shave. The church usually communicated with him by notes and since he worked at night, this method was preferred by all.

This is a fast-paced gem. THE ALTO WORE TWEED is wonderful in capturing realistic relationships that exist in every church congregation and really emphasizes the power of the organist throughout any church service. By intertwining the numerous facets of Hayden’s jobs, these are paralleled in the novel by the interwoven facets of Hayden’s diverse life. Everyone, especially church goers, will laugh in this delightful gem of a novel.

Mark Schweizer is even more diverse as an author than his character Hayden Konig. He is a trained musician and now, author. He currently is president of St. James Music Press and lives in Kentucky with his wife and two children.