The church hired a young organist who decided to play some music he liked. One week as a prelude he played Whiter Shade of Pale, the old Procal Haram number which is, after all, based on a Bach prelude. Next week he got more daring and played the love theme from the 1968 film of Romeo and Juliet. It was lovely on the old pipe organ. And most people didn't recognize it -- so no one objected.

So far, so good.

Then came the Beatles number.

It was certainly a very high class version of Yesterday, kind of contrapuntal and Bach-like, but from time to time one could hear the clear melody of "Yesterday -- all my troubles seemed so far away --."

Still, most adults didn't catch on.

But the kids in the community did. They were showing up in droves to hear what would come next.

When a younger church member on the Administrative Board gave thanks for how the organist was getting the kids in with his music -- the gig was up.

The organist was fired.

"You won't believe what they do in that service," said my friend. "They have a guy that plays guitar every week -- and they sing Amazing Grace to the tune of House of the Rising Sun." He didn't like it.

When he told me who played guitar for the service, I recognized the name. He had been in the youth group I worked with 30 years ago.

And I had figured as much. Those kids always sang Amazing Grace to House of the Rising Sun.

I had left a legacy!

In a great church in England I heard an organist playing what I took to be a familiar Bach prelude.

"What is that? I said.

"Don't you know it?" he replied. That's A Whiter Shade of Pale!