One of the funny things about improvising is how things can change in the course of developing the initial ideas. First, I always try to keep the initial idea in my head, because being able to return to it gives the improvisation a roundness (binary roundness! – oof, sorry, bad pun). I feel it helps those listening, or meditating since it is communion, not to have to work at understanding what the music is doing and simply accept it. I suppose that may go a little into left field, psycho-acoustics and what not, but it certainly plays a key role.
This particular improvisation, while having those long sustaining pitches and fast moving motives, is really just to set an aesthetic. I really do love using subito piano an effect. The very full sound of the 8′ flutes in the swell with 16′ and 4′ in the pedal give it a very rich and full sound. I only wish I could have set up the recorder in the church to get a better sense of the space, but I am certainly not about to walk out during communion to hit record. Nope. Enjoy!