Recommendations for church

[Bob]

Looking for easy music.

Appropriate for a church setting.

And if it's available here, great.  Or if you know of a whole book or standard music.

Traditional church oriented music.  And if it can apply to more settings, that's good too.

[quantum]

You could go with stuff like Handel arias as piano/organ solo.  Simple arrangements of familiar classical tunes sound good on organ and are easy to learn. 

You could also do hymn improvisations.  Learn a hymn, then extemporize on it's various aspects.  A lot can be done with text painting.

[Bob]

Ah.  I'm not much of an improviser though.  It's "one of those days" for a project.  Which is probably never.  I'd like to learn though.

I found the Burgmüller stuff on here.  The titles match the mood so that makes it easy to piece appropriate stuff.

[birba]

You could go with stuff like Handel arias as piano/organ solo.  Simple arrangements of familiar classical tunes sound good on organ and are easy to learn. 

You could also do hymn improvisations.  Learn a hymn, then extemporize on it's various aspects.  A lot can be done with text painting.

  Speaking of improvisation, I went to a sunday mass at Smokey Mary's in New York, and I have NEVER heard such an incredible improvisation at the organ.  He tore the church down.  It sounded like a mixture of Widor and Messaien.   I was stunned and inspired all at once.  Must go back and find out who he is.  I had to run that day and couldnt wait around to congratulate him.

[quantum]

  Speaking of improvisation, I went to a sunday mass at Smokey Mary's in New York, and I have NEVER heard such an incredible improvisation at the organ.  He tore the church down.  It sounded like a mixture of Widor and Messaien.   I was stunned and inspired all at once.  Must go back and find out who he is.  I had to run that day and couldnt wait around to congratulate him.

Which mass did you go to?  I'd like to visit when I plan a trip to NYC.

[pianomom697]

Hi, Bob,

I've been a church pianist/organist for 20 years, so I know what it's like to have to come up wih stuff every week that won't kill you.

I really enjoy the bimonthly subscriptions from Lorenz... they have "The Church Pianist," as well as several that are specifically for organ (you'd have to choose depending on your organ reading/pedaling level). Here is a link if you want to check it out:

https://www.lorenz.com/subscription.aspx

The publications contain varying styles, are appropriate to whatever season they are in at the time, and have been a great resource for me. They may not be the most flashy or spectacular pieces, but they are great for general worship services. (No, I don't work for Lorenz!!!)

Good luck!
Gab

[quantum]

Hi, Bob,

I've been a church pianist/organist for 20 years, so I know what it's like to have to come up wih stuff every week that won't kill you.

I really enjoy the bimonthly subscriptions from Lorenz... they have "The Church Pianist," as well as several that are specifically for organ (you'd have to choose depending on your organ reading/pedaling level). Here is a link if you want to check it out:

https://www.lorenz.com/subscription.aspx

The publications contain varying styles, are appropriate to whatever season they are in at the time, and have been a great resource for me. They may not be the most flashy or spectacular pieces, but they are great for general worship services. (No, I don't work for Lorenz!!!)

Good luck!
Gab

Looks like some good stuff for busy people.  Maybe the church would be willing to invest in such subscriptions.  Even for a year, it would give you a good starting point to planning your own programmes. 

[Bob]

Yes, ouch. $40 for that.  I wonder if they're selling the same music in different formats.  Their piano page example didn't look exactly piano-friendly.  Wide stretch in the LH, a 10th.  Thanks for the link though.

I just need to find some new pieces or something.  Preferably without spending any more.  Then I end up playing for free (or paying out myself for music) in the end.

[birba]

Which mass did you go to?  I'd like to visit when I plan a trip to NYC.

Smokey Mary's is the Church of the Virgin Mary on 47th street, I believe, just off of Broadway going east.  It's a high episcopal church (smokey mary's because they use a lot of insense) that has a wonderful organ and organist and choir and soloists.  It was the 11:00 Sunday mass.  And it wasn't even a particular occasion. 

[Bob]

Simple Debussy looks good.

Gurlitt would be passable too for church.  It sounds a little more etudey though.

[Bob]

Lemoine too, but it can sound like an etude again.

[Bob]

2nd movement of a sonata?  Has anyone done that?

[Bob]

Yes, something like the mvtII of Mozart's K545 sounds decent for church.

[lostinidlewonder]

Bach Cantata's always sound in right place in churches Recently I played the Sonatina which begins Cantata no 106 Gods Time is the Best (Gottes zeit ist die allerbeste zeit) at the Anglican Church in my town.

[edvond]

I found a ton of music in our library which was suitable for church services.  Some with pedals, some without.  Slowly I purchased music as well. 

Old English Organ Music for Manuals (six volumes) published by Oxford University Press was particularly useful.  They are easy enough to sight read yet are musically very rewarding and satisfying for the congregation.  Another was Ten 18th Century English Voluntaries published by Concordia.  I also found Pucell suites and various compositions appropriate and easy.

You will also find many volumes of Wedding Music that contain easy transcriptions of piano scores.  They will give you many ideas.

Believe it or not, much of the organ music of Pachelbel is not at all hard—the Toccatas have many pedal points and then minimal pedal work as well.  It is thoroughly enjoyable for everyone.

I was given a series of books that consisted entirely of 2, 3 or 4 line pieces that sounded like improvisatory bridges.  They were especially useful to me as the priest wanted continual music.  They came in several levels but I cannot remember the series title.  I would bet that they were available at a library. 

After many years of using these little pieces, I started improvising myself since often I needed to extend them, etc.   I had no improvisation training to start but little by little I got used to it by extending these and then seamlessly modulating to the next hymn.

Hope this helps.

[redbaron]

How about the Mephisto Waltz? I'm sure that that would go down well in a church setting! 

[dnephi]

400 BABIES

[Bob]

400 BABIES

What's that?

[bernhard]

Here is a similar thread with lots of suggested repertory:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,6450.0.html
(sacred music)

Best wishes,
Bernhard

[paradisi]

There are lots of books with classical repertoire for weddings - much of this music would also be appropriate for church preludes, etc.  Here's some of the selections from mine -

J.S. Bach - Aria, "Bist du bei mir", BMV 508
Brahms - A Rose is Gently Blooming, opus 122 #8
Grieg - Notturno, opus 54 #4
Mussorgsky - Meditation, opus 70 #17
MacDowell - Clair de lune, opus 37 #1
                  To a Wild Rose, opus 51 #1
Burgmuller - Harmony of the angels, opus 100 #21
Goedicke - Elegy, opus 46 #29
Khachaturian - Ivan Sings
Schumann - Mignon, opus 68 #35
Poulenc - Sicilienne, from Suite Francais

Obviously some might need to be renamed if printed in a service bulletin (i.e. "Ivan Sings" could be renamed Andantino).

I've also play Brahms intermezzos, Bach preludes & invention, and numerous other quieter, reflective classical pieces.

     

[hansscherff]

What comes to mind are some of the beautiful accompaniments of choral singing, like:

Faure - Cantique de Jean Racine
Mendelssohn - Psalm 42 (and others)
John Rutter - The lord bless you and keep you

You dont have to play the entire pieces of course, psalm 42 is quite long. They usually are not very hard but you can make them harder and more beautiful by adding some of the choral voices into your accompaniment. Adding those voices at certain times also helps you to develop a feeling for improvisation.

Non choral pieces would include:

Mendelssohn - lieder ohne worte, duetto (dont know the opus from the back of my head)
Schubert - Impromptu in Gb
Bach prelude in B minor Transcribed by Siloti

[Bob]

These need to be easy pieces.  The more time spent on it, the less I would make per hour.  The incentive is money, not spiritual needs or improving my musicianship.  If did do a piece for musicianship, great, but I'm really looking for simple music with this thread.  Simple, but sounding-more-difficult is great for this type of gig.

[tylerhink]

Pictures at an Exhibition No. 1 has a nice churchy feel to it.

[Bob]

The main Promenade theme?  I hadn't thought of that.  I could see it.  They probably wouldn't like the catacombs though.

[aewanko]

Chopin's funeral march

[Bob]

Last movement.  Freak them out. 

[gyzzzmo]

Jesu my desire, how more churchy can you get?

btw, best is not to go to church at all, unless they're paying you properly.

gyzzzmo

[michel dvorsky]

SCRIABIN SONATA no 9 (Black Mass).

Because an exorcism is every pianist's dream

[aewanko]

btw, best is not to go to church at all, because you'll melt. 

[communist]

The Mephisto Waltz 

[Bob]

I'm looking for realistic ideas.   

Keeping in mind it's probably a not-so-great piano.  Simple is better.