Palm Sunday prelude
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    Hi Eveyone,

    I'm looking for a simple 2-3 page organ prelude for Palm Sunday. Does anyone have any suggestions on what pieces to look into? Something that is fairly easy to learn and not to tricky. Something I can learn in a week or two and not spend a long time on it either.

    Thanks!
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Improvisation on Musicam Sacram 66.

    Purple bold italics. Kinda.
    Thanked by 1Ally
  • bcb
    Posts: 36
    I believe what matthewj is trying to say is that, while I'm sure the forum would be happy to suggest organ preludes for other times of the year, they probably won't for Palm Sunday, since they are generally forbidden in Lent by:

    " In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only to support the singing. Exceptions are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and feasts"---GIRM. 313
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    I have never played preludes for Palm Sunday. The congregation is outside waiting to process into the church. I start the opening hymn when they enter the door.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Well, of course they'd be outside at the principal Mass...

    But there'd be silence at other Masses when the procession doesn't take place.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    There is a "mini" procession and palms are blessed at the other masses. Still an action going on during what would be prelude time in any other season. I only play to accompany singing during Lent. This is OF mass. I have no idea what the EF people do.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    The organ restriction exists in the EF too.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I'm also not doing any organ for the entire season, except possibly something sparse on Laetare, if at all that day. In fact, the organst won't even be there.
  • Padster
    Posts: 40
    I won't be doing any solo organ stuff once the statues are veiled, and will be playing solemn, unshowy pieces the rest of the time e.g BWV 579, Franck's Prelude, Fugue and Variation and the like. I would rather not play any organ music during Lent, but our priest prefers me to play and I don't want to go against his wishes, so this is a compromise I have come up with.

    Best wishes,
    Padster
  • PaixGioiaAmorPaixGioiaAmor
    Posts: 1,473
    To answer the original poster's question, since I don't even know if he works in a Catholic church, and if so, what his realities are:

    There is a piece that exists by Lani Smith, an improvisation upon the chant "Hosanna to the Son of David." It's in a collection of sort of easy, seasonal preludes, the name of which escapes me. But I bet you can find it if you google around.
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