need suggestions for Christmas organ music (2-manual)
  • teachermom24
    Posts: 327
    I am the new choir director at our parish where my 15 year old son is the organist. We are brand-new at this so need a lot of help. I am looking for suggestions for organ music my son can play at Christmas (Advent too, if possible). He does not play pedals yet so just needs 2-manual music (he's foremost a pianist). I'm hoping to find preludes, postludes, and solo pieces. Can someone send me in the right direction to find something?

    Thank you!

    Kathy
  • Randolph Nichols
    Posts: 398
    Book I of James Woodman's "Six Little Partitas," published by Thorpe Music Publishing Company, would be a nice solution. It includes works for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. There is some optional pedal that would be a good start for someone just learning to use the feet.
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    The Noels of Daquin:
    http://petrucci.mus.auth.gr/imglnks/usimg/6/61/IMSLP03767-Daquin.pdf
    French, Baroque. See particularly the Swiss noel, which is the last one.

    L'Organist by Cesar Frank:
    http://imslp.org/wiki/L%27Organiste_%28Franck,_C%C3%A9sar%29
    Short pieces of all kinds for organ or harmonium. There are a number of noels scattered throughout. No pedals. The sortie in F seems to be well known, and can be impressive. Make sure the pieces sound right; some can sound a bit on the overly pianistic side.

    Pachelbel: Fugues for the Magnificat (other organ works are also good)
    http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Pachelbel,_Johann
    Great at any time, not as hard as Bach. Every now and then you may think something is a little too simple (borderline boring?) but that is because his style is less complicated than Bach. My sister just used one of these as a postlude substituting for me one week - she is also a pianist, not an organist.

    Hope some of this is helpful; when I started, these would have been useful to know.
  • Spriggo
    Posts: 122
    Charles Callaghan has many collections of manual-only organ music (mostly hymn-tune or chant based) that are quite good and easy to approach. I know that there are 2 Advent and 2 Christmas volumes.
  • teachermom24
    Posts: 327
    Thank you all1 That gives us a lot to work with.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    these are simply the coolest books i have found for manuals. 10 volumes spanning centuries.

    http://imslp.org/wiki/Liber_organi_(Various)
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    I really think the best is the Collection by Dom Gregory Murray, OSB. 150 pieces, all for manuals ONLY.
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