organ prelude and postudes
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    Hello Everyone,

    I am new to this site and this is my first post.

    I am looking for a book of hymn tune preludes to use as preludes before mass. I already own the 100 hymn preludes published by Kevin Mayhew. They are great arrangements. Does anyone know of any other companies to try for hymn tune preludes that are easy to moderately easy??

    Also, I am looking for a book of postludes that are roughly one or one/two pages max in length. I worked on the great prelude and fugue in g major(little eight preludes and fugues) by Bach for my postlude last week. The congregation talked over me and acted like I was not even there. It was very disheartening to have that happen. Good riddance on good postlude music for my congregation. I'm now on the hunt for simple one/one-two page postludes. I would prefer them to be hymn tune based but they don't have to be.

    A friend mentioned the Carlos Rossini Liturgical Organist series to me but I find them very sappy romantic and nonsense arrangements of non-organ music.

    I'm also looking for organ arrangements on these following hymn tunes:
    Prospect
    Woodlands
    Morning Song
    Land Of Rest
    Columcille- (Irregular-Gaelic, Those Who Love and Those Who Labor text (found in red catholic worship book)
    The Summons (Kelvingrove)

    I'm a big fan of Charles Callahan (I met him in May of this year and he's awesome. His organ music is top notch!)

    Would someone possibly be willing to writing a partita in Charles Callahan style on "The Summons"? That tune is a favorite of my congregation and I would love to have an organ partita written on that hymn in Callahan style.

    Please message me back with suggestions on any of these topics/items?

    Thanks!
  • formeruser
    Posts: 22
    Augsburg Organ Library - a wealth of hymntune based music.

    http://store.augsburgfortress.org/store/search?ss=augsburg+organ+library&c=-1&x=21&y=10
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Don't worry about the congregation. My organ professor told me to put on the sforzando and put my elbows on the great manual for postludes. He said no one would know the difference. LOL. I have used pieces from the Montreal Organ Book but I don't think it is in print. It was available online, but all the instructions are in French.
  • TCJ
    Posts: 986
    I have a few pieces by Charles Callahan that I enjoy, though I haven't looked into anything specifically for preludes. I have a couple collections of Victorian and French music that has a number of pieces (some short) that are decent for preludes, but I don't remember the publisher. Pachelbel's collection of fugues I find very useful, too.

    As far as the congregation, I've learned that, based on attitudes, people don't pay attention to the postlude. A good share of them converse with each other and will talk louder and louder if you raise the volume. Those who don't talk will just walk out immediately. Typically by the time I'm finished with a postlude that is two pages long, the church is empty aside from a couple of people who actually find praying after Mass to be a good idea. Don't take it hard that people don't listen though... there will always be the one or two who enjoy it, plus you're honing your skills. I never think of myself as playing for people because if I did, I'd just stop doing it.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,828
    a wonderful FREE collection - almost every piece is usable
    bunches of composers
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    The link isn't working, :-(. What book/collection is that, who's the composer??
  • francis
    Posts: 10,828
    fixed it
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,417
    I don't think that you should despair of playing nice things for postludes. It would be an unusual Catholic church in which there were a coterie of organ fans who attended respectfully and eagerly to the postlude. This doesn't mean that it's unimportant or pointless. Anything connected to or attendant on the mass is very important. Even if people are talking, they are still being imbued with something good, and! God is still being praised with beautiful sound in thanksgiving for the mass.

    In addition to the other good suggestions above, you might want to invest in the organ chorals of J.G. Walther (a cousin of Bach): there are quite a few, they vary from very easy to moderately difficult, and are appropriate as preludes, postludes, hymn introductions, or (many of them) as sets of variations on hymn tunes.
    Thanked by 4Adam Wood Gavin francis CHGiffen
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    what are some easy walther pieces you would recommend?? I have heard of him, just never done any of his pieces before.
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Get the 80 Chorale Preludes book, published by Peters.
  • musicman923
    Posts: 239
    80 chorale preludes by Walther?? What are some of the hymn tunes he's arranged in that book??
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Like the link, Francis. I am always looking for short pieces to play, and I found several. Thanks.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,828
    yw charles. i play the heck out of these.
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