Organ Repertoire for Laetare Sunday
  • john m
    Posts: 136
    As we know, on the Fourth Sunday in Lent it is permissible for the organist to play solo literature. What is some of the repertoire that the organists here use on Laetare Sunday? Does anyone know of organ compositions based on the Introit or other propers of the day?
  • Lawrence
    Posts: 123
    Bach: Wir danken dir, Herr Jesu Christ, dass fuer uns gestorben bist (from the Orgelbuechlein). It has a nice "laetare" character.

    If I involve propers, I improvise.
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    Here's some intermediate level music for Lent for those of us with modest organ skills:

    Gerald Near, Chantworks Set II (also for Easter): Audi, benigne conditor; Jam, Christe, sol justitæ; Ex more docti mystico; Vexilla regis; Pange lingua; Lustrix sex qui jam peractis; Ad coenam agni providi; Aurora lucis rutilat. Not my cup of tea, but I think with proper registration thee might be worth the effort.

    Flor Peeters, 30 Chorale Preludes on Gregorian Hymns. Includes some Lenten office hymns.

    Johann Gottfried Walther, Chorale Preludes. Includes a suite of preludes on the tune Passion Chorale.

    Robert Kreutz, Six Quiet Meditations, No. 4: The Miracle of the Blind Man

    Jacques Berthier, 50 Pieces d'orgue. Includes "Parce Domine" and a chant-based "Ubi caritas"

    Henri Nibelle, Sortie sur la messe . Based on the famous Kyrie, this recessional builds to a big finish in D-major.
    Thanked by 2ghmus7 GregoryWeber
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    I'm going to at least do "O Mensch Bewein" because snow canceled our Ash Wednesday Mass. I'd tend to side with penitential music even for Laetare - it's still Lent and you don't get to use it any other day if you're strict about following the rule.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • john m
    Posts: 136
    I will be using Bach's O Lamm Gottes unschuldig BWV 656. It pulls out all the stops in the grandest manner, yet retains the pathos appropriate to Lent. The last few bars are a particularly moving musical evocation of the Crucifixion.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Protasius
    Posts: 468
    If anybody still searches what to do this year's Laetare Sunday, the Prelude on the introit in the work Praeludia organi ad singulas partes cantus gregoriani sounded nice to me. It is based on the Medicean version of the introit, but I thought it worth sharing (there are also other nice pieces in this work).
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen Felicity Lars GregoryWeber
  • Mark HuseyMark Husey
    Posts: 192
    Our major contribution with organ this weekend is for our combined trebles and adults to sing the complete Kyrie and Sanctus (and abridged Benedictus and Agnus Dei movements) of Louis Vierne's Messe Solennelle. I'm playing to Langlais voluntaries (Dialogue sur les mixtures and Les Rameaux); The Palms in anticipation of Passion/Palm Sundays. See attached order of worship.
    Lent 4 B 2015 CHORAL Vierne.pdf
    2M
    Thanked by 1GregoryWeber
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    Jacques Berthier, 50 Pieces d'orgue. Includes "Parce Domine" and a chant-based "Ubi caritas"
    Bertier has written a lot of really fine organ music, greatly neglected. He is more than Taize.
    Thanked by 2bonniebede GregoryWeber
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,933
    I don't play instrumentals during Lent except for today. I played a Reger chorale prelude on "Aus tiefer Not..." Ordinary, and a couple of standard Lenten hymns made up the rest, but no prelude or postlude.

    Agreed on Berthier. Definitely underrated.
  • LarsLars
    Posts: 116
    @Protasius big thanks for the "Praeludia Organi" book. Very useful. If there are more books like this I'd like to know.
  • GregoryWeber
    Posts: 39
    "Praeludia Organi" can also be downloaded as a whole PDF file: https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0006/bsb00064384/images/index.html . Download link at top right; be sure to click the British flag for English unless your German is better than mine. Seems to be a rare bird; good sighting!
    Thanked by 1Lars
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Brahms Schmueke dich
    Thanked by 1Lars
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