Week 1: UNISON / 2-PART / SAB ANTHEMS
Magnificat
by Ruth Elaine Schram
2-part treble, piano, flute
Features: A beautifully understated melody carries this meaningful text exceptionally well. The writing is accessible for children's choirs but works equally well for adult choirs.
Difficulty: Easy
I Am a Child of God
by Ann Schrooten
Unison, piano, opt. descant
Features: A versatile song that can be sung as a hymn or an anthem, with or without a descant. The text provides wonderful language for the variety of ways we are called to be children of God: song of joy, cry for peace, an angry voice.
Difficulty: Easy
Shepherd of Souls
by Scott Atwood
SAB, piano
Features: This is a setting of a German hymn that has a truly beautiful melody which is paired with great SAB writing that is expressive and fresh. A wonderful communion anthem and general use.
Difficulty: Easy
I Would Be True
by Undine Smith Moore
SA(T)B, piano
Features: It’s like an art song! Poetic text, artistic piano part, and could be done with only 3 voices.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
When Twilight Comes
by Robert Buckley Farlee
Two-part mixed, piano
Features: This lovely two-part arrangement is accessible yet enjoyable for choirs of many sizes and abilities. Perfect for Maundy Thursday or during Lent.
Difficulty: Easy
Hope of the World
by Taylor Davis
SAB, piano
Features: This anthem features a moving text and a gorgeous melody that captures the feeling of both longing and hope.
Consider programing it during Lent or even on Good Friday.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
by Amy Lynne Engelsdorfer
SAB, piano
Features: This familiar hymn text is set to a beautiful new melody surrounded by rich choral harmonies. The writing mirrors the depth of the text and provides a full range of expression and dynamics that the choir will enjoy!
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth
by Zebulon M. Highben
SAB, guitar, flute
It's just so pretty! If you have guitar and flute available, this is a winner.
The choral writing thoughtfully highlights the text and is easily learned.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Augsburg Easy Choirbook, Volume 1: Music for the Church Year
Multi-composer
Unison and Two-part Mixed, Keyboard
Features: The first volume in this series features anthems which are great for starting off the program year as they require minimal rehearsal and work well with fewer singers. Kick off the season with the joyful 2-part setting of Psalm 100 by Dale Wood, "Julialte Deo"! And get a head start on Advent and Christmas with "Stir Up Your Power" and "Before the Marvel of This Night."
Difficulty: Easy
Week 2: SATB Choir Anthems
Love One Another
by Anne Krentz Organ
SATB a cappella
Features:
This is a beautiful setting of the Prayer of Day for Maundy Thursday that draws the listener into the key words: “love one another.” An a cappella piece you can return to year after year.
Difficulty: Medium
by Kenneth Jennings
SATB
Features:
This anthem from past St. Olaf Choir director, Kenneth Jennings, represents outstanding choral writing that provides a depth of expression and choral drama.
Difficulty: Medium
by John A. Ferguson
SATB, organ
Features:
Ferguson's setting highlights this well-loved hymn text with sensitive and lyrical choral writing.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
My God Is an Awesome God
by Keith Hampton
SATB, piano
Features:
An exciting and uplifting anthem in gospel style with a great piano part. The modulations are so much fun for the choir!
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
by Brenda Portman
SATB, piano
Features: Portman expands our understanding of this familiar hymn by pairing it with the imperatives from Micah to love justice and walk humbly with God.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Death Be Never Last
by Ray Makeever, arr. David Sims
SATB, piano
Features:
Choirs will enjoy returning to this year after year when they observe All Saints. It could be a gem to have on hand for funeral choirs as well.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
We Shall Walk through the Valley
by Undine Smith Moore
SATB a cappella
Features:
This is a gorgeous setting of an African American spiritual. A challenging but very rewarding piece that would be useful in many settings.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
When He Comes
by Mark Sirett
SATB a cappella
Features:
Beautiful harmonic writing with an expressive melody that captures the feel of hope and longing during Advent. A piece worth repeating each year.
Difficulty: Medium
Out of the Orient Crystal Skies
by Richard Zgodava
SATB a cappella
Features:
A fun and energetic piece that conveys the mystery and excitement of the magi following the star.
Bonus: turn the composer's name into an articulation warm-up.
Difficulty: Medium
Chorales from the St. John Passion
Johann Sebastian Bach
ed. Thomas Pavlechko
Features:
This collection of the eleven chorales from the St. John Passion, developed and edited by Thomas Pavlechko, is a great way to include Bach in your Holy Week Services when singing the entire work isn't feasible.
Flexible and useful for various sized choir: the chorales can be sung a cappella, with organ accompaniment, or with string quartet; some chorales are presented with a lower key option; consider singing some chorales in unison or as a solo with accompaniment when rehearsal time is limited.
Difficulty: Medium
Week 3: Organ and Organ-with-Instrument
A Wedding Music Anthology
Compiled by David N. Johnson
Features:
The multi-volume set of wedding music was combined to create a handy resource for extremely useful music, not only for weddings, but all year long for worship.
Difficulty: Medium
A New Liturgical Year, vols 1 & 2
Edited by John Ferguson
Features:
John Ferguson gathered some of his favorite organ pieces, many which he used as teaching tools for his students, and compiled these collections of high quality, and very useful, organ literature. He then composed hymn introductions and harmonizations for those pieces based on a hymn tune.
Difficulty: easy - medium
Gathered and Sent: Pairs of Preludes and Postludes for Organ
by Brenda Portman
Features:
Six hymn tunes are each set with a prelude and a postlude in varying styles. A clever concept, but more than that, Portman provides brilliant writing on these tunes!
Difficulty: Medium
Light on Your Feet: A Collection for Organ with Minimal Pedal, Volumes 1-5
Edited by Wayne L. Wold
The Light on Your Feet series features free-compositions by classical composers as well as new pieces by Wayne Wold involving little or no pedal. Great literature whether you're a pianist learning to play the organ and a practiced organist with limited rehearsal time. Volumes 3 and 5 feature several hymn-based arrangements as well.
Difficulty: Easy - Medium
For All the Saints: Hymn Preludes for Funerals
by Robert A. Hobby
Features:
Not just for funerals! Several beloved hymn arrangements that are well-crafted and a joy to play.
Check out volumes two and three in this series as well!
Difficulty: Medium
Trumpet Tunes for Organ
by Michael Helman
Features:
A collection of five hymn arrangements in "trumpet tune" style that are fun to play and make for joyful postludes.
A jaunty non-hymn based tune is included with optional trumpet.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Blue Cloud Abbey Organ Book
by Christopher Uehlein
Features:
Easy preludes and service pieces written with harmonic and melodic interest, some with a slightly modern edge and colorful stop suggestions. Also included are three pieces for postludes that are joyful and uplifting.
Difficulty: Easy - Medium
Equally colorful and useful are the Blue Cloud Abbey Christmas and Lent volumes.
Keep these close by for use when additional music is unexpectedly needed!
Organ Plus Anthology, Settings for Organ and Instrument: Advent/Christmas
Features:
A wonderful wealth of music for December with great variety in instrumentation, styles, and composers. Don't miss Emma Lou Diemer's, "Holiday Madness Medley!"
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Week 4: Piano and Piano-with-Instrument
Spirit and Song: Ten Piano Settings for Worship
by Marianne Kim
Features:
Imaginative writing that is very idiomatic to the piano. This collection features hymns from All Creation Sings and is a great way to introduce new hymns to your congregation.
Difficulty: Medium
The Earth Adorned: Piano Settings
by John Helgen
Features:
Seven hymn-based arrangements are included and none of the settings are overdone; each piece is a beautiful balance of textures.
Difficulty: Medium
In Heaven Above: Piano Music for Funerals and Memorials
Multi-composer collection
Features:
This collection is very useful beyond funerals. It contains several accessible hymn settings and other non-hymn based pieces for many times of year.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Piano Reflections on Pentecost Tunes
by Anne Krentz Organ
Features:
A collection you'll turn to again and again, and not just during the Pentecost season. Included are settings of a spiritual, a plainsong chant, and a Swedish tune.
Difficulty: Medium
Here I Am Lord: Piano Stylings
by Anne Marie David
Features:
Beautiful preludes including a gorgeous setting of NICAEA and an enduring arrangement of KAZ DZIEDAJA ("By the Babylonian Rivers"). Also included are energetic settings of NETTLETON and EARTH AND ALL STARS that could be used as postludes.
Difficulty: Medium
Endless Song: Accessible Piano Settings
by Jerry van der Pol
Features:
The collection includes 17 hymn tune arrangements that are nicely done and easily learned - perfect when rehearsal time is short. Several work well as communion distribution music.
Difficulty: Easy
Four by Four: Hymns for Piano and Four Ringers, Vols. 1-4
by Anne Krentz Organ
Features:
These four volumes of hymn tune arrangements for piano and four ringers is extremely useful throughout the year. Good for small handbell choirs and few rehearsals needed. Some parts could be doubled if used with a large bell choir.
Difficulty: Easy-Medium
Piano Plus: Hymns for Piano and Treble Instrument, Advent/Christmas
Multi-composer Collection
Features:
Such a useful and well-crafted collection of Advent and Christmas music! With the variety of styles and instruments used, you can include all your instrumentalists during the holidays.
Difficulty: Medium