I have agreed (after some persuasion) to play the organ for church services in our village church. Although I have a reasonably large supply of music, could anyone suggest a useful selection of pieces that I'd be able to play for the few minutes before a service?

All suggestions welcome!

Thanks.

Have you got the Progressive organist series by C H Trevor?

You don't mention your grade - these start I think at grade 4 - they are varied within a traditional context - might be useful.

Good luck

Maggie

Thanks Maggie.

I teach piano but agreed to try the organ! I just need some reasonably undemanding pieces that I can play with confidence (!).

I'll browse in my local music shop for the one you suggested, although I guess I can gradually build up my own 'repertoire' of pieces that work well.

Rosemary.

When the saints go marching in?!!

Seriously, how about Panis Angelicus by César Franck. Clair de Lune by Debussey? The Old Rugged Cross?

You could play the Hymns you are going to play (during the service) with only the 8' Flutes on, softly, slightly longer than what is written and perhaps only the harmonics? (eg. If the first bar is CFFA) Just play the chord of F with both hands on the Accomp? Or play the Chords and perhaps improvise on the melody (or the notes in the chord with the right hand.)

Best of luck, I've played in a church a few times and really enjoyed it. I recently played at my Grandma's funeral and played a different Hymn to the Hymn I should have been playing. People were actually singing the words to the Hymn i should of played to the Hymn I was playing!! All good fun...

Enjoy!
Craig

As a pianist who occasionally plays the organ I know exactly what you mean - I find Albinoni's Giazotto works really well and always gets some good comments. My church uses Mission Praise and there are some lovely 'short' hymns that they don't tend to use in the services like Aba Father which are also good.

The thing with the organ is the piano pieces that sound the best are the lower grade 'Baroque' style pieces so anything from the lower exam books where you don't need pedal and expression options sound lovely.

My church has also let some of my students have a go, (they loved it) although I did have to use all of my powers of persuasion for one of my teenagers to NOT follow the words 'go in peace to love and serve the lord' with Herby Funky!

The only thing that did get very mixed reaction was following a christening services with the toccata from Bachs toccata and Fugue in D minor Well I liked it.

Although somewhat shunned by the really serious organist fraternity, a lot of publications from Kevin Mayhew's extensive publishing output are designed for someone like yourself in a church situation. Many are collections purely for use with manuals and/or very simple pedal parts.

I occasionally have had to play organ in my local church. I use these books a lot, despite the fact that many, many years ago I got Grade V on the Organ! Sadly, for now, I don't have time to really work hard to motivate my feet back into convincing action and so I use these types of collections to help me on my way.

The company has a website and you can check out some of their stuff on it and/or send for a catalogue if interested. They do mail order too I think. By the way, in case you're all wondering, I've got nothing to do with that company - just found some of their publications useful. However, one caveat - they do reproduce their material a lot in different covers so, initially, when/if you buy it will all be new to you but after a while you may find yourself being tempted into getting some of what you own already.

Hope this helps. Best of luck - the church is so short of organists it's good to hear you're giving it a go.

The Kevin Mayhew publications are definatly worth a look.
Lots to choose from, many manuals only books.
I play every week now and use them a lot.
Also as previously mentioned some of the music from MIssion Praise or similar.

Ooooh this takes me back....

I used "Old English Organ Music for Manuals" edited by C.H.Trevor, Book 5, OUP.
- I used this lots, it's grade 1 to grade 3 standards.

Also "Easy Modern Organ Music for Manuals" edited by C.H.Trevor, OUP.
- this has got some some corkers in - they sound wonderful!, grades 2 to 3.

Also (just manuals) published by Hinrichsen, No.1019, it's No. 26 in their 'Tallis to Wesley' series which contains pieces by W.Boyce.

This last one I used lots, and it wasn't too difficult (grade 2 or 3 at most) - and it was quite convincing as a "reluctant organist" (a Royal School of Church Music phrase - they do a booklet by that name actually!).

Look out on electric church organs for a stop which puts your lowest finger into the pedal sound as well!

Just had another thought - depending on where your church is at and which direction it is heading in (or what mix of people is there) you might find this book useful, as it contains a large cross-section of all the most modern songs (as well as some hymns too) - which some would love as background music on the organ before and after services, or at apt times when music is required of the appropriate sort. It is:

Songs of Fellowship, Book Three (Music edition) - published by Kingsway.

It contains 540 songs (arranged for piano with the tune included in the piano part) and costs about £25 (e.g. from www.kingsway.co.uk). These are the sorts of songs people would be singing at Christian conferences such as Spring Harvest, New Wine, etc., if there are people at the church who go to these.

Thank you to all of you - that has given me some really useful titles. I think it's true, some of the easy/ish Baroque pieces will be pleasantly suitable to use.

After all, I'm not performing at a large London venue - just playing what I can, in a convincing manner for the occasion! As you say, if I am economical with the left hand and use some appropriate chords/notes, then the melody can sing out in the right hand. I'm not trying to be too ambitious! (It's a very clanky organ too.) I suppose the key to success is to keep it simple and effective.

I'm visiting my local music shop tomorrow so will let you know what I come home with!

Thanks.

QUOTE

I suppose the key to success is to keep it simple and effective

This is true... I know that at my church I get the most positive feedback when I have played something simple.
People don't like to have to work at listening I think and it is not about you showing off but about creating an atmosphere in which people can prepare for worship.

Very good fun and not too hard is the Sortie in E flat from L'Organiste moderne by Lefébure-Wély. As near as you can get to fairground music and get away with it in church :-)

Tocatta by bach, a very nice and challanging piece.

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Oct 29 2004, 12:02 PM)

QUOTE I suppose the key to success is to keep it simple and effective This is true... I know that at my church I get the most positive feedback when I have played something simple. People don't like to have to work at listening I think and it is not about you showing off but about creating an atmosphere in which people can prepare for worship.

Yes, indeed. No-one worries about whether you're playing something difficult or not. If it's played well it sounds good anyway. Sometimes at the end I've done more complex things just because they were pieces which just exploded with joy! (but not too suddenly!) Other than that, at the start and during the worship, I've been amazed at how little tricky stuff is needed (and there's enough to do in relation to what else is going on with the service, and the choir, and the correct number of verses, and the organ stops, etc. without extras). It's such a privilege to encourage an atmosphere of worship and peace, and to try to feed into what seems to be going on in the service spiritually. Some of the well known modern choruses like "Be still", "Change my heart", "Led like a lamb" work so well on a quiet stop on the organ - and so many of the Songs of Fellowship 1 songs are still used lots.

QUOTE

Songs of Fellowship, Book Three (Music edition) - published by Kingsway. It contains 540 songs (arranged for piano with the tune included in the piano part) and costs about £25

If you're considering spending this sort of money on one of the Songs of Fellowship books, make sure it's a recent edition.

The one I used to play from had a lot of mistakes in and was in bad need of a thorough proof-read! It's to be hoped that they have sorted this by now - this was about 8 years ago.

But it's true that what you play doesn't need to be complicated. You can set the mood for the service very simply as others have suggested - in fact this can be more appropriate than a complicated piece of music - especially before or during. If you pick something that is used elsewhere in the service you can play it very quietly, and perhaps more slowly than you would sing it. Some things sound effective played an octave higher on a quiet 8 foot (unison pitch) stop. You can add variety this way without even changing stops!
You might gradually find you can try small variations on the song or hymn tune, and this will encourage you to try simple extemporising once your confidence grows.

I have played some of the Telemann Fantasias on the organ ( eg the first book published by AB, Easier Piano Pieces series no 22) and they seem to go quite well, minus, or largely minus, pedals. Some of the livelier ones would be effective at the end - try an 8 foot and a 2 foot stop for a nice baroque effect.

OUP have a good range of organ music, some for manuals only. Best of luck!

Maggie