Hymn Harmonizations
ST GEORGE’S, WINDSOR:
Bell, Joby. Help Yourself. (http://jobybell.org) A professor at Appalachian State University, Bell has self-published on his website a number of final stanzas. By his own admission, many are excessively “creative” and shouldn’t be employed by a less-than-confident congregation!
HANOVER:
Coleman, Henry. Varied Hymn Accompaniments. Easy, pedal-optional alternate harmonizations in diatonic, modern British style.
HYFRYDOL:
Remes, Derek. Twenty Five Free Hymn Harmonizations for Organ. (Main website: www.derekremes.com) The composer, an American PhD student in Germany, teaching in Switzerland, has arranged alternate harmonizations, interludes, and last verses, with conservative harmonic changes, but likewise employing creative changes in texture and placement of the melody.
EARTH AND ALL STARS:
Teitsma, Dennis.Instrumental Accompaniment for Unison Congregational Singing of the 85 Hymns from the Book of Praise – Anglo-Genevan Psalter of the Canadian Reformed Churches. This collection of brief introductions and alternate harmonzations specializes in Dutch Reformed hymnody, but contains plenty ecumenical hymnody as well.
NICEA:
Hymn Settings:
Binder, Christlieb Siegmund. 72 Organ Preludes. Written between 1775-1799 by Binder, the organist at the Hofkirche in Dresden, there are five volumes online, edited and typeset by Rob Peters. They are all on two staves and of medium difficulty for baroque music. Quite a few of these rather short pieces are free works, but there are quite a number based on the standard Lutheran chorales.
Menschenkind merk eben/Gottes Sohn ist Kommen from Teil III:
Boeringer, James Leslie. Chorale Preludes. This American organist, professor, composer, and church musician died in 2014, but left a wealth of practical organ works on IMSLP, including settings of GREENSLEEVES, DUKE STREET, MARTYRDOM, and PUER NOBIS. His style is neo-baroque or neo-classical, employing classical harmonies and musical forms.
“With The Lord Begin Thy Task:”
Böttger, Martin. Choralvorspiele. These six preludes, composed between 2009 and 2013, are short, contrapuntal, and include at least four, if not five, tunes that are commonly used in American services, including “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken.”
FROEHLICH SOLL MEIN HERZ SPRINGEN:
Cattaneo, Pietro. 3 Hymn Preludes, Sets I, II, and III. Self-published, 2019. Very easy, almost simplistic, settings of SWEET SACRAMENT, NETTLETON, and CWM RHONDDA. Set three, composed in 2020, has settings of REDHEAD 76, ROCKINGHAM, and WERE YOU THERE. He also has two wedding processionals.
ROCKINGHAM from Set III:
Coleman, Henry. Ten Hymn Tune Voluntaries. Easy, three stave settings of tunes such as EASTER HYMN and WAREHAM by this twentieth-century English cathedral organist.
DARWALL’S 148:
Dienel, Otto. 43 Chorale Preludes. Born in 1839, Dienel was a proponent of Bach, a teacher of Karl Straube, and composer of over 600 pieces. These early 20th-century compositions are mostly easy, diatonic settings of Lutheran hymns.
EIN FESTE BURG:
Distler, Hugo. Kleine Orgelchoral-Bearbeitungen, Op.8 No.3. These neo-classical hymn preludes are accompanied by alternate harmonizations for each hymn. As typical with Distler, the harmonies may be unfamiliar to some ears, and the selection of hymn choices probably limits its use as chorale preludes to Lutheran churches.
WIE SCHOEN LEUCHTET:
Eugen Grüel. 15 Choral-Vorspiele, Op.23. These easy arrangements with pedal are only as long as one hymn statement and are appropriate for introducing a hymn.
“Praise to the Lord:”
Ferrari, Carlotta. Various Choral Preludes. (b. 1975) Ferrari teaches composition in Florence, Italy, and composes for a variety of genres, but specilizes in organ choral preludes which blending “the past and present.” Some of her music, which she presents copyright-free, has been recorded by Carson Cooman of Harvard.
“Piva sopra on ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT:”
Karg-Elert, Sigfried. Choral-Improvisationen für Orgel, Op.65. Most of these are short settings, a few are longer, concert pieces collected in six volumes. From these volumes contains his famous “March Triomphale on ‘Nun Danket.’” Although there are some common tunes, most are based on chorale tunes which can be obscure. Also, see his Zwanzig Prae-und Postludium für Orgel.
AUS MEINES HERZENS GRUNDE:
Kittel, Johann Christian. Three Variations on “Wer Nur den Lieben Gott.” Kittel studied with Bach from 1748, and considered himself an exponent of the master’s choral prelude tradition. Being of a later generation, his style is more galant than Bach’s. His organ settings are generally winsome and easy to moderate in difficulty.
WER NUR DEN LIEBEN GOTT:
Krebs, Johann Ludwig. List of Works. (Scroll down to “organ chorales.”) A student of Bach, Krebs usually sets the melody in a clear and declamatory manner
O GOTT, DU FROMMER GOTT:
Liardon, Gael. Chorale Preludes. This Swiss composer (1973-2018) taught at the Geneva Conservatory and was a practicing church organist in Lausanne. His chorale preludes are accessible, musically substantive, neo-classical, and many are based on common tunes, although of course they favor the Swiss reformed tunes. Some are short fugettas appropriate for brief introductions, others are more complicated sets of variations, but are very useful.
“Holy God, We Praise Thy Name:”
WAS FRAG ICH NACH DER WELT:
NUN DANKET
“Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won:”
Lutkin, Peter. Hymn Tune Transcriptions for Organ. Longer, concert-level works arranged around the church year on ten common tunes by the composer of that famous chestnut, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.”
Merkel, Gustav. Chorale Prelude on “Schmücke Dich” Merkel, having been tutored by Schumann, spent most of his life working in Dresden. His chorale preludes are scattered throughout IMSLP, but are worth searching. This quiet setting of this famous tune is representative of his style. Plus, clicking on “Arrangements and Transcriptions” one finds an arrangement of this chorale prelude for organ and trumpet.
SCHMUECKE DICH:
Noble, T. Tertius. Seven Organ Preludes. This famed British organist who worked for many years at St Thomas Church in NYC dedicated these melodic settings to American organist Lynnwood Farnam.
ROCKINGHAM:
Pachelbel, Johann. Organ Works. Dozens of chorale preludes, some being fairly easy and sight-readable. Pachelbel often placed the cantus firmus prominently in the bass. In almost all cases, the melodies are in long values and very clear.
EIN FESTE BURG:
Parry, Charles Hubert Hastings. Chorale Preludes (2 vols) Each of the two volumes contains seven settings of common hymns from the Anglican tradition.
ROCKINGHAM:
Reger, Max. 52 Choral-Vorspiele für Orgel, Opus 67. Reger’s Opus 67 (1903) are miniature gems suitable for hymn preludes, or for brief opening voluntaries or postludes. Although it would be a stretch to call many of them particularly easy, the technical challenges are much less than Reger’s masterworks. Opus 67 is divided into three volumes. Consider the “Lobe den Herrn” (“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”) or “Schmücke Dich” (“Soul, Adorn Thyself with Gladness”), both from volume two.
LOBE DEN HERREN (Vol. II):
Rudnick, Wilhelm. Dreissig Choral Vorspiele. A minor German cathedral organist who died in 1927, Rudnick left many choral preludes, all in a late Romantic style, but with fewer notes than Reger!
WAS GOTT TUT DAS IST WOHLGETHAN:
Smyth, Dame Ethel. Short Chorale Preludes. A Leipzig-trained, British composer of chamber music, opera, and keyboard works, Smyth was also involved in the women’s suffrage movement. These chorale preludes, composed between 1884 and 1886, are reminiscent of the German Romantics with thicker textures and chromatic harmonies.
O GOTT, DU FROMMER GOTT:
Stanford, Charles Villiers. Six Short Preludes and Postludes, Op. 101. London: Stainer and Bell, 1907. These thick, dense, works are recognizably Stanford in style. Only two of the six are based on hymn tunes, but one of those is a lovely setting of “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.”
ST COLUMBA:
Stith, David Joseph. Experiments on Hymn Tunes. This Austin, TX-based organist has composed clean, baroque settings which actually could be performed with instruments taking various parts. Note particularly ST THEODULPH and WERE YOU THERE. Although not hymn-based, his Bridal March, composed in 2011, is a pleasant addition to the wedding repertoire.
“All Glory, Laud, and Honor:”
Telemann, Georg Philip. Organ Works. Containing both chorale-based and free organ works, the chorale settings are fairly simple. Many are even on two staves and would work well on piano or on an organ of limited resources. Consider the “O Haupt Voll Blut” (p. 44) or “Nun Danket” (p. 98).
KOMM, HEILIGER GEIST:
Walther, Johann Gottfried. Chorale Preludes. A cousin of Bach, Walther’s works are accessible both to player and listener. The complete organ chorale volume is not available copyright-free, but individual chorales are available from the Bach Gesellschaft Ausgabe. This winsome chorale prelude is representative of Walther’s style.
ACH GOTT UND HERR:
Werner, Johann Gottlob. Acht Choralvorspiele. Johann Gottlob Werner (1777-1822) was successively organist in Freiburg Cathedral, cantor and organist of Hohenstein and organist and music director at Merseburg Cathedral. He is today best remembered for his hymn tune “Ratisbon.” He published Eight Chorale Preludes for Organ in Leipzig in 1818.
EIN FESTE BURG:
Yon, Pietro. First Religious Suite for Organ can easily be utilized as prelude/offertory/postlude during the Advent season. The various movements are based on: Prelude (Rorate Coeli), Introit (Veni Emmanuel), Offertory (Veni Domine), Communion (Ave Maria), with a Finale/Toccata on the Gregorian Hymn “Creator alme siderum.”
CREATOR ALME SIDERUM:
Zachow, Friedrich Wilhelm. Chorale Preludes. A collection of 53 easy to moderate hymn preludes by Handel’s teacher. They are similar in style to Pachelbel. Many tunes are still in use, including “From Heaven Above,” “Old Hundredth,” “In dulci jubilo,” and “Saviour of the Nations, Come.”
VOM HIMMEL HOCH:
Non-IMSLP Musical Resources:
The Choral Public Domain Library: www.CPDL.org This is one of the oldest and most prominent choral-only online repository. It is helpfully searchable by Sunday and liturgical year. There seems to be a high proportion of Latin liturgical texts, so this is a treasure for the Catholic musician, but even if you don’t sing in Latin the suggested choral music for each Sunday can send you on the right path.
Peter Sheehan Music: www.sheehanmusic.fr. This British/French composer (1944-2018) said that he has “written a number of pieces for the organ for use in a liturgical setting incorporating the chant of the day. These became a collection that I have called Gregorian Sketches.” His choral and organ music is fairly simple and contains processionals, recessionals, and chant-based settings.
Tobi’s Score Archive: www.tobis-notenarchiv.de. If you can’t navigate German, be sure to click the little British flag at the top right for the English translation. According to the website compiler, in this archive “you will find many organ compositions and some other works of well known and unknown composers. Most of the works were digitized from manuscripts and old music books.” Click “Music Archive” to find a list of composers whose music Tobi has digitized. Complexity ranges from short, no pedal, to some major masterworks for organ.
Theodore Beck Music: https://www.beck-music.com/ A professor of music at Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska, for 50 years, Theodore Beck’s (1929-2003) family has archived much of his music here, most of which had been published but which is now out of print and free of copyright. This is very practical church music, from organ preludes, to hymn accompaniments, to choral anthems, to children’s choir pieces, to simple concertatos and handbell music.
Laurel Hunt Pederson Music: https://laurelhuntpedersen.com/ This Utah-based composer is offering her own settings of organ and piano music, piano duets, vocal, and even harp and bell settings. Many are based on traditional sacred tunes found across denominations.
“Preludes and Postludes for Every Sunday”—Facebook page. In Facebook, search for this title. The administrator suggests copyright-free, downloadable music for each Sunday in the three-year lectionary. The only problem is they often put up their suggestions a few days before that Sunday! Nonetheless, you can often find a new composer or website worth exploring from these suggestions.
Partitura Organum: https://partitura.org From the website’s description: “Partitura Organum is a growing collection of organ music editions. The aim is to typeset lesser known organ music from original printed or manuscript sources that are in the public domain.”
Cantate Domino Church Music: http://www.cantatedomino.org. A small but significant collection of “. . . Anthems and Motets, Services and Settings, Hymns and Psalms, Organ and piano music, and a large selection of carols.”
Music Resources for Congregational and Small Group Singing:
http://www.smallchurchmusic.com/index.php This site houses mostly traditional SATB hymns rather than choral or instrumental scores, but handy if you are somewhere without a hymnal.
Cyberbass.com: http://www.cyberbass.com/Music_Index.htm. A collection of SATB choral parts for at-home rehearsal purposes. It strives to be a resource for choirs learning major works and oratorios—not for the average anthem, but an indispensible resource for choir members to learn major works from home. (The Messiah is included!)
Sacred Descants by Tim Brace: http://magnoliaarts.com/descants.html.
A small collection of descants, but the hymn tunes are common and therefore very useful.
“Organs, Handbells and Voices lifted in song to praise God!” This is the labour of Arnold Ramming, a Lutheran church musician in Stephenville, TX. They are settings for handbells, often including other instruments, of hymns within Lutheran Service Book but also having much ecumenical application.
Perkins Chapel Wedding Music 