Light of Christ – Organ Music Review
For the organists out there, I know the Epiphany season is quickly coming to a close and soon we’ll be pulling out the Lenten music. Before the Epiphany music goes into the filing cabinet, I thought I would pass along a recommendation for some organ sheet music that I’ve had the joy of playing this Epiphany season.
Ben Culli has composed a series of preludes on six Epiphany hymns entitled Light of Christ (audio and PDF samples available on the CPH website). I usually find Culli’s compositions challenging, but accessible — meaning I have to spend some quality practice time to reap the musical rewards.
In typical Culli style, his compositions exhibit a rhythmic drive and variety that draws the listener to the music. The “fanfare” for Jesus Has Come and Brings Pleasure with its pedal points and relatively simple pedal line is a welcome addition to my other frequently used settings of this tune by Kevin Hildebrand and John Behnke. The setting of Rise, Shine, You People has several motifs and rhythmic patterns that are repeated/echoed throughout the piece which helped to make preparation easier.
One of my favorite pieces from the collection was From God the Father, Virgin Born. Culli took the hymn tune and interweaved it with a Sarabande by Jeremiah Clarke. He has done this before in his other collections — quoting a section from Vivaldi’s Gloria in Excelsis with All Depends on Our Possessing and quoting Marcello’s Psalm XIX with With the Lord Begin Your Task.
I’m still working on How Good, Lord, to Be Here and hoping to have it prepared by Transfiguration Sunday. The only thing left is that pesky hand, eye, and feet coordination!
Overall, this collection was a good addition to my music library. It’s never too early to start preparing for Epiphany 2010!
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