Tag Archives: sheet music

Coil Binding! The Musician’s Friend

This morning I took four music books (Augsburg Organ Library) and my LSB Propers of the Day down to Office Depot to have their binding cut off and replaced with coil binding. Only $3.00 a book – not bad.

I’ve written about this in a previous post, but I think it bears repeating. Why do music publishers publish a book that will be put on a music rack that will not stay open on its own? It seems ridiculous to have to rebind the books before you can even use them.

P.S. I had my LSB Propers of the Day rebound just as a matter of convenience — so I’m not “unhappy” with CPH on that item. On the other hand, CPH could look at how they bind their Songs of the Gospel (preludes on Luther and Paul Gerhardt hymns) — those books were rebound as soon as I got them a few years back.

The Other Essential Lutheran Library – Musician Edition

As I was browsing at the music store in Portland on Saturday, a quote from Luther came to mind:

Many books does not make one learned, nor much reading either; rather to read a good thing and to read it often, regardless of how little it is, that makes one learned in the Scriptures.

I think something similar could be said for church musicians in relation to their musical repertoire and libraries. Publishing companies continue to entice us with their latest offerings; yet we still have existing music waiting to be learned or looked at. To buy or not to buy? The related and potentially better question is: What is the Lutheran musician’s core repertoire (besides the hymnal)?

A few weeks back, Paul McCain at Cyberbrethren wrote about The Essential Lutheran Library — a core list of absolute essential reading for every Lutheran.

Continue reading →

New Music from CPH

This is just a heads up that CPH recently released their new choral, handbell, and organ books/pieces for 2009. As always, CPH has MP3s and PDF samples of the pieces to view before purchasing. On the organ side, at least, there were a few items that got my attention early on and I have since purchased.

CPH is continuing its series “Musica Sacra” with Volume 7 by Donald Busarow. The Musica Sacra series is a great way to get some easier and quick pieces to prepare that are interesting. I have all 7 volumes and I consistently use all of them, but especially the volumes by Hildebrand, Kosche, and Culli. Just to be aware, I’d guess that roughly half of the compositions in Volume 7 are reprints of previously published pieces. I’m thinking that by the copyright date they are from the Concordia Hymn Prelude series which CPH is now slowly retiring.

The other selection I ordered was Kevin Hildebrand’s “Five Easy Easter Hymn Settings for Organ” . I know Easter is over and I won’t be able to use this set for another year — BUT it has a lovely setting of Duke Street which is appropriate for funerals throughout the year.

If you’re in the market for some sacred music, give the folks at CPH a try. They have an abundance of resources — especially for the Lutheran musician. But if you want Paul Manz, Michael Burkhardt, or some of Robert Hobby’s pieces, you’ll need to head over to MorningStar Music.

Paul Manz at 90

Paul Manz is turning 90 in May and MorningStar Music is having a 20% off sale during April and May 2009 on ALL Paul Manz items – choral & organ music, CDs, and the recent biography “The Journey Was Chosen”.  This is a great opportunity to fill in the gaps in your sheet music collection.  You can read more by downloading their April newsletter.

If you order, make sure you use the code: MANZB20

In Singing the Faith: Living the Lutheran Music Heritage by the Good Shepherd Institute, the study guide says the following about Manz.

In a way that has not been surpassed in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Manz improvised hymn introductions and accompaniments that underscored the meaning of the hymn texts, thus enlivening the proclamation of the Gospel in hymn singing at both liturgical services and in hymn festivals.  Manz published and recorded many such improvisations for the use of organists and for the listening pleasure of all who love hymns and organ music.  Younger generations of Lutheran composers and organists who have been inspired by Manz include (to name only a few) Jeffrey Blersch, Michael Burkhardt, David Cherwien, John Ferguson, Kevin Hildebrand, and Robert Hobby.

Light of Christ – Organ Music Review

Light of ChristFor 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!