New Territory: Organ Offertories

During my recent trip to the state music teachers' conference, I picked up a couple of organ books by Gordon Young: Organ Voluntaries: Eleven Short Solos for Church or Recital, and Eight Organ Voluntaries on Familiar Hymn Tunes, both published by Theodore Presser Company. They are clearly a different style from what I usually play for the service (which would be Baroque-esque preludes or hymn arrangements), but majestic and perfect for Sunday mornings. From the first volume above, I recently played "Antiphon," a two-page selection with simple pedal points, modified by yours truly to be played with the left hand, since our church "organ" is actually a keyboard--no pedals available. Whether you have pedals or not, this is a lovely piece; and its form is conducive to repeats as needed, which makes it perfect for an offertory. I'm looking forward to checking out other pieces by Young in the coming weeks!

Resources

Here are some of my favorite resources for church music, accompanying, and music in general:

Music for Special Occasions Part 2: Weddings and Funerals

Copyright Mavy Ducote Photography

As a church musician, you will sometimes get the opportunity to play for special services other than holiday celebrations. Both weddings and funerals are times in which you can use your abilities for the blessing of individual families in particular, whether in celebration or mourning.