Just letting my readers know I’m in the process of posting the individual hymns from the Congregational Booklet One for sale on the Congregational Piano Hymn page of our online music store. (navigation buttons at top of this page)  So far I’ve posted: All Hail the Power, Are You Washed and Blessed Assurance.

Several have requested the Blessed Assurance congregational arrangement after seeing the first sample page of it in an older article.  It’s now sold separately or in the Congregational Booklet One.

Special note: Multiple uses for the church pianist!  The piano accompaniment arrangements from the Congregational Booklet One can also be used to accompany the following:  vocal soloist, flute or violin.

Now for sale: “Id Rather Have Jesus”  Early advanced sacred piano solo

I'd Rather Have Jesus

Early advanced sacred piano solo, 3&1/2 pgs. Approx. 2:06

Price: $3.95

or go to store at this link to see other advanced piano arrangements: MUSIC STORE

Special note to my readers:  This advanced sacred piano solo of The Haven of Rest & Wonderful Peace is available in our music store. (It was available for a short time after publication but now for sale in our music store.)

Last week, a church pianist friend of mine who I met through my website was asking if I would write another advanced devotional piano solo.  She couldn’t have asked at a better time since I was wanting to start a new advanced piano arrangement.

I began thinking about The Haven of Rest and tried to think of a song that would go with it. The chorus of “Wonderful Peace” just seemed to flow in thought and rhythm at the end of Haven of Rest chorus.

What a blessing to know as a Christian that…”I’ve anchored my soul in the haven of rest” and now I have “Peace, peace, wonderful peace…coming down from the Father above…”

The Haven of Rest was written (unsurprisingly) by an Irish sailor, Henry Gilmour, who came to America at an early age. (more on Henry’s life)

 Purchase Here

Just wanted to alert my readers that I just posted two new books for sale on my “used music for sale” page.

I have accumulated so many books over the last couple of years and just parting with some of them. I will post a few more for sale soon.

Click on this link to see sample pages of each book

I found out today by accident that the melody of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” that I’m  using in my piano solo… is copyrighted.  I always check to make sure hymns are public domain before arranging them and had checked this one out as well.

I verified that the tune and melody were public domain and didn’t click on the music image to view the song and later discovered the tune was different than the one I was arranging.  Guess it’s better to find out BEFORE publishing!

So…I’ve been online with Music Services (provides a variety of ‘a la carte’ services to music publishers – song registration, licensing, royalty collections, royalty accounting) to obtain a “print” license for this arrangement.  This is my first time to deal with a copyrighted work.  I won’t do too many of these for the sake of added expense but will try this with “I’d Rather Have Jesus” since I had already promised it to my readers.

The downside is…there will be a delay in publishing until I get the clearance from Music Services.  I will keep you all posted and sorry for the delay but I want to be above board!

I (hope) to publish the advanced sacred piano solo of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” by this Monday, February 2, 2015.

Just thought I’d share a sneak preview of the advanced piano solo I’m working on of “I’d Rather Have Jesus”.

Done! Finally!  I was extra picky with this collection and hope it’s useful to many church pianists.

I tried to create exciting accompaniments to enhance the congregational singing. Each arrangement contains an introduction as well as a couple verses/choruses worth of accompaniment.  Three of the arrangements even have key changes!

But relax 🙂  The arrangements are written in a lower key than the hymnal (at least two to three half steps lower). We have discovered that the congregation sings out even more when they can  sing in a reasonable key 😉

Congregational Piano Hymn Arrangements (Booklet One)

AUDIO SAMPLER: (product description below) *Downloadable product only

Price: $16.00

10 Late intermediate to early advanced piano congregational arrangements. (All Hail the Power, Are you Washed, Blessed Assurance, Does Jesus Care, Dwelling in Beulah Land, I Love to Tell the Story, Praise Him! Praise Him!, Rock of Ages, Sweet By and By, Sweet Hour of Prayer) 34 pages

The arrangements in this booklet are in lower keys; making it easier for the average congregation to sing. *Three of the arrangements have key changes!

Each arrangement contains an introduction and at least two verses & choruses…several of the hymns contain three verses worth of accompaniment.

*Special note: The arrangements in this booklet do not support the four-part singing found in most hymnals. *Other suggested uses: vocal solos, violin specials, unison choir specials. **Another special note: These arrangements can not stand alone as piano solos since some of the melody is absent during the piano accompaniment. *Complete audios not included with collections.

I just wanted to let my readers be aware of the latest products published in our online music store.  The following arrangements are also available in the Funeral Hymn Collection that was published earlier this summer.

Does Jesus Care

Early advanced sacred piano solo, 2 & 1/2 pgs. *Also available in the Funeral Hymn Collection

Price: $2.50

Rock of Ages

Advanced sacred piano solo, 2 pgs.Approx. 1:28 Excellent for short offertory or funeral prelude. Very flowing piece. *Also available in the Funeral Collection.

Price: $2.50

Trusting Jesus Medley

An early advanced piano solo of two well-known hymns: "Simply Trusting with Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus". Use for offertory or funeral prelude. 5 pgs. *Also available in the Funeral Hymn Collection.

Price: $3.95

I know…not all church pianists have big hands like Rachmaninoff!  With that in mind…I created alternative fill-ins for the runs in The Love of God advanced piano solo that I just published a couple days ago.

I hope these alternative fill-ins will be more user-friendly for those with small hands.  The whole piece is really written for a pianist with large hands but maybe those of you with smaller hands can adapt this arrangement with these alternative fill-ins.