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I was going to share a free sampling of left hand improvising ideas for Revive Us Again but I wound up writing a full verse and chorus of this challenging hymn.  It’s not a hard hymn to play but difficult to dress up for congregational singing.

The first line of the hymn is basically the same chord!  Most church pianists realize that they have to adhere to the chord structure in the hymnal when playing for congregational singing IF their congregation sings parts…to prevent chord clashes.  I can’t help but add chord substitutions on this hymn!  Our congregation doesn’t sing parts so I can have fun!  🙂

I’m sharing several improvising ideas for Revive Us Again (congregational style).  I tried to liven up the 1st line of music by creating broken chord tones and alternating bass notes within the same chord. A broken chord tone pattern already exists in the hymnal version but offered a little different one and added a little more variety than the hymnal version.

Revive-Us-Again-congregational-or-prelude

With Thanksgiving right around the corner…I thought I’d share a free advanced piano prelude arrangement of “Showers of Blessing”.

Notice the tempo marking at the beginning.  The rate of speed makes the difference in this piece!  I didn’t realize how much activity there was in my prelude playing until penning this particular one to paper. Wow!  No wonder I’m tired after preludes!  😉

*You can download the pdf version and hear complete audio  at the bottom of this article.

*Click on title to download pdf version of this free piano arrangement:

You need to have the Audio Player Plugin installed to use this shortcode

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.

Just published the sheet music for the advanced piano solo of “The Love of God”.

I love to play runs as you will notice in this arrangement.  I guess you could say this arrangement is “overrun” with runs 😉

Seriously,  I tried to bring the words to life in this beautiful hymn.

“The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;

His erring chile He reconciled And pardoned from his sin.

Chorus:

The love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure, The saints’ and angels song.“

 The touching message of verse three was found written on the wall of an insane asylum….penned by a male patient.  These soul-stirring words were discovered  at the time of his death.

“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,

Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, And ev’ry man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho’ stretched from sky to sky.”

What an awesome message all wrapped up in one verse!  I would venture to say this man was in his right mind when he composed this heart warming message.

The Love of God

Advanced sacred piano solo, 3 pgs. Approx. time length: 2:07 Youtube video below of entire arrangement

Price: $3.50

*Special note:  I will be providing an article with free fill-in alternatives for the runs to those who prefer the less busy passages 🙂

Wow!  I just finished writing the hand-written copy for The Love of God.

I just started it yesterday!  That doesn’t happen too often.  Thank you Lord!

Now…to input it into Finale which takes at least three hours to complete along with layout details.

I  allow several days for the piece to settle before I finalize it.  Reviewing the piece after a day or so allows me the chance to catch mistakes I may not have caught otherwise or…discover a different chord path altogether, etc.

I know it has taken me a while on the piano invitation collection… but I’m VERY picky about my writing!  Sorry….but I want to do my best 🙂

The piano invitation collection (pdf format)  should be published by this Monday!  The level of the songs are late intermediate to early advanced.

While you’re waiting….listen to a sampler of the invitation collection…

You need to have the Audio Player Plugin installed to use this shortcode

Down From His Glory requires ALOT of ad lib from the church pianist when accompanying someone to sing this hymn.

I could not help but add runs during the chorus due to the frequent held words. The fingering for the runs is included 🙂

I plan to create an audio of the piano accompaniment as time allows.

Click here to download “Down From His Glory” in E Flat Major

Click here to download “Down From His Glory” in F

A reader recently requested a piano congregational arrangement for “Joy to the World”.  I had almost forgotten about having this arrangement.  I am forever writing music of some sort and it’s easy to forget what I have 🙂

This is a rather straightforward arrangement of “Joy to the World”…no frills but enough fill-ins to add zest to the congregational singing for this joyous hymn about Jesus’ birth.  Hope it’s a help to church pianists looking for congregational arrangements.

Click on song title below to download your free copy!

Just uploaded my free advanced Christmas piano solo of “In the Bleak Midwinter” on my youtube channel.

  Clickable link to  free arrangement of “In the Bleak Midwinter”