I am giving away one of my piano arrangements off my Christmas CD…entitled “Simply Christmas”.

For more information on this CD, click the following link:

 https://thechurchpianist.com/christmas-cd-simply-christmas/

Free Audio: Silent Night  

This arrangement is written in a free style…which means not as structured as my other arrangements.

Click here…for Free Piano Arrangement of Silent Night

Programs, in general, require alot of practice if they are to be effective.

Just as a Pastor spends time preparing for a sermon, so must others… who share God’s message through music or speaking parts in a play.

Our ultimate goal must be to glorify God in all we say or do…decently and in order.

We must be careful to choose a program that fits the abilities of our church family.

Many of the smaller churches find themselves either simplifying a cantata to suit their abilities or…creating a simple program of their own.

Here are several tips when creating your own Christmas program:

1. Choose music in keys suitable for the adult or children’s choir

Adult Choir

Much can be said about this one point alone!

Lowering most hymns by one note puts most hymns in a more comfortable range…allowing the choir members to sing out even more.

Over half of our adult choir does not read music. Several of the choir members have a long commute to church (I happen to be one of them)… limiting us to shorter practices.

Therefore, two-part arrangements work best for us.

Children’s Choir

It also helps to lower hymns for the children’s choir. For example, see my free arrangement of “Away in a Manger”

I transposed this Christmas hymn to E flat Major…a whole step (one note name) lower than the original key. F Major is the original key in most hymnals.

I like to provide more melody support for a children’s choir. It helps them feel more secure.

2. Play filler music during transitions.

(to see filler music…refer to the free arrangement above…page two)

Filler music creates a smooth transition from one scene to another. Playing during transitions also covers excess noise and maintains the mood of the play.

The filler music should match the mood of the finishing scene or song and create a mood for the next scene or song.

Guessing the length of filler music is the challenge…right? 🙂

Whatever you do, end on the I chord of the key being used.

(See example of filler music on page 2 of Away in a Manger)

For a more interesting ending…you can end on the V 7 chord.

That’s another article in itself!

3. Sound check!

We always use the microphones during practice once we’re going through the entire program. But…be careful….just because the mics work for practice doesn’t mean they’re ready to go the night of the program.

Have someone do a sound check the night of the program; well before the service…to make sure everything is in working order.

Don’t forget to replace batteries or at least have spare batteries on hand for cordless mics.

There are other tips that I’ll have to share at another time.  I’m sure you can think of a few as well.  We all learn through experience don’t we?  I hope practice is going well for your Christmas program.

Bell sounds add life to Christmas carols.

Here are several examples of different
bell ingredients I used in my arrangements
on the “Simply Christmas” CD… mentioned
in a previous article.

Click here for free Sounds of Christmas  for piano

Explanation for the Examples:

1. Joy to the World (right hand bell tones)
Notice the intervals of the bell tones and try
in several different keys for reinforced learn-
ing and versatile application.

2. Joy to the World (right hand bell clusters)
I simply add a ‘D’ to a C chord to create
a dissonant sound for the bell effect.

3. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
This is one of my favorite chime sounds.
Notice how all the notes in the right hand
chords are a 4th apart. This is how to create
the chime sound!

4. O Little Town of Bethlehem (bell echo)
Bell echos add a sweet; dreamy texture to
lullaby-type melodies.
The bell echo occurs in the right hand (last measure).
It’s just a broken octave ending with a nice harmony note
occuring a 3rd under the broken octave.
Remember: 3rd and 6ths create beautiful touches of
harmony.
I just used the ‘Alberti bass’ pattern in the left hand.

Alberti bass means a broken chord in this order:
“Bottom~top~middle~top”

Hopefully, you can incorporate these Sounds of Christmas

into your own Christmas carols this year.

Anyone in need of an intermediate

christmas piano arrangement?

 I arranged this song for one of my students.

 It’s well suited for a small church.

The chorus can be repeated if needed.

You can use this free arrangement as offertory or prelude special.

Click the following title for a  free piano arrangement of

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

The following free christmas piano arrangement of Away in a Manger is suitable for a children’s choir or can stand alone as a short offertory.

If you’re a church pianist of a small church like me…then you probably create or tweak a written Christmas program that best suits the number of people available for a program.

In the next article…I will deal with tips for Christmas programs.  Some of the tips will refer to today’s free Christmas arrangement…so have it handy for my next post.

Click here for free arrangement of :  Away in a Manger (for children’s choir or short offertory)

Funerals are not easy for any of us. Death has visited our church family twice in the last two weeks…both very unexpected.  I’m just thankful that both men knew the Lord.

I’ll just share some thoughts with you on playing for funerals.

Think about the mood of music needed for this occasion. For me…I want to play hymns that soothe the broken hearts of many people.

Varying the speed of hymns adds a nice touch. I try not to play too many slow hymns in a row… to avoid a sense of despair. In my mind, I’m trying to encourage the family that is so overwhelmed with sorrow. I want to remind them that God cares… and their loved one is in heaven (if that loved one had asked Jesus into their heart).

Here’s a list of hymns I would play before the funeral starts.  Maybe this will help those of you who have a hard time deciding what to play for a funeral.

Check out the Funeral Hymn Collection also available in our music store.

Abide With Me

Blessed Assurance

Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know

He Hideth My Soul

Does Jesus Care?

God Leads Us Along

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Simply Trusting

It is Well

Wonderful Peace

My Saviour First of All

Draw Me Nearer

Near to the Heart of God

Blessed Quietness

In the Sweet By and By

There’s Just Something About That Name

Zion’s Hill

Beulah Land

How_Beautiful_Heaven_Must_Be  page one

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be       page two

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

*Click on the red underlined hymns above for a free piano solo arrangement and blue underlined hymns for arrangement from the online church pianist music store.

Ever notice how it’s the old hymns of faith that soothe our hearts during such times of need?  I thank the Lord for such a strong heritage of music.

Playing for a funeral is just another way for the church pianist to minister to the hearts of his or her church family.

Click below for audio of this free vocal arrangment:

The Haven of Rest (part one two three)

Click here to print copy of music:  Haven_ of _Rest _Vocal_ arrangement_part_three

The Haven of Rest (part three)

This is a very easy Christmas program I put together several years ago for our church. 

We like to involve as many ages of people as possible. Here are the groups of people we used.

Narrators: young teenagers

Adult choir

Children’s choir for: “Away in a Manger”

The manger scene characters were young children in costume.

The actors did not have speaking parts…just showed action as indicated on the program order.

Click here for: Free easy Christmas program

Is your church in need of an easy Christmas program?  I just found one tonight while surfing the web.

Go to the following link to see and hear the music and to view the narration script. The easy two part choir arrangements are beautiful!  The instrument part on “O Come O Come Emmanuel” sounds so pretty.

This would be an excellent program for any size church!

Title of the program: The Story of the Carols

 The Haven of Rest is such a comforting hymn.  Part two of this vocal arrangement contains the first part of  the chorus. 

(It would be beneficial to print the music (both pages) so you can see it as I describe the piano accompaniment.)

Special note: I forgot to include the last word and notes on page one.

I have included page one (part one) again with the correction…as well as page two (part two).

Click here to print: The Haven of Rest part one and two

Description of the piano accompaniment for page two:

The chorus reveals the result of salvation…the sweet assurance that comes from asking Jesus to be your Saviour.

The beginning of the chorus begins with an upward movement in the right hand on the word “I’ve”…to portray an overwhelming sense of joy as the lost soul accepts Christ as their Saviour.

Then…a full chord in the right hand on the word “anchored” to depict a steadfast, secure sound.

Notice the upward sweep of sixteenth notes in measure___for a vivid picture of the word “sail”.

Part three will start with a troubled tone…”The tempest may sweep o’er the wild stormy deep–In Jesus, I’m safe evermore.”

 I can’t wait to share this contrast in part three of “The Haven of Rest”.

It’s fun making the old hymns come to life with descriptive accompaniment.