GEMS: The 25 Best Organ Postludes

Do you want to learn new postlude music that you will enjoy and your congregation will love?

Here’s my list of the best organ postludes, based on almost 20 years as a church musician.

These pieces are:

• 2-5 minutes long
• faster/louder rather than softer/slower
• in the sweet spot between very difficult and too simple (and if it is fairly difficult, then the piece is quite musically satisfying)

I set the bar very high for this list. No music that leaves me feeling meh (I’m looking at you, Mendelssohn Sonatas!). I also didn’t include any music that I personally love but that congregations don’t seem to enjoy very much, like Bach’s Trio Sonatas. This list is a truly curated collection of winners.

The 25 Best Organ Postludes

If you purchase through some of the following links, I may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting the free content I produce!

1. Fugue from the D Major Prelude and Fugue, BWV 532 by J. S. Bach (One of the more difficult pieces on this list, but well worth the time to learn it.)
2. Prelude and Fugue in E Minor (“Cathedral”), BWV 533 by J. S. Bach
3. Chorale Prelude on ‘In dir ist Freude,’ BWV 615 by J. S. Bach
4. Fantasia on ‘Jesu, meine Freude,’ BWV 713 by J. S. Bach (Try this if you are proficient at the keyboard but still learning pedal technique—it’s manuals only.)
5. Movement 1 of the Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593 by Vivaldi, trans. J. S. Bach
6. Movement 3 of the Concerto in A Minor, BWV 593 by Vivaldi, trans. J. S. Bach
7. Toccata from Suite Gothique, Op. 25 by Léon Boëllmann (IMSLP and this collection)
8. Prelude, Fuge and Chacone in C Major by Buxtehude (IMSLP)
9. Sun Dance from Organ Dances by Bob Chilcott (in this collection)
10. Toccata in G Major by Théodore Dubois (IMSLP and this collection)
11. Fugue sur le thème du Carillon by Maurice Duruflé (This is my very favorite postlude! I wrote about why it’s my favorite here.)
12. Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar (in this collection. This majestic transcription is the one slower and softer piece on this list.)
13. Festival Toccata by Percy E. Fletcher (IMSLP and this collection)
14. Alleluia from Six Voluntaries on Gregorian Themes by Sr. Teresine Fonder (If you’re looking for an easier piece, try this one. I can’t find this collection for purchase online, but if you can find a used copy, it’s worth it. I play the other pieces in the collection as preludes.)
15. Toccata in B Minor by Eugène Gigout (IMSLP and this collection)
16. “His Wonders to Perform” from In Mystery and Wonder by Dan Locklair (This piece is quite difficult. However, once the music in your hands, you will probably find, as I have, that it comes back to you quickly.)
17. Toccata in D Minor by Alphonse Mailly (IMSLP and this collection)
18. Fanfare by William Mathias (in this collection)
19. Toccata in E Minor by Pachelbel (IMSLP)
20. Festival Voluntary by Flor Peeters (in this collection) (If you’re looking for an easier piece, try this one.)
21. Toccata on ABERYSTWYTH from Again, I Say, Rejoice! by Brenda Portman (The only new work on my list and a total keeper!)
22. Toccata in D Minor by Albert Renaud (IMSLP and this collection)
23. Grand Choeur by Théodore Salomé (IMSLP and this collection)
24. Carillon from 24 Pièces en style libre, Op.31 by Louis Vierne (IMSLP and here)
25. Introduction and March from Battle of Britain Suite by William Walton (in this collection)

Bonus: Christmas Postludes

• Chorale Prelude on ‘In dulci jubilo,’ BWV 729 by J. S. Bach (in my favorite Christmas collection)
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen from An Advent Christmas Suite by Alfred V. Fedak

The Best Organ Postlude Collections to Buy

Many of the pieces listed above come from two collections:

• The Oxford Book of Ceremonial Music for Organ (includes #9, 12, 18, 20, 23, and 25)
• Toccatas, Carillons and Scherzos for Organ: 27 Works for Church or Concert Performance (includes #7, 10, 13, 15, 17, and 22)

I recommend them unreservedly!

Last But Not Least: It’s Okay to Shorten Pieces for Postludes

In my experience, most congregations don’t appreciate long postludes. In fact, the Bach D Major Fugue (#1 above) is at the very upper limit for a postlude in the churches I’ve worked in. I remember playing it once at a small church, and the whole congregation was practically out the door by the time I finished!

Because of this, I may skip sections in a piece I play for a postlude. For example, many of the toccatas listed above have an ABA form. I often skip the middle section to keep the pieces from being too long for a postlude. Or, I might play only the final A section. I wouldn’t do that in a concert setting, but playing in a church service serves a very different function than playing in a concert.

I’ve found that by keeping my postludes consistently under 5 minutes, I get a greater “buy in” from the congregation. Many people will stay to listen if they know are only a few minutes away from coffee hour!

What are your favorite postludes? I’m always on a hunt for more great music!

GEMS is a series devoted to continual delights—music, books, and other things that bring joy, year after year.