Music Favorites
A collection of my favorite music for church and concert. I’ve personally conducted, played, or sung all of this music and recommend it unreservedly.
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What are you looking for?
Choral, a cappella
- Blessed Be the Lord, My Rock – Abbie Betinis (SAB)
- Beautiful Savior – Fredric Melius Christiansen
- Wondrous Love – Paul J. Christiansen
- Ubi caritas – Maurice Duruflé
- The Sun Never Says – Dan Forrest (full score and opt. cello)
- Holy Is the True Light – William H. Harris
- Jesus Christ the Apple Tree – Howard Helvey
- Let the Heaven Light Shine on Me – Moses Hogan
- Bless the Lord, O My Soul – Michael Ippolitof-Ivanof (also available for TTBB)
- Covenant Prayer – Jane Marshall
- Benediction – Knut Nystedt
- Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal – Alice Parker (also available for treble choir and lower-voice choir)
- Peace Be Within This Sacred Place – Alice Parker in Six Hymns to Doctor Watts
- The Deer’s Cry – Arvo Pärt
- Jesus Christ the Apple Tree – Elizabeth Poston
- Sanctum – Sarah Quartel (for SSSAA; also available as a digital download)
- Sing, My Soul, His Wondrous Love – Ned Rorem
- Five Hymns from the Sacred Harp – Martha Shaffer (Sweet Canaan, King of Peace, Come, Trav’ler, Haste Away, I Would See Jesus, and How Firm a Foundation)
- God So Loved the World – John Stainer – available as printed octavo and freely available on CPDL
- If Ye Love Me – Thomas Tallis – available as printed octavo and freely available on CPDL
- Alleluia – Randall Thompson
Choral, accompanied
- The King of Love – John Ness Beck
- Jubilate Deo in C Major – Benjamin Britten (also available as a digital download)
- Shine the Heavenly Light – Rollo Dilworth (also available as a digital download)
- Nearer, My God, to Thee – Dan Forrest (with opt. cello)
- O Love – Elaine Hagenberg (also available for SSAA and TTBB; opt. cello available separately)
- Jesu, Grant Me This, I Pray – Charles H. Kitson
- Awake, My Heart – Jane M. Marshall
- Still, My Soul, Be Still – Mary McDonald (also available for SSAA)
- The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation – Rosephanye Powell (also available as a digital download)
- For the Beauty of the Earth – John Rutter (also available with orchestral accompaniment)
- God Speaks to Each of Us – Gwyneth Walker
- My Shepherd Will Supply My Need – Mack Wilberg (with harp or keyboard; opt. flute and oboe)
- Now Let Us All Praise God and Sing – Gordon Young
Choral, Christmas and Advent
- This Endris Night – Malcolm Archer
- Salvation Is Created – Pavel Chesnokov (also available as a digital download and freely available on CPDL)
- Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming – Hugo Distler (also freely available on CPDL)
- Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day – John Gardner (also available as a digital download)
- Ave Generosa – Ola Gjeilo (also available for SSAA and TTBB)
- Quem pastores laudavere – Susan LaBarr
- O Radiant Dawn – James MacMillan
- E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come – Paul Manz (also available as a digital download)
- Sweet Was the Song – William Mathias
- A Spotless Rose – Paul Mealor (also available as a digital download and for SSAA)
- Wait for the Lord – Jacqueline Ng from Two Short Benedictions
- The Word Was God – Rosephanye Powell (also available for SSAA and TTBB)
- Keep Your Lamps! – Andre Thomas (also available as a digital download and for treble and lower-voice choirs)
- Sussex Carol (“On Christmas Night”) – David Willcocks (also available in Carols for Choirs 1)
Choral, easy
- Come My Way, My Truth, My Life – Malcolm Archer (SAB, accompanied) in Anthems Old and New for SA Men
- Lord of All Hopefulness – Daniel Kallman (SAB, accompanied with opt. flute)
- How Firm a Foundation – Paul E. Koch (two-part, accompanied)
- God Is My Strong Salvation – Austin C. Lovelace (SATB, accompanied)
- Christ Has Broken Down the Wall – Mark A. Miller (SATB, accompanied), also available as Love Has Broken Down the Wall
Earplugs
I protect my hearing with high-fidelity earplugs (aka “musician’s earplugs).
Handbell
- Lenten Meditation – Paul A. McKlveen
- All Things Bright and Beautiful: Hymn Arrangements and Original Music for 2 or 3 Octaves Handbells for Springtime or General Use – Cathy Moklebust (a reproducible collection; also available for 3 to 5 octaves)
- Celebrate the Season: Reproducible Advent and Christmas Carols for 2 or 3 Octaves Handbells – Cathy Moklebust (also available for 3 to 5 octaves)
Organ
- Partita on All Glory, Laud, and Honor – Michael Burkhardt
- Prelude, Fugue And Chaconne In C Major, BuxWV 137 – Dietrich Buxtehude (also on IMSLP)
- An Advent/Christmas Suite – Alfred V. Fedak (My favorite Christmas postlude is this setting of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen)
- Mad Rush – Philip Glass
- Satyagraha Act 3 – Conclusion – Philip Glass, arr. Donald Joyce
- “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (ROCKINGHAM OLD) from Six Preludes for the Church Year – Robert A. Hobby
- “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” (OLIVET) from Three Lenten Hymn Meditations – Mark C. Jones
- “His Wonders to Perform” from In Mystery and Wonder – Dan Locklair
- “The Peace May Be Exchanged” from Rubrics: A Liturgical Suite for Organ – Dan Locklair
- The Oxford Book of Ceremonial Music for Organ includes some of my favorite postlude music, such as Sun Dance from Organ Dances by Bob Chilcott, Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, Fanfare by William Mathias, Festival Voluntary by Flor Peeters, Grand Choeur by Théodore Salomé (also on IMSLP), and Introduction and March from Battle of Britain Suite by William Walton.
- The Oxford Book of Christmas Organ Music
- Annum per Annum – Arvo Pärt
- Spiegel im Spiegel – Arvo Pärt
- Again, I Say, Rejoice! Festive Postludes for Organ – Brenda Portman (I especially like the settings of Ode to Joy and Aberystwyth)
- Wie schon leucht’t uns der Morgenstern – Max Reger
- Piano Works – Max Richter (yes, the collection is called “Piano Works” – but many of the pieces adapt beautifully to organ)
- Toccatas, Carillons and Scherzos for Organ: 27 Works for Church or Concert Performance includes some of my favorite postlude music, such as Toccata from Suite Gothique, Op. 25 by Léon Boëllmann (also on IMSLP), Toccata in G Major by Théodore Dubois (also on IMSLP), Festival Toccata by Percy E. Fletcher (also on IMSLP), Toccata in B Minor by Eugène Gigout (also on IMSLP), Toccata in D Minor by Alphonse Mailly (also on IMSLP), and Toccata in D Minor by Albert Renaud (also on IMSLP)
- Carillon from 24 Pièces en style libre, Op.31 – Louis Vierne (available in a printed collection and on IMSPL)