Short Piano Pieces for Religious Service (Prelude/Postludes)

[Brytner]

Hi friends!

I play the piano eventually in my church and I am currently running out of repertoire to play during the beginning and at the end of each service.
I am looking for pieces around 2-3 minutes, not technically demanding and that should fit a religious environment (it does not need to be necessarily religious music).
I would like to escape the obvious repertoire like Hess's ''Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire'' or Kempf's arrangement of Bach's Siciliano from Flute Sonata.
Any idea is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[HullandHellandHalifax]

Hi Brytner,
I am an organist and often I must play the piano for family services plus some of the organs I play do not have independent stops for the pedal so like you I need music that is fit for purpose and happily there is a lot out there available cheaply second-hand originally written for harmonium. You can find books of pieces designed for the service by Franck (L'Organiste), Boellmann (Heures Mystiques), Fleury, Caleb Simper, Vierne, Guy Ropartz, Guilmant etc. There are also compositions for organ written for organs without pedals by Martini, Frescobaldi, Cotupacci, John Stanley, Weelkes, Tallis, Gibbons, Byrd etc. The list is in fact endless, also suitable are some of the works of Satie. There are so many fields to search, English organ music written before about 1820, all the early French, German, Dutch and Italian composers.
Good luck there is more out there than you think.
regards
Brian

[Phillip210]

When I play for services (organ or piano) I usually improvise pieces, usually (but not necessarily) based on the hymn-tunes to be sung during the services. That has the advantage of enabling you to tailor your playing so that you stop at precisely the moment when whoever is taking the service is ready to speak/the collection has been taken etc. If you have the hymn tune in front of you, it can act as a sort of anchor, in case you stray too far from the tune or key!

[Brytner]

Hi Brytner,
I am an organist and often I must play the piano for family services plus some of the organs I play do not have independent stops for the pedal so like you I need music that is fit for purpose and happily there is a lot out there available cheaply second-hand originally written for harmonium. You can find books of pieces designed for the service by Franck (L'Organiste), Boellmann (Heures Mystiques), Fleury, Caleb Simper, Vierne, Guy Ropartz, Guilmant etc. There are also compositions for organ written for organs without pedals by Martini, Frescobaldi, Cotupacci, John Stanley, Weelkes, Tallis, Gibbons, Byrd etc. The list is in fact endless, also suitable are some of the works of Satie. There are so many fields to search, English organ music written before about 1820, all the early French, German, Dutch and Italian composers.
Good luck there is more out there than you think.
regards
Brian

Thank you Brian!

I play the piano, but I'll definitely browse those collections!

Best,

Brytner

[Brytner]

When I play for services (organ or piano) I usually improvise pieces, usually (but not necessarily) based on the hymn-tunes to be sung during the services. That has the advantage of enabling you to tailor your playing so that you stop at precisely the moment when whoever is taking the service is ready to speak/the collection has been taken etc. If you have the hymn tune in front of you, it can act as a sort of anchor, in case you stray too far from the tune or key!

Thank you for the advice, Philip!

Best,

Brytner

[Timtin]

One name that hasn't been mentioned so far in this discussion is Stanford,
with various churchy pieces of his on IMSLP.