The Organ Forum

I play organ for an ELCA church here in the Austin, TX area, and while I'm not exactly wild about the Allen custom 2-manual 35-stop organ, I really like their 7' Yamaha grand.  I play a lot of piano music for their services which seems to suit almost everybody.  I get a lot of compliments which I truly appreciate.

While I'm not good enough to improvise extensively on hymn tunes during offertory or communion, I am good enough to sight-read just about anything you put in front of me, including transcriptions of religious jazz arrangements.  Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any such arrangements for organ, just for piano.

Can y'all recommend some interesting jazz transcriptions for organ, please?

 I left a dynamic, growing UMC because of their pro-happy clappy attitude (I'll give y'all the details some other time - it's kinda late right now), and now the associate pastor at my current church is making noises about including some of that drivel in our current services.  I have expressed my feelings on this topic to her, and she understands that I object to that kind of music for musical reasons (Oh boy!  Didn't we just sing that song 2 weeks ago?  No wonder they call it 911 music; 9 words repeated 11 times.  Do I have to play all 17 verses?) and for religious ones, too (Jesus and I are mates/buds/pals (pick one) - whatever happened to feelings of awe in a worship service?).  If I should have to play such music, I'd like to approach it from the basis of jazz in the worship service, so any books y'all can recommend that might teach me some jazz licks done by famous religious jazz organists would be much appreciated.

 TIA,

 Vernon

whatever happened to feelings of awe in a worship service?

Not really a reply to your question, but a thought raised by your post: "If the feelings of awe are purged from the theology and practice, why should we expect them to remain in the music?"  My experience is that many people want church to be special, not the same thing as the rest of the week, just dressed up with a dab of spirituality.

I wish you success in your search for suitable jazz service music.  I'm confident it's out there; unfortunately, I don't know where to look for at.

DR
 

Vernon,

There is music out there that will work for you.  First, if you have any copies of The Organ Portfolio, look up hymn arrangements by Robert W. Thygerson.  He does some very "bluesy" (sp.?) arrangements of hymns which might work.  These are usually pretty easy.  Also, check out this book: http://tinyurl.com/49tdwy , or this book: http://tinyurl.com/3hd8vg .  They might give you a starting point.  Good Luck!

Dave.

PS: Contact me off-list, too. 

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Not transcriptions, but Kevin Mayhew has published three collections of jazzy, swing type service music. I already own the collection titled "Swing Gently" and have just ordered the other two. One is titled "Wedding Jazz" and I think the third is simply "Swing." It's a collection entirely by Rosalie Bonigton. All three can be ordered through sheetmusicplus.com and probably through your local music dealer via Mel Bay Publishing as well.

I played several of these for a very conservative, traditional LCMS congregation (on a small tracker!) and they were well received as something fresh and different, without being trashy or in the mode of the 911 praise music you're talking about. The Unitarians liked them, too, on a 1950s vintage Wicks. So I'd say they're versatile <g>.