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Need help on suggestion of church introit Anthem

yohanus

New member
My church used to have an anthem for the processional then only comes the opening hymn.

The previous organist used to play a very nice british sounds anthem.

I believe there are alot of anthem for the pipe organ, but im just quite lost in many composers...and so many type of periods of works...

I need some suggestion of works that are able to used as anthem. I know BACH have a series of church season works, but some of them sounds very romance. Does anyone have those not too grand like the toccata and fugue, but fit just nicely for anthem....Just a simple one...

Im very new to pipe organ.
 

wljmrbill

Member
Are you refrerring to a choral Introit or an organ prelude before the processional hymn? Normally it would be : prelude ( organ), choral Introit, precessional hymn music?
 
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yohanus

New member
Hi, im quite unfamiliar with all the music terms like organ prelude and introit.

But what im mentioning is a pipe organ solo anthem without the choir, not a hymn usually although sometimes there will be some organist will arrange and improvise on an existing hymn.

It is played during the processional, then when all the choir and clergy arrive their own respectively stalls, the lay reader will only announce to sing the opening hymn. Here we do it in a quite different ways, which we dont sing any hymn during the processional, just the organ play an anthem.
 

wljmrbill

Member
Not the usual system for larger churches. I do remember a EUB church I played in my High school days that the choir entered at the end of my prelude. Then I would go right into the hymn or I would generally increase my volumne to probably at least a" forte" and Play a short piece piece while they are processing; as you mention some prelude's of Bach's would always work..a short chorale(they do not carry a heavy beat as such) from many composers. You would not have time to play much with a normal church asile length.

For this type of situation I usually improvise with so little time to actually play composition. There is certainly not a reson why they just could not enter at the last part of your prelude music too. Perhaps your local music store may have some books that would give you a selection of short compostition for use. What level of performance playing are you?
 

wljmrbill

Member
I just went to website.. you play at St. Mary's Anglican Cathedral? Beautiful building and nave.. It says that there are 4 organist there and one listed as Dr. ( not sure if of music ). I can not understand why the choir does not process in such a large church with 4 services it says.. Interesting.
 

yohanus

New member
The choir and the clergy will have their processional during the Pipe Organ solo Anthem. its something like this :

The Lay reader will go to middle of the church and say : Let us rise for the Anthem.

Then the organist will play something, in the same time the choir and the clergy process to their own stalls.

After the everyone settle down to their own stall, then the lay reader will announce the opening hymn.

Yup, i played at St Mary Cathedral, im not very sure about the 4 listed organist in the web, but i think its outdated, since our Archbishop and Dean is clergy having the current position.

I do not went through any music studies, i started to play a keyboard at the age of 10 on my own, age of 12 i played for church for the old hymns but not playing the full notes, maybe just the melody with its pedal bass chord. Then around 8 years i serve in the same diocese, im able to play piano pieces like hungarian rhapsody, if pipe organ maybe toccata and fugue ( but without its pedal, because i only have an upright piano at my house ). I having a bad fingering or wrong fingering which able to play something sounds similar to ones who learn music, but if a professional surely can spot my hitting of notes and the flowing of notes are not a skillful person.

So, if people asked me what is my level of performance, i can only say In Christ Name i will try my best... on the day i knows music, i serve the Lord until now, and it will continues.
 

yohanus

New member
Yup, i played at St Mary Cathedral, im not very sure about the 4 listed organist in the web, but i think its outdated, since our Archbishop and Dean is clergy having the current position.

Opps , typing error, sorry im new to this forum, where is the edit post button ? Anyway, its suppose to be " ....is OTHER clergy having the current position"
 

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
Hi yohanus, the edit button is to the right at the bottom of each post. Next to "Reply", "Reply With Quote" and slightly invisible "Multi-Quote This Message". Please note that you can only edit your posts within 12 hours after initial submission.
 

wljmrbill

Member
I see .. there are some publications for manuals without pedals as well as manual and pedal . I will try and find them for you. Lars maybe able to help you out also. If you have a basic music education maybe there is an organ teacher there you get some lessons from? Many publications do not have good fingering marked for learning to play too.A text on organ playing would help you if it is available there. of course the internet is very helpful too.... for a hymn. the bass line is the pedal part, tenor -left hand and sop/alto is the right hand...for simple explanation. If playing a chord i.e. C maj = c-e-g-you would use C in the pedal ( if a swing bass figure.. then C pedal..then chord....then G pedal.....then chord ...i.e. 4/4 common time for example). Practice is your best friend in getting used to the organ and playing performance.
 

pcnd5584

New member
Hi, im quite unfamiliar with all the music terms like organ prelude and introit.

But what im mentioning is a pipe organ solo anthem without the choir, not a hymn usually although sometimes there will be some organist will arrange and improvise on an existing hymn.

It is played during the processional, then when all the choir and clergy arrive their own respectively stalls, the lay reader will only announce to sing the opening hymn. Here we do it in a quite different ways, which we dont sing any hymn during the processional, just the organ play an anthem.

Just for the sake of clarity - if a piece is to be played as an organ solo, it is best to avoid the word 'anthem' - this suggests that a choir of some sort will also be singing with the organ.

It sounds as if your service begins in a similar manner to our 09:45 Mass here. I play a short piece, whilst the clergy, the altar party and the choir process to the South Transept; then I play-over the processional hymn. The choir and congregation then join in the hymn, whilst the clergy and choir process to their places in the stalls.

However, I always improvise the opening music. If you can do this effectively, you will find it most useful. I cannot think of anything which has been published, which is of a suitable length. In any case, surely it would need at least to match the mood of the following hymn - if not derive ideas from its musical context.


However, it might be easier, from your description, if this part of the service was re-arranged, so that it simply began with the hymn. Could your priest be persuaded to allow the clergy and choir to process in with the hymn? Then all that is necessary, is to make sure that the hymn will be long enough for the procession.
 
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yohanus

New member
Hi, thanks alot for sharing me some basics of pipe organ sheets reading, im quite lost when i look at my local cathedral Gloria. Its has 4 bars, upper 2 bar is the choir or the melody singing in parts SATB. The lower bar is the pipe organ, the problem is, sometimes i heard other skillful organist actually do not really followed the sheet, sometimes they may play the melody instead of the accompany treble bar then switch back to the accompany suddenly. Anyway, im trying to mark down which is pedal, which is left hand after you teach me the method...haha...i hardly meet other organist because we work in schedule, if im serving, they will helping in other service...I do not know can i post the sheet music here ? Does it cause any problems like publications license, i would like to share with you guys what kind of order of service we are using, its quite an OLD ones...

Unfortunately, im unable to convince them to re-arrange the liturgical order, because its consideer quite an old cathedral here, so sometimes its hardly to change somethings when there is even such a Parish Church Council which form by a group of people does not appreciate liturgy. But i believe there is reason to have this kind of arrangement, because we used to have very big processional, and the pipe organ is not connected to the sound system properly which causes only those who are near to the pipe organ can sing according to the speed, sometimes when the choir sing at the nave, the pipe organ is either a little bit slower or faster.
 
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wljmrbill

Member
Yes true that is a delay time which occurs in larger churches with resonance and reverb some as high as 7 sec difference. this becomes a problem for organist as you must adjust speed and breaks between notes ( in simple terms) to allow for the delay of the sound so it is not a muddy sound. NO pipe organ is not connected to the sound system or I have never heard of it anyway...sometimes micrpohones are used to amplify sound for an area but not normal proceedure except for recording purposes. As far as the Gloria goes..... many times the organist might make the melody stand out so congregation can better sing it where as with just the sustaining chords for the chant or accomp. might not give them support for singing it.. a note: some organist do not use pedal in playing chants or sung parts of the mass.. I can undersatnd some of your questions as I am an EPISCOPLAIAN - High Church . I was headorganist/choirmaster at a large Episcopal Church for many years with 3 manual insturment.
 

yohanus

New member
This is the Gloria we are using, im still looking who is the composer or what tune is it, it comes with other liturgy prayer too.

20130123_213815_zps276a7b30.jpg
 

Nikam

New member
Yohanus - welcome to the forum! :D

It sounds as though you have been thrown in at the deep end!

Just wondering whether, instead of trying to take on too much initially, you could perhaps just play the tune/harmony of the first hymn while everyone is processing. You could vary this by playing the melody alone, either as written, or an octave above or below; or by using a different combination of stops each time you play it, assuming you have combination pistons within easy reach. Or - the swell pedal/volume pedal could be used to make one playover quiet, the next louder, just to give some variation.
 
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wljmrbill

Member
i.e. Gloria :I do not recognise it. This would indeed be hard to sing with just the accomp. unless they are very familiar with it and the choir sings well. Something of this nature I would only use for festive services not for routine sunday mass. There are many other Gloria's that are much better than this one for sure.
 

yohanus

New member
i.e. Gloria :I do not recognise it. This would indeed be hard to sing with just the accomp. unless they are very familiar with it and the choir sings well. Something of this nature I would only use for festive services not for routine sunday mass. There are many other Gloria's that are much better than this one for sure.

One thing good about this cathedral is, we have a very great choir, almost half of them at least went through music vocal training, some of them are from the British time Choir family with the Old RSCM medal.

The Gloria is the hardest part to play in all the other related pieces, the tricky part is in the second page. But its also from the British period, nice one. Next time i will upload one recording with my poor organ skill playing this Gloria.
 

wljmrbill

Member
Glad you have a good choir a definate asset. Guess you have a music director that selects the music too then? Good luck with your position. Practice and you will get the gloria down pat.
 

yohanus

New member
Yes, we have a music director to choose the music for every service, usually from the A&M, sometimes other old hymn and some classical hymn for communion hymn. Thanks alot for the information, i have to get use to this GIANT Machine...
 

Nikam

New member
Knowing nothing at all about Malaysia, I've been digging around. - Info on Wikipedia covers the building and the organ of St Mary's Cathedral in KL. There is also interesting information about the cathedral building on Trip Advisor through the reviews of visitors; photographs too. One (British) visitor says it is very small by English standards and describes it as 'reminiscent of an English Village Church'. It can seat 180 plus 20 in the choir.

A beautiful building and the organ has an interesting history.

More photographs on the two websites below:

http://www.clacklinevalleyolives.com.au/pipeorgan/malaysia/KLStMarys.html

https://foursquare.com/v/st-marys-anglican-cathedral/4cf9b4bf0df3236af283efa9
 
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wljmrbill

Member
Interesting history of the organ on your link Nikam. what a quaint small instrument with few stops: but I would guess is o.,k. for the size of the nave.
 
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