Click on the item to read a description and hear the MP3 sound sample for that item. Almost all browsers are capable of playing MP3s with the appropriate plugin.
A lovely solo piano work from the pen of 16-year-old Emily Krasinski.
Written by Emily Krasinski, gifted pianist and horn player, for a school assignment at age 16.
This light-hearted piece in the style reminiscent of the Clemente sontatinas looks simple and reads easily, but will challenge the player. Beware starting out too fast!
SONATINA IN D by Emily Krasinski comes in a pdf file of 7510K, four pages of music plus a license page, five pages in all. Performance time should be about 1:35 at the tempo demonstrated.
Stately setting of the famous Easter hymn. May be used with any combination of brass quintet, organ, choir, and congregation.
This is the quintessential Easter hymn, being sung every Easter throughout the English speaking world by almost all Christian denominations, and in many many other languages and countries across the world.
The piece is introduced and the stanzas are connected by a brass bridge, each time ending in the same way to easily cue the choir or congregation. The first three stanzas are in concert C, and the final stanza is in concert D.
The brass quintet can stand alone, or the organ can stand alone, or the tympani can be added to either, organ can play with just two trumpets, or all can play together, and again, adding singers is also very easy. Choir or congregation can simply sing directly from a hymnal. So this is a sort of a one-size-fits-many piece. The brass quintet is two trumpets, F horn (a euphonium part is included if needed to substitute), trombone, and tuba. The tympani part is for a set of four.
If this piece is done with organ, to relieve the fatigue of the low brass players it is recommended that all of the brass rest during the third stanza.
A unique feature of this piece is that the horn part contains a sort of hunting call motif during the final stanza. It will likely become a favorite of your horn player. It is meant to remind the listener/singer of the shofar that will sound the call on the last day.
+ + +
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing ye heavens and earth reply Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King! Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once He all doth save! Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Love's redeeming work is done. Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won. Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise! Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head. Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise! Alleluia
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!
CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY, arranged by Tom Kirkland for two trumpets, F horn or euphonium, trombone, tuba, organ, and tympani, comes in a pdf file of 381K, with an eight-page score, seven two-page parts, one five-page (organ) part, and a license page, twenty-eight pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:10.
An achingly beautiful, contemplative piano solo by David Hepburn.
David Hepburn is a retired minister-of-music, choir director, band director, missionary, teacher, and school president, and a fine tenor and trumpeter. His many compositions are a testament to the works of Jesus he has seen in the lives of others and in his own life.
In 1993, shortly after completing this piece, David was disabled by a stroke and has not written music since.
LAST by David Hepburn, for solo piano, comes in a pdf file of 196K, two pages of music and a license page. Performance time should be approximately three minutes.
Moving hymn tune set for various combinations of brass sextet (two trumpets, horn or euphonium, two trombones, tuba), organ, and tympani. Very easy to add choir or congregational singing.
Thine is the Glory (JUDAS MACCABAEUS) is a fantastic Easter hymn set to a tune from Handel's opera Judas Maccabaeus (See the Conquering Hero Comes). It is a stately, moving, very baroque chorus with tremendous harmonies and is easy to sing.
This version is a rewrite of our brass quintet version. The thought that some churches might wish to use it with organ instead of or along with the brass quintet led to the creation of an organ part that doubles the brass parts. Finally, since many churches will try to do something larger and different for Easter services, the addition of a tympani part was a natural fit for the tune.
The tune here appears as it is most commonly harmonized, so adding a choir or using this with congregational singing is very easy. We did not include choral parts, as the lyrics do not go public domain until 2040, and we desired to avoid copyright issues. Each of the three stanzas can be sung directly out of a hymnal, and if desired, the final two measures can be sung as an Amen! or Alleluia! with ease, the choir singers picking a part out of the simple harmony.
The piece is introduced and the stanzas are connected by a brass bridge, each time ending in the same way to easily cue the choir or congregation.
The brass sextet can stand alone, or the organ can stand alone, or the tympani can be added to either, organ can play with just one or two trumpets, or all can play together, and again, adding singers is also very easy. So this is a sort of a one-size-fits-many piece. The brass sextet is two trumpets, F horn (a euphonium part is included if needed to substitute), two trombones, and tuba. The first trumpet part has two high Ds in it, but a B can be easily substituted without much loss of effect. We also created an alternate first trumpet part (pdf) that stays at or below a G, if you want to play this on a straight Bb trumpet without a cheater mouthpiece and just don't have the lip to consistently get a quality sound out of the higher notes.
+ + +
Thine is the glory,
Risen, conquering Son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment
Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes
Where Thy body lay.
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
Lo, Jesus meets thee,
Risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets thee,
Scatters fear and gloom;
Let His church with gladness
Hymns of triumph sing,
For the Lord now liveth,
Death has lost its sting,
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
No more we doubt Thee,
Glorious Prince of Life;
Life is nought without Thee;
Aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conquerors,
Through Thy deathless love;
Bring us safe through Jordan
To Thy home above.
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
THINE IS THE GLORY by G. F. Handel, arranged by Tom Kirkland for two trumpets, F horn or euphonium, two trombones, tuba, organ, and tympani, comes in a pdf file of 1208K, with a ten-page score, eight two-page parts, one six-page (organ) part, and a license page, thirty-three pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:40.
Thine is the Glory (JUDAS MACCABAEUS) is a fantastic Easter hymn set to a tune from Handel's opera Judas Maccabaeus (See the Conquering Hero Comes). It is a stately, moving, very baroque chorus with tremendous harmonies and is easy to sing.
This version was originally conceived for brass quintet, but the thought that some churches might wish to use it with organ instead of or along with the brass quintet led to the creation of an organ part that doubles the brass parts. Finally, since many churches will try to do something larger and different for Easter services, the addition of a tympani part was a natural fit for the tune.
The tune here appears as it is most commonly harmonized, so adding a choir or using this with congregational singing is very easy. We did not include choral parts, as the lyrics do not go public domain until 2040, and we desired to avoid copyright issues. Each of the three stanzas can be sung directly out of a hymnal, and if desired, the final two measures can be sung as an Amen! or Alleluia! with ease, the choir singers picking a part out of the simple harmony.
The piece is introduced and the stanzas are connected by a brass bridge, each time ending in the same way to easily cue the choir or congregation.
The brass quintet can stand alone, or the organ can stand alone, or the tympani can be added to either, organ can play with just one or two trumpets, or all can play together, and again, adding singers is also very easy. So this is a sort of a one-size-fits-many piece. The brass quintet is two trumpets, F horn (a euphonium part is included if needed to substitute), trombone, and tuba. The first trumpet part has two high Ds in it, but a B can be easily substituted without much loss of effect. We also created an alternate first trumpet part (pdf) that stays at or below a G, if you want to play this on a straight Bb trumpet without a cheater mouthpiece and just don't have the lip to consistently get a quality sound out of the higher notes.
+ + +
Thine is the glory,
Risen, conquering Son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment
Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes
Where Thy body lay.
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
Lo, Jesus meets thee,
Risen from the tomb!
Lovingly he greets thee,
Scatters fear and gloom;
Let His church with gladness
Hymns of triumph sing,
For the Lord now liveth,
Death has lost its sting,
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
No more we doubt Thee,
Glorious Prince of Life;
Life is nought without Thee;
Aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conquerors,
Through Thy deathless love;
Bring us safe through Jordan
To Thy home above.
Thine is the glory,
Risen conquering son;
Endless is the victory
Thou o'er death hast won.
THINE IS THE GLORY by G. F. Handel, arranged by Tom Kirkland for two trumpets, F horn or euphonium, trombone, tuba, organ, and tympani, comes in a pdf file of 454K, with an eleven-page score, seven two-page parts, one six-page (organ) part, and a license page, thirty-two pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:40.
This is a wedding processional that is dignified and appropriate, with enough variety to hold interest, and suited to cut-and-paste operations to make it work just right.
This piece is in six sections, AABACA structure, with a different and progessively stronger harmony with each succeeding A section. The B and C sections are different melodies, the B section written as a trio and the C section as a duet, which means there is a distinct change in feeling with each section. Each section can flow into any of the other sections as needed, so length can be easily changed.
What has been done here is to add a pedal line to the piano solo version, so actually, this version works as both-- with the pedal line on the organ, or without it on the piano.
KATIE'S PROCESSIONAL, organ solo by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 381K, five pages of music and a license page, six pages in all. Performance time should be a little over three minutes.
The old Welsh tune, Llwyn Onn, known in the English-speaking world as Ash Grove, is over 200 years old, and has been used with the hymn lyrics "The Master Has Come" and "Let All Things Now Living." Regardless what title you know it by, it is a wonderful and beautiful tune.
It appears here in the pedal accompanied by an arpeggiated right hand that simply never quits. The left hand plays chords rhythmically in a style reminscient of Charles-Marie Widor's famous Toccata.
The pedal line is written in octaves throughout. This should not be interpreted to mean the organist must play the entire pedal line two-footed, but rather that both 32-foot and 64-foot pipes should sound.
FANTASIA ON ASH GROVE, organ solo by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 576K, six pages of music and a license page, seven pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 3:40.
Just what the title says it is: A showy, exciting piece for piano that is suitable for recital use, as a prelude or postlude, or its original intended purpose, a recessional for a wedding.
The old Welsh tune, Llwyn Onn, known in the English-speaking world as Ash Grove, is over 200 years old, and has been used with the hymn lyrics "The Master Has Come" and "Let All Things Now Living." Regardless what title you know it by, it is a wonderful and beautiful tune.
It appears here in the bass line accompanied by an arpeggiated right hand that simply never quits.
Written by a father for his daughter's wedding recessional.
FANTASIA ON ASH GROVE, piano solo by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 577K, five pages of music and a license page, six pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 3:30.
Today, many churches do not have organs, but people still desire to have a wedding processional that is dignified and appropriate, with enough variety to hold interest, and suited to cut-and-paste operations to make it work just right.
Well, here is what you have been looking for.
This piece is in six sections, AABACA structure, with a different and progessively stronger harmony with each succeeding A section. The B and C sections are different melodies, the B section written as a trio and the C section as a duet, which means there is a distinct change in feeling with each section. Each section can flow into any of the other sections as needed, so length can be easily changed.
This was written by a father for his daughter's wedding.
KATIE'S PROCESSIONAL, piano solo by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 363K, three pages of music and a license page, four pages in all. Performance time should be approximately 3:10.
Tchesnokoff's famous choral anthem arranged for solo piano.
Pavel Tschesnokoff (1877-1944) wrote a beautiful Russian Orthodox-style choral anthem titled "Salvation is Created." The somber feel of the anthem and long, soaring lines make it a wonderfully rich listening experience.
This version realizes the vocal parts for solo piano. It can also be used for a rehearsal accompanist's score for the choral version.
+ + +
Salvation is created,
In midst of the earth,
O Most High.
Alleluia, Amen.
SALVATION IS CREATED by Pavel Tchsenokoff, arranged for piano by Tom Kirkland, comes in a pdf file of 208K, with two pages of music plus a license page, three pages in all. Performance time should be about 2:20.
Jeremy Glaser's classical-style treament of two famous hymn tunes.
Jeremy Glaser has fashioned the hymn tunes ST. CRISPIN by George J. Elvey and MARTYRDOM by Hugh Wilson into a piano solo for the intermediate player. It is very much in the style of the classical period of the early nineteenth century.
The main tune, ST. CRISPIN (God loved the world so that he gave...) appears first in a simple setting, is repeated, and then gives way to a fanfare interlude. The main tune then reappears in a more stately setting. MARTYRDOM (Alas! and did my Savior bleed...) is then played in the bass, with an obbligato in the treble. The original setting of the main tune, the fanfare, and the more stately setting of the main tune are then repeated to complete the piece.
Because of the repeats, it is easy to adjust the piece to fit the allotted time in a concert, recital, or worship service.
+++
God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
Christ Jesus is the Ground of faith
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All that confide in Him alone
Are built on this chief Cornerstone.
God would not have the sinner die,
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word doth teach
How man the blessèd goal may reach.
+++
Alas! and did my Savior bleed
and did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
for sinners such as I?
+++
If thou be sick, if death draw near,
This truth thy troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves my soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To Thee, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
GOD LOVED THE WORLD SO THAT HE GAVE, a piano solo by Jeremy Glaser, comes in a pdf file of 270K, with a two page score and a license page, three pages in all. Performance time should be about 3:40.
Setting of these two beloved hymns for congregation with brass choir, or organ, could be played as an organ solo, or solo instrument with organ or brass choir.
The brass choir at our church found itself with four trumpets, two cornets, two tenor trombones, and a bass trombone available for a Sunday morning. Rather than try to arrange a brass anthem, and especially with that mass of trumpets and cornets, we decided to use all that brass to lead the congregation in song. Two well-known hymns were included along with the trumpets and cornets working in antiphonal fashion most of the way. It made sense that if we turned on all six high brass players at the same time the effect would be dramatic, if not stunning, so this arrangement for the most part uses all the trumpets and cornets at the same time sparingly.
This piece includes all six stanzas of the hymn "Oh, For a Thousand Tongues" by Charles Wesley with music by Carl Glazer and harmony adapted from Lowell Mason, as well as Thomas Ken's Doxology, set to Louis Bourgeois' Old Hundredth from the Genevan Psalter.
After an introduction, the hymn stanzas are framed by brass fanfares, and accompanied by various combinations of instruments. A coda gives the brass one final fanfare.
The brass choir specified consists of three trumpets, three cornets, two trombones, and a tuba. Our group used a bass trombone for the tuba part, and we ended up one cornet short, so dropped the third cornet part entirely. If fewer players are available, the third trumpet could be omitted as well with little ill effect. For much of the piece, only two trumpet lines and two cornet lines are written, to allow different players to lay out and save the lips for the really dramatic sections.
The realization of the brass parts for organ came out of the need for a rehearsal score for piano to work with the vocalists leading the singing. It certainly could be used as a stand-alone organ solo.
The vocal line could also be played on a solo instrument (trumpet? transpose yourself) with either the brass choir or organ.
It would be ill advised to use both brass choir and organ or piano, unless the organ or piano were used primarily to support the congregational singing, leaving the transitional fanfare sections and the introduction and coda to the brass alone. If led by a strong conductor, the trumpets, cornets, and trombones can be located at the corners of the sanctuary to heighten the antiphonal effect.
Apologies to the trumpet and cornet players for putting all three parts on a single staff. Both tenor trombone parts also appear on a single staff.
MP3 sound sample: Entire Piece, congregation with brass (synthesizer/midi).
OH, FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES/DOXOLOGY, arranged by Tom Kirkland, for congregation with brass choir or organ, solo instrument with brass choir or organ, or organ solo, comes in a pdf file of 982K, with a fourteen-page congregation/brass score, a ten-page congregation/organ score, four three-page instrumental parts, and a license page, thirty-seven pages in all. Performance time should be about five minutes.
This beautiful soaring melody by J. S. Bach is set against a simple background in this arrangement for organ.
If there is background music in heaven, perhaps this piece is in heavy rotation. It is hard to think of any music that is easier to lose yourself in than that of J. S. Bach, and it is hard to think of any Bach piece that is more true of than this one.
Virgil Fox used to play this piece when he did his "heavy organ" concerts, and while he was a little more free with the timing than is evident in the midi rendering, his overall concept was a good one. Basically, he eliminated the arpeggiated accompaniment and allowed the melody to flow over a simple background of sustained chords.
In this arrangement, we find a similar approach. The melody is so compelling that there is little reason to embellish the accompaniment. The organ simply does not lend itself to apreggio-style accompaniments as does say, the harp or the guitar. So we present a sedate and mature rendering of the Bach's Arioso, suitable for weddings or other occasions where something dignified and flowing is needed. Oh, and it's also quite beautiful.
You Tube Video incorporating a recording of this piece by organist Willem Lobbezoo as its sound track.
J. S. Bach's ARIOSO, arranged for solo organ by Tom Kirkland, comes in a PDF file of 1008K that contains a three page score and a license page, four pages in all. Performance time should be around 3:00. The piece can be shortened by beginning with the second page.
This intermediate-level piece is has a simple melody that leads from relaxation to tension to relaxation again. Suitable for recitals, worship services, or weddings.
The name of this piece comes from the old meaning of Air, that is, a song that shows off the capabilities of the voice. I also chose the word "Air" because of my recent attainment of a commercial pilot's license. While I wrote this piece almost nine years before beginning to work on the private pilot license, it never had a name until I decided to make it available through www.tributek.com.
People who have heard me play know that I am not an especially accomplished pianist. I do fake it well, but alas, I am not capable of much that I wish I were. None the less, I do get asked to play for things from time to time, and it is nice to have a few pieces one can play that are contemplative and beautiful, but are basically not very hard to play.
This piece is one I wrote just to have in my personal repertoire. While I have never memorized it, I have played it in public a few times, and people seem to find it easy to listen to and at least somewhat thought-provoking.
The melody wraps itself around a couple of simple motifs and then explores the emotional possbilities of a journey through some loosely related keys before returning to C. The arpeggiated left hand drifts from basic romantic to jazz-influenced chords while pushing the melody up to its peak of excitement and then releasing it back to its original contemplative mood.
From a piano teaching standpoint, this piece emphasizes the importance of the left hand as rhythm-keeper and mood-setter, while enforcing a no-look approach to being able to move the left hand easily through a couple of octaves in repeated arpeggios. It is also a good piece for developing basic pedal technique, as well as improving the musical sense of the emotional possbilities of a piece where tempo and dynamics can be varied. Reading accidentals well is also a must.
I had always thought that this piece would work well set for orchestra, and maybe some day I will set myself to the task of arranging it. For now, enjoy it in its original form, as a solo piano piece.
AIR IN C by Tom Kirkland comes in a PDF file containing five pages in all, four pages of music and the license page, packed into a file of about 1040K. Performance time is around 3:30, but the piece can easily be cut to fit in a shorter span.
A short, relatively easy piece that can be used in a recital, wedding, or worship service.
Some time back it struck me that the world could use some more original piano works that are not only relatively easy to play, but actually sound like something when performed. I've always liked the Chopin Prelude in E minor, which except for that one section in the middle is pretty easy to play, and it sounds very good. So I used the Chopin prelude as inspiration and came up with this piece.
For years it had no name, only the year I wrote it, 1986, written across the top of the manuscript. I finally found it after our last move, and it was like finding an old friend. I reached back in my mind to the time I wrote it and remember my baby girl, Megan, who was born in 1986, gurgling in her little seat while I was working on this. Megan is now old enough to play it herself, and perhaps giving it to her via the title will make this piece all the more special to her.
So listen to PIECE FOR MEGAN, written in the key of D, which can easily be handled by intermediate teen pianists (younger kids might have trouble with the octave spreads in the left hand) and adults like me who are just not as accomplished on the piano as they would like, but still get asked to play in front of folks from time to time.
The downloadable PDF file contains four pages of music and the license page, a total of 1016K of data. Performance time varies with interpretation, but should be around three minutes. There's a good starting place half way through if you need something about half as long.
A bright and unique short processional based on a hymn tune. Variations followed by a grand stanza. Could also be used as a postlude.
A bright, interesting, and unique processional based on the hymn tune HOFF. Progresses through several variations and ends with a grand stanza that will make the bride seem even more beautiful. Most of the piece is in B-flat major, with the grand stanza in C-major. Could be increased in length by some judicious use of repeats. Also makes a fine postlude.
WEDDING PROCESSIONAL: O SING ALL YE LANDS by Tom Kirkland comes in a PDF file of approximately 704K, including six pages of music and a license page, seven pages in all. Performance time: approximately 3:00.
Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a large volume of four-part chorales during his career as a church organist and choirmaster. The six chorales presented here demonstrate the range and genius of this great man.
Johann Sebastian Bach lived his entire life, 1685 to 1750, in Germany. For most of his career he was a church musician-- an organist and choirmaster. While today we know him primarily as a composer, his contemporaries knew him as the best organist of his time.
During his church music career, Bach wrote countless pieces of music for worship, including literally hundreds of cantatas, oratorios, passions, and the like. He used the four-part chorale as a change of pace from the highly ornamented contrapuntal and fugal sections that dominated the larger works of the time. Almost always, such chorales were harmonizations of hymn tunes of the day.
While we recognize Bach as a significant figure in music history today, he probably did not share the same view. Like lesser composers, he left bits and pieces of compostitions and arrangements in dwellings and work places in the various cities in which he lived. He made no attempt to catalog his work, and much of it has since been lost.
It fell to one of his sons, C. P. E. Bach, to catalog and publish his father's four-part chorales. From 1784 to 1787, C. P. E. Bach published four volumes totalling 371 chorales (though there were a few duplicates). He lifted the vast majority intact out of the larger works of which they were part, and did not publish lyrics with any of these chorales. Music majors and conservatory students through the years have analyzed these chorales and wondered at the genius of the master.
The six chorales presented here are decended from that source. They represent the range and genius of J. S. Bach, from major to minor, from 3/4 to 4/4, from light to dark themes. The six chorales are:
To God Let All the Human Race (#164: "Old Hundredth" by Louis Bourgeois) (this tune is commonly used as a doxology)
All Mankind Fell in Adam's Fall (#100: "Durch Adams Fall ist Ganz Verderbt" by Anonymous)
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star (#278: "Wie Schoenen Leuchtet der Morgenstern" by Philipp Nicolai)
O Sacred Head Now Wounded (#74: "O Haupt Voll Blut und Wunden" by Hans Leo Hassler)
Today the Lord in Triumph Reigns (#79: "Heut Triumphieret Gottes Sohn" by Bartholomaeus Gesius)
Jesu, Priceless Treasure (#263: "Jesu, Meine Freude" by Johann Crueger)
These chorales are complete and faithful to the original so far as we can determine. Only one stanza of lyric is included, so some research in old hymnals might be in order if choral performance is your goal. Or you could write your own lyrics. These chorales would also work nicely with brass or string quartet, or with a keyboard instrument. Whether used to teach music theory or keyboard, or for performance, we hope these chorales will bring you to the feet of Jesus, where Bach orignally laid these works.
MP3 sound sample: all six chorales in sequence listed above (synthesizer/midi).
SIX CHORALES OF J. S. BACH comes in a PDF file of approximately 1656K, including twelves pages of music and a license page, thirteen pages in all.
