In 1988 I was approached by the St. James Music Press and asked to write introductions for 160 standard hymns arranged for brass and organ. I have replicated each one in this little series. All may be performed with the brass ensemble alone, with brass ensemble and organ, or with organ alone. Each piece is usually no longer than eight measures and originally intended to provide a solid and satisfying (and musical!) introduction to these hymns. Each has its own name, so they are easy to find in many hymnals. If you access these numbers, you may wish to use them “as is” or perhaps as practice pieces or very short interludes in liturgical spaces where such a short “tune” would be desirable. They are also great for some sight-reading practice.
(The original scores were published in a horizontal format, so the pages will print in that manner. If you are using an iPad to access this music, just flip the screen —but VERY SLOWLY—to see the music in this mode.)
Access the scores by clicking the links below:
