Adorning Hymns at the Organ: The Art of the Liturgical Organist

From the Introduction:Are you a fan of the beautiful music played during Mass by skilled organists? Have you ever wished to be able to play like them? Currently, numerous organists are fulfilling the role of playing for Mass whilst also engaging in a “day job,” and many parish organists possess limited training or have transitioned from a background in piano lessons. Given the constraints of limited formal training and practice time, is such advanced musicianship beyond the reach of organists with more modest abilities?While, notably, the market already offers uncomplicated yet beautiful preludes and postludes that are accessible to organists with modest skill levels, modern technology also enables us to access recordings and live-streams featuring highly accomplished organists, who embellish and elevate hymn performances in graceful and captivating ways. But how to adorn hymnody?Well, now you can with the help of Justus F. Parrotta, a talented organist, composer, and director. Holding both a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) degree and an American Guild of Organists (AGO) Fellowship Certification, he is a well-rounded musician who understands the instrument and its capabilities. His full biography at www.justusparrotta.com will give you a glimpse into his expertise and experience as an organist, composer, and director.In this book, Dr. Parrotta presents a collection of his compositions for various hymns, including seven different short and useful compositions for Praise to the Lord, which will give you the opportunity to play something new and exciting each time and, thus, elevate your skills in hymn-playing. His collection of compositions ranging from easy to medium to difficult, providing a challenge for any organist, is precisely “what the doctor ordered,” and you will be delighted to see these works published. These compositions will not only challenge you but also raise the interest in the organ in your parish, giving it a unique and powerful voice in the liturgy. But don’t worry, he includes registrations for each piece to make it easier for you to play.So why not take the next step and learn from the best? Start playing beautiful music like a pro with the help of Justus F. Parrotta’s compositions. Read more