flashy hymn settings for harp

[barbara-chapman]

I have a student preparing for a competition and the requirement is that the piece be a hymn tune setting as well as a “flashy” attention-getting harp piece. She played Ray Pool’s “Amazing Grace” for the preliminary competition which worked well for her, but the next piece can be 5 minutes long, more technically demanding (than “Amazing Grace”) and must be practical for lever harp. I’m looking at Frank Voltz’s “It is Well with my Soul”…..any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks, Barbara

[elinor-niemisto]

Frank Voltz has some very flashy hymn arrangements.

[j-valentine]

Which one did you play?

[elinor-niemisto]

Either “Harpin’ Hyfrydol” or “Blessed Assurance”.

[Susan Abken]

Beautiful, making use of special effects on the harp without being gaudy, useful in worship and well-thought-out: hymn arrangements for pedal harp by Jill Justice!

Best wishes,

Susan Abken

[barbara-chapman]

Thanks Susan and Elinor, I’ve ordered some pieces by both Frank Voltz and Jill Justice. If they don’t work for my student I am happy to freshen my own repertoire.

[patricia-jaeger]

Your lever harp student would not be able to match the “flashiness” of the hymns played by harpist Greg Buchanan on his video and now CD (http://www.gregbuchananministries.com ; $15. plus $2.00 postage.) He is also on http://www.youtube.com. He was influenced by both jazz and country. However, if you and she each watched and listened to some of his playing, that could be a starting point for arranging a favorite hymn so it could perhaps

[j-valentine]

Here is a thought that I think is wonderful but I am a beginner so take it for what it is worth.

I have found cds and you tube of harpists that mixes the music of a classical composer with a Christian chorus or hymn. I can not find music so they must arrange it themselves.

Here is a You Tube of Claire de Lune/Debussy and It is Well with my Soul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfv-e6SMiy0&feature=related

I have a CD with Canon in D with Seek Ye First.

I found a site with music for piano/violin etc that I thought would be great ideas.

http://www.lindamckechnie.com

[j-valentine]

Thanks Elinor for sharing.

Someday I will be able to play these. Our church will love them.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

It’s not exactly a hymn, perhaps, but Salzedo’s arrangement of the Lord’s Prayer by Malotte could fit the bill.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

Verlene Schermer wrote some interesting hymn arrangements.

http://www.verlene.com/hymnes.html

Briggsie

[Bonnie Shaljean]

I don’t know about “flashy” but certainly lovely (and rather Mozartian) is Anne Marie O’Farrell’s setting of the Bach chorale Take My Life And Let It Be Consecrated.

I do wish that competitions wouldn’t focus so much on flashy attention-getting pieces – particularly with hymns, which are meant to be spiritual, sensitive and introspective. A huge amount of music loses out simply because it’s not gymnastic by nature. But there are some interesting suggestions in this thread which bear following up. Let us know what you finally choose!

[j-valentine]

I had to google this. Anne Marie O’Ferrell, Take My Life and Let It Be.

Here is the link http://www.myspace.com/annemarieo39farrell/music/songs/take-my-life-12403848

It is beautiful!

[Bonnie Shaljean]

So glad you like it – thanks for posting that link! I know she also publishes the score to this piece, though it doesn’t seem to be that easy to find in the shops, for some reason. But they do sell it here*, through an outlet based in Wales (whose son, Ben Creighton Griffiths is a stunning harpist and has been ever since he was a little child; and he’s still only in his early teens). Anyway, this piece is playable on lever harp, link is below, and no, I’m not getting a commission!

*

http://www.creighton-griffiths.co.uk/acatalog/am_ofarrell_sm.html

[j-valentine]

I found her site and you can purchase her music in hard copy or through e-mail.

http://www.iol.ie/~amofharp/

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