A Guide to hymn playing

Opportunities abound for Christian service as a pianist in the local church. It is impossible to imagine an evangelistic church service without a prelude, offertory, and postlude -- often all pianistic. The piano is often the primary instrument used to accompany congregational singing, choral numbers, and solo/ensemble specials. Indeed, so great is the responsibility resting upon the shoulders of a church pianist, it is imperative that there be a systematic transmission of information to future generations of hymn players. This syllabus attempts to fill that need. This formal training, however, so necessary to ensure high-quality musicianship, is simply a part of the overall scope of church music education. Christians today have at their command a vast quantity of fine sacred music. The bulk of this legacy is found in the form of hymns. Dr. John Julian, in preparing his Dictionary of Hymnology (1891), lists and examines over 400,000 hymns. In addition, there is a great deal of choral music as well as sacred masterpieces by major composers that contribute to the great body of religious music of the past 500 years. Christian musicians are entrusted with the responsibility to uphold this musical heritage and to propagate quality sacred music to the next generation. This syllabus is designed to offer not only materials and methods of hymn playing but also goals and standards for the continued development of a biblical philosophy of church music. - Page 3.