150' +"
Easy
Composer's Note: While I do enjoy improvising, I don’t practice it as much as I should, and my skills are not always reliable. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. For the sake of my abiding congregation, I have over time made a collection of “improvisations” which I’m confident will be effective. I’m now offering this collection to any of my colleagues who might find themselves in similar circumstances.
Sources The themes for these interludes are from three sources: hymn tunes, plainchant, and freely composed material. For increased flexibility of use, a number of the hymn tune interludes are based only on motives. For example, the interlude on Freu dich sehr may well serve on any occasion requiring an interlude in F major.
Tempo and registration None of these pieces are either fast or extroverted. Tempo markings are suggestions only, as all of these pieces must be made to expand or contract as the moment may require. Matters of registration are left entirely to the good judgment of the performer. The instrument I play is a single manual with pedal, and just six and a half stops. All of these pieces are playable on it. (Had I a larger instrument, I would happily use a second manual or a swell box.)
Keys and modes In each section, the interludes are presented in approximate order from bright to dark: Lydian, major, mixolydian, dorian, octatonic, minor, phrygian. Key signatures correspond to the mode: D mixolydian, for example, is written with the key signature of a single sharp—not two sharps with C-accidentals throughout.
Duplicates As it is only seldom that an interlude will be required in, say, a-flat minor or F-sharp major, it seemed inexpedient to provide unique pieces in those keys, and I’ve selected duplicates from more common keys. Of the 150 interludes in each book, 25 appear in two different places.
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