Description
From the arranger:
“The Liturgical Harp collections by Dragonflower Music are intended for the intermediate lever and/or pedal harpist. These hymns have been arranged so that each medley can be played as a continuous ‘suite’ of service music, or individual hymns may be selected as separate musical renditions. Each medley carries a particular ‘theme’ to enhance worship for the various seasons of the liturgical year, as is often the case with many organ publications on the market.
“While I attempt to retain the integrity of the original source melody in all Dragonflower arrangements, a few minor alterations in melody and/or harmonization are sometimes necessary in order to accommodate the demands of the lever harp. Pedal harpists who are bothered by these alterations are free to add any ‘missing’ notes in order to tastefully ‘fill out’ the arrangements.
“Lever changes are listed by octave number between the staves, while pedal changes are listed below the bass staff. Lever changes also employ diamond-shaped ‘reminder’ noteheads, an innovative method of lever execution developed by harpist Dewey Owens in 1962.
“The pieces contained in this collection require a minimum total range of 4½ octaves (C to G) in order to play everything as it appears on the printed page. However, these arrangements are easily adapted for smaller harps by ignoring all 8va indications and/or moving a passage to another octave.
“All selections in The Liturgical Harp can be played on any lever harp with an open tuning of E-flat, B-flat or F major. (Actually, most of the selections can be played on a harp with an open tuning of C major; only a few spots require the use of a B-flat lever.)
“Fingerings, dynamics, brackets and tempo markings are provided only as suggestions in order to aid sight-reading and improvisation. The harper/harpist should employ whatever interpretation best facilitates performance, no matter what this book says!”
This book was created from the older “Harp Preludes For the Church” collections with some revisions of the arrangements and typographical improvements. Contains four medleys of hymn tunes arranged for all harps — pedal and lever. Keys of C, G, D with F, C, G, D, Bb lever changes. ALL HARPS, LATE INTERMEDIATE.
Table of Contents
Medley I: Shape-Note Hymns
- Nettleton (Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing)
- Sweet Canaan (I’m Bound for the Land of Canaan)
- Holy Manna (God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens)
- Complainer (Jerusalem the Golden)
- New Britain/Resignation (Amazing Grace/My Shepherd)
- Jefferson (Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus)
Medley II: Welsh Hymns
- Llanfair
- Aberyswyth
- Caersalem
- Sanctus
- Bryn Calfaria
- Rhosymedre
- Diadem
Medley III: Celtic Hymns
- Brother James’ Air Variations (The Lord’s My Shepherd)
- Slane Variations (Be Thou My Vision)
- St. Columba Variations (The King of Love My Shepherd Is)
Medley IV: Plainchant Hymns
- Adoro Te Devote
- Ubi Caritas
- Victimae Paschali Laudes
- Aeterne Rerum Conditor
- Pange Lingua
- Veni, Creator Spiritus
