recommended by Christopher B., Organ Music Specialist

The Oxford Book of Funeral and Memorial Music for Organ arr. Julian Elloway
“The Oxford Book of Funeral and Memorial Music for Organ” is a collection of practical repertoire for organists playing at funerals, memorial services, and services of thanksgiving. Covering a broad range of music for players of intermediate ability, it includes a mixture of established repertoire, attractive new arrangements of well-known works, and newly commissioned pieces.

The Organ Funeral Album arr. Gunther Martin Göttsche & Uwe-Karsten Groß
This nondenominational sampler presents well-known organ pieces for use in funeral services. It is aimed primarily at semiprofessional organists who have to play on the usually modest instruments found in cemetery chapels. The volume contains organ pieces both with and without chorale cantus firmus. It has been compiled by two professional church musicians, one Catholic and the other Lutheran, thereby reflecting present day musical practice at funerals. The volume includes many pieces often requested at funerals, such as the “Pie Jesu” from Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s “Ave verum,” and Brahms’s “In Peace and Joy I Now Depart.” The pieces are presented in simplified form, without the use of the pedals. However, their compositional quality remains untouched and the stylistic breadth extends to church songs with popular music styles, thereby offering organists a very wide selection. Page turns within a given piece have been avoided wherever possible. In addition to a table of contents and thumbnail biographies, there is an explanatory preface.

The Memorial Album arr. Charles Callahan
Thirty selections for funerals or memorial services. Five original hymn tune settings, and transcriptions of pieces by Franck, Guilmant, Davies, Pachelbel, Chopin, Bach, and many others. A must-have for your library.

Grace Will Lead Me Home arr. Kevin Hildebrand
Kevin Hildebrand’s masterful craftsmanship of accessible organ settings is evident in this collection. As with his other easy organ collections, these settings were written to lie under the feet and fingers of most organists. Although written with funerals and memorial services in mind, these settings will find use as chorale preludes for any given Sunday for which the tunes are appropriate. Titles include “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “Beautiful Savior,” “For All the Saints,” “Abide with Me,” and others.

Rest In the Lord arr. Janet Linker
16 organ solos for funeral and memorial services. Titles include: Amazing Grace; But the Lord Is Mindful of His Own (from Mendelssohn’s “St. Paul”), Fairest Lord Jesus (Beautiful Savior), For All the Saints, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, How Great Thou Art, I Know My Redeemer Liveth (from Handel’s “The Messiah”), In the Garden, It Is Well With My Soul, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, More Love to Thee O Christ/O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, My Hope IS Built, Now Thank We All Our God, O God Our Help in Ages Past, O Rest in the Lord (from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”) and On Eagle’s Wings.

Funeral Music for Manuals arr. Charles Callahan
Tunes: DEEP RIVER EVENTIDE GELOBT SEI GOTT NEW BRITAIN (AMAZING GRACE) ST. ANNE ST. COLUMBA SINE NOMINE SLANE VICTORY/PALESTRINA

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About the Author:
Christopher B. grew up in eastern Kentucky in a musically diverse family, and began playing organ at the age of 12. He majored in vocal performance with minors in keyboards and conducting at Marshall University and later received a Master of Theological Studies in congregational ministry from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Christopher has served as a church music director and organist for more than 20 years, presently serving as Director of Music and Worship Arts/Organist at Church of the Master United Methodist in Westerville, OH.