More than Four-Part Harmony: Introduction to Creative Hymn Playing

Congregational hymns are the one moment in a service when everybody pays attention to the organist. How do we make the most of this moment, and show our creativity and the resources of our instruments, whether they are large or small? In this workshop, Dr. Jens Korndörfer will introduce ways to quickly enhance one’s hymn playing. Using the four-part settings found in hymnals as a starting point, we will discuss how small, easy modifications to the printed score can make a big difference. Topics covered will be how to vary the accompaniments of different verses through moving the melody into different voices, harmonic & rhythmic figuration, borrowing from different styles (parallel & horn fifths), and easy re-harmonizations. Step-by-step guidelines and exercises for each technique will allow participants to easily replicate different accompaniments at home. The workshop will conclude with a discussion on how to use the accompaniments as starting points for introductions and how to possibly extend them into longer preludes.