Don’t miss Thanks and Praise: A Keyboard Anthology, the newest release from celebrated composer Elaine Rendler. Rendler has received the National Association of Pastoral Musician’s prestigious Jubilate Deo Award “in recognition of her substantial contribution to the development of pastoral liturgy in the United States”; she was named NPM’s Pastoral Musician of the Year; and was honored by Georgetown University’s Center for Liturgy, Spirituality and the Arts “for outstanding contributions made to the liturgical life of the American Church.” In 2021, she was inducted into the Association of Catholic Publishers Hall of Fame.
Rendler’s years of experience as a pastoral musician and liturgist are reflected in this outstanding collection of solo keyboard arrangements supporting popular liturgical titles. Musicians will love this collection, which features a range of well-known hymn melodies, carols, chants and popular favorites including “Here I am, Lord” and “On Eagle’s Wings.” Many of the titles in the collection include hymn tunes, chants, or popular liturgical song melodies woven together into a piano solo that expresses the sense of the original texts. It’s a must-have to support any parish music program. Here are a few suggestions for how to incorporate the collection:
- Use “Caroling Introit” to draw your assembly into Advent and Christmas celebrations. This arrangement features themes from a surprising number of well-known carols which will be recognized by parishioners:
- “Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming”
- “Come, All Ye Faithful”
- “Flemish Prophet Carol”
- “Masters in This Hall”
- “Ballad of the Ark”
- “Herald in the Desert”
- “Magnificat”
- “The Rose Tree Carol”
- “Bring a Torch”
- Support Lenten liturgies with “Songs of Hope for the Journey” which features music from “How Can I Keep from Singing,” “Were You There” and “The Water Is Wide.”
- Enliven Easter liturgies with “Resurrection Fantasia.” Based on the hymn tune LASST UNS ERFREUEN, which is often sung with the text “Jesus is risen! Let us sing,” it is combined with the melody of the song “I Will Not Die” by Tom Conry. Listeners who know the songs will see the connection to Resurrection.
- Bring themes from “Veni Creator Spiritus” into your Confirmation liturgies with Rendler’s “Invocation of the Spirit.”
- Honor Our Lady with Rendler’s “Marian Modes” which incorporates music from traditional Marian hymns including “O Holy Mary,” “Salve Mater,” and “Salve Regina.”
- Celebrate Black heritage and spirituality with “Spiritual Offerings” (“Balm in Gilead”/“Motherless Child”) and “Deep River Medley” (“Deep River”/“Shall We Gather”/“Kumbaya”). They make wonderful additions to liturgies around Martin Luther King Jr. Day and more.