Federation Sacred Music

Teachers keep coming back to Mark Hayes's Praise Classics and Open My Heart to Worship, both advanced-level collections that showcase his gift for enriching familiar hymns with sophisticated harmonies. Melody Bober's A Call to Worship series and Carol Tornquist's Preludes for Worship are favorites at the late intermediate and early advanced levels, offering opening pieces and full arrangements suitable for worship services and recitals alike.

Melody Bober holds a master's degree in piano performance and designs her arrangements to deepen students' musical understanding while keeping the devotional character of hymns intact. Her A Call to Worship collections balance accessibility with artistic depth, making them appealing to teachers working across multiple proficiency levels.

Carol Tornquist studied at the State University of New York at Fredonia and worked as a vocal music teacher and Yamaha instructor before developing her signature Preludes for Worship series. Her background in both choral and keyboard music informs arrangements that serve equally well as processional pieces or concert selections.

Mark Hayes, an internationally recognized pianist and conductor with over 1,750 published works, brings orchestral thinking to his piano arrangements. His advanced-level collections like Praise Classics demonstrate how hymn arranging can function as a gateway to more complex compositional ideas for serious piano students.

Dennis Alexander's prolific output for Alfred Music spans over four decades and encompasses nearly 400 publications. His Sacred Silhouettes and other educational collections reflect his long career teaching piano pedagogy, making them reliable choices for students at multiple levels.