Faber Early Organ Series, Volume 13: Organ Book

Moving through these pages is like examining original manuscripts carefully transcribed for clarity; you encounter the music on its own terms without modern interpretive overlays. The pieces range from intimate manual works suited to domestic practice to grander forms that reveal the early organ's architectural role in religious and civic life.

Organists seeking a comprehensive survey of early repertoire drawn from primary sources, rather than disparate collections pieced together from different editions. Teachers building curricula around historical periods or geographical styles will find the organized structure invaluable for sequential study. Advanced students preparing for degree requirements or developing authentic performance practice will benefit from the scholarly apparatus accompanying each piece.

• Study the Registration section before choosing stops; early organ composers wrote for specific tonal colors, and understanding period conventions will guide your choices far more reliably than modern organ specifications.
• Use the Critical Commentary to identify which sources informed each piece's editorial decisions, especially regarding accidentals and rhythmic notation that varies across surviving sources.
• Work through the Ornamentation guide early, treating it as a key to understanding period style rather than decorative convention; the way a composer notated ornaments tells you about their harmonic and melodic intent.

Build a themed recital program around a single geographical region or century represented in the volume, using the introduction to frame the historical context for your audience. These works also serve as essential preparation before tackling later Baroque repertoire, anchoring students' understanding of how organ music developed across different traditions.

• Interpreting historical notation and editorial conventions specific to early organ sources
• Applying period-appropriate ornamentation and registration choices
• Reading across geographical and stylistic regions to understand broad historical development
• Evaluating source materials and understanding how editorial decisions affect performance
• Building manual technique and independence on instruments with varying keyboard layouts