Let All Things Now Living, Volume 1: Early Advanced Piano Book

Wyrtzen's arrangements honor the spiritual weight of these hymn tunes without treating them as museum pieces. Each solo reveals something fresh about the text while remaining genuinely pianistic, making this collection rewarding for players who want substance alongside technical challenge.

These arrangements invite contemplation without sacrificing musicality. You'll encounter moments of harmonic surprise and rhythmic vitality that prevent the music from becoming predictable, while the hymn tunes themselves anchor everything in familiarity and emotional truth.

This collection serves advanced piano students preparing for recitals or competitions, as well as adult church musicians seeking substantial solo repertoire that bridges sacred tradition and contemporary arrangement. It works equally well for pianists exploring how arrangement can deepen their understanding of a familiar repertoire.

• Study the text behind each hymn tune before diving into the score. The harmonic choices and rhythmic gestures connect directly to the meaning of the words, which informs phrasing and interpretive choices.
• Attend to the harmonic movement carefully. Wyrtzen's use of chromatic voice leading and unexpected chord progressions requires clear voicing and control of tempo transitions.
• Balance lyrical melodic lines against the accompaniment texture. Many arrangements feature the tune in one register while complex rhythmic or harmonic activity happens elsewhere on the keyboard.

Build a recital around individual selections that resonate with your student's temperament and technical strengths. These also work beautifully in church services where a pianist can offer thoughtful solo literature between congregational hymns, creating a conversation between traditional and contemporary approaches to sacred music.

• Interpreting harmonic complexity and voice leading in contemporary arrangements
• Communicating text-based meaning through purely instrumental performance
• Managing rhythmic independence between hands in syncopated and layered textures
• Executing smooth transitions between contrasting harmonic areas
• Pedal control in arrangements that balance clarity with resonance