Make a Joyful Noise: Intermediate Piano Book

There's a warmth and familiarity to these arrangements that draws listeners in immediately. Yet Olson's harmonies have enough color and movement to keep both performer and audience engaged beyond the first hearing.

Church musicians preparing for services or special music offerings will find immediate use here. Students preparing for recitals or talent competitions get pieces that carry emotional weight without extreme technical demands.

• Honor the hymnal roots of these pieces. Even with the harmonic sophistication Olson adds, the melodies anchor themselves in congregational song, so clarity on the top line matters more than showiness.
• Let the left-hand voicings breathe. Intermediate pianists sometimes rush through thicker chords; these arrangements deserve space so the listener can hear how the harmony moves.
• Choose your registration thoughtfully if you're playing on a digital or church piano. These arrangements adapt well to different sounds, so test how they respond to your instrument's particular character.

Slot these into a worship service where you need something both congregationally familiar and individually expressive. They also transition beautifully into a broader recital program, offering character pieces that don't require a full ensemble.

• Voicing and reharmonization within a tonal framework
• Legato pedaling with intermediate harmonic density
• Phrasing hymnal melodies with stylistic sensitivity
• Reading and executing block chords with rhythmic precision