Our God We Praise: Intermediate Piano Book

Setliff's arrangements respect the integrity of these well-known sacred melodies while giving intermediate pianists genuinely musical material to work with. The collection spans multiple genres within sacred music, from hymns to spirituals to art song arrangements, so students encounter real stylistic variety across eight pieces, making this far more than a collection of simple harmonizations.

These pieces radiate warmth and sincerity without sentimentality. Whether you're exploring the steady confidence of a traditional hymn or the spiritual yearning embedded in 'Steal Away to Jesus,' the arrangements invite you to play with emotional honesty and clear intention.

Intermediate pianists ready to encounter sacred repertoire with both stylistic depth and technical challenge will find meaningful material here. Teachers building recital or festival programs that include faith-based or culturally significant music will value the range and quality of these eight arrangements.

• Pay attention to the hymn's original harmonic language in pieces like 'Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.' The arrangement likely preserves traditional voicing that rewards careful pedal work to let chords sustain clearly.
• Spirituals like 'Steal Away to Jesus' often contain rhythmic syncopations that feel natural only when you're singing the melody internally. Don't rush the offbeat figures; let them breathe within the phrase.
• Balance melody and accompaniment by thinking of the right hand as a soloist rather than simply playing the top note louder. This especially matters in arrangements where the left hand carries harmonic or rhythmic interest.
• The dynamic range in these pieces may be more subtle than what you expect at the intermediate level. Explore what happens when you use dynamic contrast within a phrase rather than between large sections.

Include a selection of these pieces in a recital that celebrates diverse musical traditions, or program individual arrangements alongside standard classical repertoire to show students how great melodies transcend genre. Several pieces work beautifully as part of a spring or holiday concert that welcomes sacred music into a secular setting.

• Playing traditional hymn harmonies with proper voicing and pedal control
• Recognizing and performing stylistic features of spirituals and folk-based arrangements
• Balancing melody and accompaniment at the intermediate level
• Interpreting dynamic shaping within phrases rather than between large structural sections
• Sustaining emotional expression through simple, direct musical writing