Rocky Mountain Praise: Early Advanced Piano Book

Milholland's orchestral sensibility elevates these familiar hymns beyond typical piano reduction work. The contrast between rhythmically propulsive arrangements (Wonderful Grace of Jesus, Praise Him! Praise Him!) and flowing, lyrical settings (Open My Eyes, That I May See, Blessed Assurance) gives you genuine programming flexibility, while the maestoso treatments of O Worship the King and The Solid Rock provide those triumphant moments that conclude services memorably.

These arrangements swing between styles without feeling scattered. You'll encounter writing that's driving and contemporary, then turn the page to something introspective and spacious. The orchestral coloring throughout feels natural for piano, never forced or overly complex for its own sake.

Church musicians and advanced students ready to move beyond basic hymn accompaniment into more sophisticated, concert-ready arrangements. This book serves accomplished pianists in worship settings as well as students preparing for festival competitions or recital programming.

• Exploit the dynamic range in the rhythmic settings. These aren't accompaniments; they're fully realized piano works where the left hand often carries as much melodic and harmonic weight as the right.
• Shape the flowing arrangements with attention to voice leading rather than just playing through chord progressions. Milholland's orchestral background means inner voices move with intention.
• Let the maestoso pieces breathe. Resist the temptation to rush into the grand gestures. The foundation needs to feel solid before the drama lands.
• Balance melody and texture in the denser arrangements. Many of these settings include independent inner lines that shouldn't disappear into the accompaniment.

Use the dramatic arrangements as prelude or postlude anchors in services where you want a stronger musical statement than standard hymn playing provides. The variety of styles makes this collection work for mixed recital programming too, where a single hymn arrangement serves as a palate cleanser between larger classical works. Several selections work well as offertory pieces that respect the liturgical moment without sacrificing musical interest.

• Executing rhythmic precision and independence between hands in contemporary hymn settings
• Shaping longer phrase lines with orchestral legibility and direction
• Balancing multiple simultaneous voice lines without obscuring texture
• Translating orchestral idioms into pianistic language
• Interpreting dynamic markings and articulation in arrangements that demand vocal clarity