This Is Amazing Grace - Piano Solo: Piano Solo

Bernadine Johnson's arrangements capture the emotional core of these contemporary Christian songs while respecting the melodic lines that made them beloved in the first place. The collection spans 11 titles at late intermediate/early advanced level, giving pianists genuine variety without overwhelming them with technical demands that would obscure the spiritual intent of the music.

These arrangements breathe with the warmth of contemporary worship while maintaining the focus and restraint that elevates a prelude or postlude above mere background music. There's an earnestness here, free from pretension, that invites both performer and listener into genuine reflection.

Church pianists who need versatile, spiritually substantive pieces for service music, as well as students preparing for festivals or solo recitals with contemporary sacred repertoire. The collection works equally well for pianists seeking post-intermediate challenges without the technical opacity of classical transcriptions.

• Study the performance times provided; they're essential for liturgical planning and help you identify which pieces fit specific service slots without awkward pacing.
• Balance the harmonic richness in pieces like 'Revelation Song' against clarity of melody. These arrangements often layer voices beneath the top line, so resist the urge to blur the texture with pedal.
• Approach dynamics as storytelling tools rather than surface ornamentation. Many of these songs build gradually, and respecting that architectural intent makes the difference between playing notes and conveying meaning.
• Listen to original recordings, but don't feel obligated to replicate them exactly. The piano arrangement stands on its own; your interpretation should reflect what the instrument can uniquely offer.

Open a church service or close one with these pieces, or select them strategically to create thematic continuity within a worship program. Several titles work beautifully as transitions between hymns and contemporary ensemble pieces, bridging musical worlds that don't always coexist comfortably.

• Pedal control in sustained harmonic passages without muddying texture
• Balancing melodic line against inner voices in four-part textures
• Understanding contemporary harmonic language and functional harmony beyond traditional tonality
• Tempo control and rubato appropriate to devotional music
• Sight-reading proficiency across 48 pages of varied arrangements