What Praise Can I Play on Sunday?, Book 5: September & October Services: Piano Book

Tornquist's arrangements in this collection strike the right balance between accessibility and musicality. The late intermediate to early advanced voicings offer church pianists enough harmonic interest to engage listeners while remaining playable week after week without excessive practice time. Programming across September and October holidays plus general praise songs means you can dip into this book throughout the season rather than hunting for isolated selections.

These arrangements blend accessibility with genuine musicality. You'll encounter contemporary harmonic language and rhythmic vitality alongside the timeless quality of hymns and praise songs, creating a sound that feels both familiar and fresh. The writing invites confident, expressive playing without demanding virtuosity.

This collection serves church pianists navigating Sunday services with limited preparation time, whether in traditional, blended, or contemporary contexts. It's equally valuable for late intermediate to early advanced piano students who want to build a repertoire of singable, meaningful music beyond classical standards.

• Pay attention to the harmonic color in passages marked with jazz chords or contemporary voicings; Tornquist's signature approach relies on clear voice leading to make these sonorities shine without muddying the texture.
• Shape the melodic line expressively even in uptempo praise songs. These arrangements reward subtle rubato and dynamic shaping that bring out the lyrical content of familiar melodies.
• Use the recorded accompaniments (available separately) to hear how Tornquist envisions the rhythmic feel and harmonic movement, especially in the more contemporary selections.
• In hymn-based arrangements, resist the urge to play too slowly; many of these work best at a tempo that allows the harmonic progressions to breathe naturally.

Use this book to simplify your planning for fall worship seasons; having ten solid arrangements for September through October holidays and general communion services eliminates last-minute scrambling. The late intermediate to early advanced level makes these suitable for both opening voluntary selections and postlude contexts, allowing you to program thoughtfully across your entire service.

• Reading jazz chord voicings and contemporary harmonic language
• Voice leading in arranged music to clarify harmonic progressions
• Balancing lyrical expression in uptempo contemporary praise settings
• Sight-reading hymn-based arrangements with varied harmonic settings
• Managing rhythmic independence between hands in syncopated accompaniment patterns