Opus 260

Offertories for the Church Year (2001)

for Organ

  • Advent – “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”, STUTTGART (for Gerald Near)
  • Christmas – “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, ADESTE FIDELES (for Bruce Klanderman)
  • Epiphany – “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”, SALZBURG (for Alfred Fedak)
  • Lent – “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”, HAMBURG (for Eileen Vanderzwan)
  • Easter – “Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing”, GELOBT SEI GOTT (for Kristin Naragon)
  • Ascension – “Jesus Shall Reign”, DUKE STREET (for Sandra Gay)
  • Pentecost – “Holy Spirit, Truth Divine”, SONG 13 (for Charles Callahan)
  • Ordinary Time I – “When Peace Like a River”, VILLE DU HAVRE (for Beatrice Benedict)
  • Ordinary Time II – “For the Beauty of the Earth”, DIX (for Matthew Burt)
  • Ordinary Time III – “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”, WEBB (for Marnie Masters)

Duration: 14 min.

Commission: Commissioned by Marnie Masters

Publisher: Wayne Leupold Editions, Inc. in "Carson Cooman: Organ Music, Vol. 1"

Performance materials available from the publisher.

Offertories for the Church Year (2001) was commissioned by Marnie Masters. The movements of the work are dedicated to various organist-colleagues of the composer. This set contains ten short organ pieces, organized by the church year. Most are about one minute long, and none are longer than two minutes. Each is based on a traditional hymn tune often connected with that particular season of the year. The text that inspired the treatment is quoted at the top of each piece; abstract text painting is used throughout the pieces.

In addition to their use as service music, this set can also be played in its entirety in recital as a sort of brief “travelogue” through the church year. If this is done, the performer, if he/she so wishes, may move the ninth piece [Ordinary Time II: DIX] and place it between the third and fourth piece [Epiphany and Lent] to account for the Sundays of Ordinary Time (or Proper) that fall between those two church seasons.