Midi files for church organ

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Thu, 09/09/2010 - 13:56 — rowan.bradley

I just found this site. It seems to have a wonderful collection of hymn tune midi files, but the ones I've checked seem only to have a single verse of the basic harmony. What I'm looking for is a good library of hymn tune midi files which with minimal preparation can be used to play an electronic or pipe organ in a service in church. For this the tune will need:
- an introduction/play-through
- the right number of verses, with options to cut out verses or repeat them if the number of verses to be sung is different from the normal
- some dynamics, e.g. loud and soft verses, different harmony for the last verse, ralentando at the end of the last verse etc.
- sometimes an optional Amen at the end.
- possibly/sometimes an optional "after last verse" section for when the offertory is still being collected etc.

Does anyone know of such a library?

Thanks - Rowan


Comments

Thu, 09/09/2010 - 14:38 — hutcheson

This probably doesn't count as "minimal preparation", but ... I'm not sure how "minimal" you can expect, with the amount of flexibility you're looking for.

Which verses have dynamic variations--considering many tunes are used for multiple texts, each with its own requirement--considering you might be skipping different verses each time? what dynamic variations--random, whole verse, part of verse and if so which part? what alternative harmonization, and who's going to write and transcribe it?

All that flexibility, even the part you didn't use, would have to be programmed. And somehow there would have to be an interface to specify what parts you were flexing.

I use Noteworthy Composer (an inexpensive music notation program with MIDI export capability). You could, for instance, load a noteworthy composer file, cut the entire staff, then paste--paste--paste (for each additional verse: and you have to do this separately for each staff). Add whatever dynamics you wanted to whichever verses you wanted. Modify the harmony however you want.

Thu, 09/09/2010 - 15:47 — hplantin

It's an interesting idea. I suppose one could write a program that reads a score, has a few controls for number of verses, dynamics, introduction, desired instrumentation, etc., and controls midi devices appropriately.

I suspect you'd still get rather wooden performances, though. Probably it would be better to use MIDI recordings of real performances -- without all the flexibility, but with much better musicality.

Some enterprising organist ought to wire up his piano or organ for MIDI recording, make a big collection, and sell it.

---------------
Harry Plantinga
CCEL Director

Sat, 02/12/2011 - 19:53 — pianoman70

I also have NoteWorthy. Simple Verses can just be repeated via a musical repeat sign. However I can't think of a way right off hand to skip a verse on the fly and play a re-harmonized verse (perhaps to be sung only in unison, etc.). Specialized software could easily do this task. As a hymn was selected the program could show if any of the verses were written with alternate harmony which should be sung either as written or perhaps only in unison, etc. and the user could quickly select the number of repeated times to play each of the offered harmonized verses. Just thinking out loud. Have a good day.

pianoman70

Fri, 07/14/2017 - 06:05 — diemnguyen

Please kindly send us world ship organ midi file thank you . very much for your time.

Fri, 07/28/2017 - 11:00 — hplantin

In the several years that have elapsed since this thread started, we have added thousands of MP3 recordings of piano and organ playing of hymns. These are from the Small Church Music collection, recorded by Rev. Clyde McLennan in Australia for churches that don't have accompanists. They are designed so that you can play them in a service and the congregation can sing along.

You can find the recordings attached to corresponding hymn tunes. Or, go to the Small Church Music collection page, http://hymnary.org/hymnal/SCM

Blessings,

Harry

Fri, 03/09/2018 - 16:06 — mkillion

In the eight years since the first post, I can say that I fully embrace MIDI. You can make a good musical offering darn near perfect. I now have over close to 1000 midi files made for Johannus Organs, who offer a MIDI sequencer, but, it would work on any organ that accepts MIDI. This was a project that began in late 2015.

These are custom files that I put together with Fruity Loops software. If you do this sort of thing, and want to compare notes, let me know. I can give you some sample files or let you hear some tunes.

Mon, 07/03/2023 - 12:16 — duane.toole@gma...

I also have a collection of both hymn files (inclucing breathing spots for individual stanzas) and public domain organ works for preludes, offertories and postludes.

Contact me if you are interested.

 

Thu, 04/05/2018 - 20:40 — Jor

Help me

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