Whats the purpose of the Hymn Interludes?
by composer/arranger Don Chapman Twenty years ago before the praise and worship wave, as the church pianist I’d have to come up with a weekly piano offertory – a 3 to 5 minute full-blown keyboard performance. Today, with the praise and worship movement in full swing, the “offertory special” is a thing of the past for many churches. Thank goodness – it sure was a lot of work and practice (as well as a lot of stress) to have to come up with something new every week! With Hymn Interludes I’m trying to combine both worlds – the world of the church pianist who’s used to doing “specials” and the praise and worship world. Try using one of my Hymn Interludes as an offertory special, then flow right into a popular praise song or hymn and let the congregation sing along. It’s all about participation today and the congregation doesn’t want to be merely an audience. Sure, they enjoy hearing a “special” but they also enjoy responding to that special number they’ve just heard. And because my Hymn In
