# Organists: what are you going to play on Christmas eve and morning?



## RobertJTh

Due to Covid19, all choir performances have been cancelled here in Holland, so it's up to our 10 fingers and two feet to provide the liturgical music for the Christmas services.

What are you going to play tonight and tomorrow?
For me, it's going to be Valentin Rathgeber's "Pastorellen für die Weihnachtszeit" (Christmas Pastorals), wonderful little baroque pieces that in all their simplicity evoke exactly the right Christmas mood.

There's still time to download and print them, and they're so easy that they can be played prima vista.
https://imslp.org/wiki/Pastorellen_für_die_Weihnachtszeit,_R_322_(Rathgeber,_Valentin)

Tomorrow and sunday it's probably going to be a mixed bag of other baroque music, mostly German chorale preludes, maybe some romantic pieces too.


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## Philidor

Christmas Eve: Yes, Pastoral music is fine ... Bachs Pastorella, Händels Pifa, Corellis Pastorella from the Xmas concerto (transscription), ....

On the morning of the 25th Dec, I like the full organ.
You can combine the first part of Bachs Toccata in E major with "Lobt Gott ihr Christen alle gleich" (BWV 732) in the same key, provided that this will be the first hymn. 
The same way: Bachs Prelude C major (BWV 547) and "Vom Himmel hoch" (BWV 700).
In 2021 I had Muffat's Toccata sexta (F major) with an abridged ending by Brixi. First hymn was "Gelobet seist Du, Jesu Christ".

Yes, Xmas is special ... it is neither the excitement from Pentecost nor the trumpet-like praise from game-changing Easter ... it is a little veiled, rather withdrawn ... I like the key of F major for this. 

But 19th century music is also fine. I have two books with Christmas organ music (Baerenreiter - "Orgelmusik zur Weihnachtszeit"/"Christmas organ"), mostly pieces from the 19th century, that make the organ sound well and bring the congregation in Christmas mood (unless they already are).


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