Hymn improvisation sample

        "Helmsley," a hymn for Advent and/or Pentecost (depending on the church denomination/ hymnal), is one of my favorite hymn tunes.
        The melody alone appears below, although the MIDI file plays the tune twice in four-part harmony.  I double the melody for verse 1 (not duplicated here), and then improvise to succeeding verses, as demonstrated on verse 2.  As for verses 3 and 4?  J  While I usually play hammered dulcimer for this hymn (despite the dulcimer's folk status, my improvisation style is very baroque, one of the results of my training), I also improvise to hymns on alto recorder, especially Bach chorales.
        There are two things missing from this improvisation.  One is the dulcimer's sustain.  I "lean into" certain notes when striking them to evoke a longer ring, thus creating a textured landscape of string sound.  Second, and more important, is the congregation, the essential ingredient to the worship experience.
        A solo arrangement of "Helmsley" for diatonic autoharp may be found on my CD Thus Sings My Soul, complete with extemporized verses, and is suitable for a prelude, offertory or special-music segment in the service.

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