Submitted by Jeffrey Klingfuss

Last quarter I extolled the virtues of a couple of Léon Boëllman collections as a source of organ music for musicians at smaller churches with instruments of limited scope and, perhaps lacking in access to musical resources. This quarter I have another fabulous resource, that is essentially free and very versatile. It is John Zundel’s Two Hundred and Fifty Easy Voluntaries and Interludes. It is copy right free and may be accessed and printed for free. It was originally published in 1851 which is just a few years after the church where I am organist was founded (1846,Mississippi’s First Lutheran Church). As organist you are already probably familiar with Zundel’s hymn tune, BEECHER first published in 1870. BEECHER is one of a dozen hymn tunes that can be found even in today’s hymnals. The music found in …Easy Voluntaries and Interludes is very accessible are scored without pedal, save one. While the Voluntaries are generally longer than I play for my small congregations (average Sunday attendance, less then 20), most are written as several sections, each of which can stand alone musically to be an effective prelude. The Interludes are generally about eight measures and are perfect as short offertories or ’traveling music’ as when clergy moves to the center of the congregation for the reading of the Gospel.

This musical collection by Zundel is a relative rarity amongst published music. In a listing of the catalogs of 70,000 libraries this collection of voluntaries and interludes is only found in about 14 libraries worldwide and only one of those is in Canada. I take some satisfaction knowing that the music I play for my congregations is unique and special, a treasured discovery I am happy to share. Zundel was a student of the renowned organist and composer Christian Heinrich Rinck (which is specifically noted on the cover sheet of the music). Resources from Rinck may be explored at a future Quarter Note.

This resource can be freely accessed at IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project)., and printed on a mere 44 sheets of paper, duplexed. I am so confident of this as helpful resource, that if you absolutely positively cannot manage to get a copy of this work I will be glad to provide a copy to you…if you are a RCCO member of the Windsor-Essex Centre and a volunteer organist at a smaller church (average Sunday attendance less than 50), just send your physical address to me at Klingfuss@juno.com and I will mail you an unbound copy. One should be able to get it bound, inexpensively, at most office supply stores.

Jeff Klingfuss, Organist
New Hope Lutheran Church, Sallis, Mississippi
Baldwin Chapel Baldwin Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Kosciusko, Mississippi