I stumbled upon it on YouTube but couldn't find it on Spotify so I had to buy it because I liked it so much
This arrangement exemplifies the mood and message of this beautiful Christmas song. It has a clear beginning, middle, and end which keeps the listener engaged and allows for dynamics and expression. For my level (advanced/intermediate), it had a couple of lines that needed more practice and refinement, but I could easily sight read it from the start. I will be performing it at my church service in December.
David has done it again!!! Another amazing piece that is so much fun to play. In my opinion if you are going to begin learning one of the incantation pieces I would start with this one as it’s the easiest on the hands and fits nicely in the fingers. Highly recommend this piece to add to your repertoire for sight reading and keeping your technique clean. What an enjoyable piece of music to play
I've listened this music on Deezer because I like David Hicken's composition.
Try to play Best Laid Plans has been an evidence.
It's a very interesting music. I'm so happy to play it.
I find Bach's style counterpoint and Scarlatti but with modern approach.
Thank you so much for all your compositions.
This is my second review of this book (same five stars) as I found a way to organize (package) the contents into a manageable daily routine that has a repeatable structure. For the background, I am an upper intermediate / early advanced pianist with most of my repertoir being David's. Hanon has been my go-to warm-ups however I noticed that I sort of stalled technique-wise, so wanted to layer more technical exercises to my daily practices. And David called it in this book: Hanon is great for finger strength and technical repetition skills but it is all white keys:) So, when I printed this book out, I played switch-e-roo with the pages and got all of the Major scales, their arpeggios (incl 1 and 2 inversions) together. Then after that I did the same with the harmonic minors and melodic minors (one set of arpeggios, for both, clearly, to follow) - which resulted in 3 main sections that you can either go through as a routine on the same day, or do all majors and their arpeggios together one day (till your household members cannot take it anymore) and the next day - same with the minors. When you master that, the next section could be the same things but a third and 6th apart (again, shuffle the pages) with broken cords to be added. That will give you section 3 and 4, etc. So ultimately, the book stops seeming overwhelming with you not knowing how to fit it logically into a limited amount of practice time you may have, and starts growing on you. Ultimately, you will memorize the routine in each section, and won't need the book - but at first, this is a great visual / logical organization option to make sure you move through the book and advance the skill with each following section being harder than the previous one. The scales in all thirds are my challenge right now. Again, David - thank you for putting this together and making it available for additional practice, I am getting the most out of it.
What a great piece. Also the typesetting is very nice as well. This was my first purchase from David and definitely not my last.
The music and service is "as advertised". My only nit is that it is all on one page so the font is very small. I would prefer if it were scaled to the normal 4-5 bars per line so I can actually read it from the bench. Otherwise, excellent.
The organ piece "Arcana" presents itself as a sound journey that evokes ancient and mysterious atmospheres. From the first notes, the listener is transported to an archaic world, where the sound of the organ resonates like an echo of distant times.
The melodies, rich in chromaticism and modulations, create a sense of continuous tension and release, keeping the listener in a state of constant expectation, giving the piece an aura of solemnity and mystery.
Particularly evocative is the use of the lowest registers of the organ, which add depth and gravity to the piece. These sounds, almost cavernous, seem to come from the bowels of the earth, evoking images of ancient rites and sacred ceremonies.
The structure of the piece is simple and well-articulated, with sections that follow one another in a crescendo of emotional intensity. Each passage is taken care of in the smallest details, demonstrating great compositional mastery and a deep knowledge of the instrument.
In conclusion, "Arcana" is a work that fascinates and involves, capable of transporting the listener on a journey through time and space. A piece that not only celebrates the beauty of the organ, but also manages to touch the deepest chords of the human soul.
I'm writing from Rome, Italy. I discovered and appreciated David'music on YouTube and being an amateur pianist/organist (and professional chorister) I bought this collection. Obviously the pieces are not easy to play for an intermediate level organist; however, after some practice, they are really fun to play as well as catchy and ejoyable for the listener. Also, if you like (and are good...) at improvising, some pieces of this collection offer a lot of opportunities to do so.
A Christmas Suite is a very full, well put together arrangement. It’s the perfect blend of songs and a cheery festive piano piece!
As always, the beauty and originality of David's music is breathtaking. I highly recommend this collection.
I played this song as a recital piece around 7 years ago. I enjoy replaying it every so often
I love the one-pager option, thanks David for making it available! I love the the technicality of this composition and my plan is to use it for technique practice, kind of like Hannon. Since it is short, I should be able to play it every day as a part of my warm up without running out of time. And of course, it I just beautiful and very Bach! I also plan to use it, at first, for site reading practice - again, the length is just right for that. Would love to see more one-pagers!
The first time I heard it, I liked it. At the first moment. Very emotive. I love nostalgic music. Also, at least in my case, it was not so difficult to play (i have small hands and I am 53 years old and have lost piano potential). That was a factor for me wanting to play it. Beautiful really
I purchased the sheet music on a whim and am so glad I did! It is fun to play and makes me feel eager to sit at the bench. Lovely song!
I heard Arcana arranagment several times before purchasin
and enjoyed hearing the performanes with the organ. which encouraged me to purchase the piano version.
Hi, Dear David Hicken!
Once again, it was a pleasure.
Gorgeous masterpiece!
All the best to you. Always.
I like the piece "Continuum", wonderful. I would like to play this piece in order to achieve more speed when playing piano. As a beginner again, I still have to work hard at it. But it's also just fun to listen to the song. I am looking forward to further compositions.
The puchase of the sheet music worked excellently, thank you.