This ever-popular piece is often performed at weddings, funerals and many other solemn

ceremonial events. It has always been a favorite among instrumental players and often used in

recitals or concert encores. In 1853, the well-known French composer Charles Gounod added his

own melody over a rippling keyboard accompaniment which was a slightly adapted version of the

Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV846, from Book I of J. S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier,

published in 1722. The title of the ?combined? piece was Méditation sur le Premier Prélude de

Piano de S. Bach. Gounod?s original arrangement transposed Bach?s keyboard part from C major

into F major and it was scored for violin (or cello), organ and piano. In 1859, the French

music publishing company Jacques-Léopold Heugel brought out a vocal version based on the

familiar Latin text. Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is a traditional Catholic prayer addressed to the

Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The version of Bach's prelude which Gounod used included the so-called "Schwencke measure" (m.

27 in this arrangement), a measure (bar) allegedly added by the German composer and pianist

Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke (1767-1822) in an attempt to correct what was considered

a harmonic weakness in the original. Whether there actually was a ?harmonic weakness? (or

possibly an error in the manuscript) remains a matter of conjecture but the fact remains that

the most familiar-sounding version of this piece, recorded countless times by both singers and

instrumentalists includes this Schwencke measure. It is therefore included in this arrangement.
Some published arrangements show minor inconsistencies in the rhythm of the melody. This

arrangement uses the familiar rhythm of the Ave Maria version as it appeared in the 1859

edition.

18 Easy Gospel Hymns Vol.2 for Solo Tenor Saxophone and Piano is a beautiful collection of your best-loved Gospel Hymns and Spirituals. They are arranged simply in the most suitable range and key for the solo instrument. The preview only shows a few pages of the piano score, but this is followed by a separate solo instrumental part, adding up to 49 pages of quality music.



The standard is early intermediate. Players with a year or two?s experience will enjoy playing these Gospel hymns, with plenty of interest in both the solo and the piano parts. These hymns are ideal for use in concerts or worship, formal or informal.



The hymns are in alphabetical order and are as follows



· O Mary Don?t You Weep,

· O When the Saints,

· Old Time Religion,

· Onward Christian Soldiers,

· Rock of Ages,

· Shall We Gather at the River,

· Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,

· Standing in the Need of Prayer,

· Swing Low Sweet Chariot,

· Steal Away,

· There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,

· There is Power in the Blood,

· This Little Light of Mine,

· Wade in the Water,

· Were You There?

· What a Friend We Have in Jesus,

· When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder,

· When We All Get to Heaven.