An accomplished classical pianist's take on hymn improvisation. Johan Sentana's effortless technique allows him to create effects not found in other piano albums. Exciting yet still elegant and inspirational, innovative yet still respectful.

10 MP3 Songs in this album (35:25) !
Related styles: Spiritual: Hymns, Spiritual: Instrumental Gospel, Featuring Piano

People who are interested in Classical Piano Music Traditional Hymns should consider this download.


Details:
Johan Sentana holds a master's degree in piano performance, and has performed publicly among the most difficult works in piano literature. However, his main passion has been improvisation and musical creativity. His improvisational style does not cater to the pop culture or new age trends. Instead, he incorporates various elements found in fine piano literature, employing them in such a way that does not overshadow the simplicity of the tune. He strives for listeners to choose the right kind of music to listen to, especially when it comes to Christian music, and advises against the inundation of pop culture in Christian worship.

"Traditional hymns have always had a special place in my heart. They are simple but yet so rich. This album is a compilation of some of the hymn arrangements I have done over the past few years. Many of them began life as improvisations for preludes, offertories, and postludes for church services. Through them I have tried to evoke various moods, styles, and images.

'Come Thou Fount', for instance, is set with a serene oriental landscape in mind, while 'Abide With Me' suggests a comforting lullaby. Some others are inspired by the music of Mozart and Bach, such as 'Let All Things Now Living' and 'All Things Bright and Beautiful', which features a direct quotation of the Gavotte from Bach's French Suite in G Major. The title song, 'Be Thou My Vision' holds a very special meaning in my heart, especially at this time of my life, and is the earliest arrangement in this album.

'O Day of Rest and Gladness' begins and ends with the tune 'Sabbath is a Happy Day', taking us into a flashback to the early days of singing in children's Sabbath School. I hope this will remind us all of the sanctity of the Sabbath as God's holy day and its increasing importance as we approach the last days. 'Jesus, What a Friend to Sinners', set to the beautiful and peppy tune 'Holy Manna' in the Adventist Hymnal, conveys the joy of having a Savior as a personal friend.
'My Lord, What a Morning' is one of my favorite spirituals, inspiring such a wonderful hope of our Lord's second coming.

'The Lord's Prayer' is a setting I composed in 2005 as an exercise in painting text through melody, a piece that I thought would serve perfectly as a benediction to this listening experience."