Lesson 8: Prelude and Postlude

"Prelude music is played as members gather before the meeting. Its purpose is to create an atmosphere of worship that invites the Spirit. After the closing prayer, an instrumental postlude is played as members leave the meeting. Hymns, worshipful children's songs, and other sacred music can be selected for prelude and postlude music." 

-  General Handbook: Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 19.3.2

Timing your prelude music is crucial because it ensures that the music fills the designated prelude period appropriately, neither ending too early nor running too long. The prelude sets the spiritual tone for the meeting, helping the congregation prepare in quiet reverence for worship. If it's too short, there may be an awkward silence before the meeting starts; if it's too long, it can interrupt the flow of the service. A well-timed prelude reflects good preparation, supports the spirit of the meeting, and shows respect for the Lord by worshipping Him intentionally.

The "General Handbook: Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" doesn't give any direction on a specified length for prelude and postlude. However, at least 15 minutes for prelude and 5 minutes for postlude is generally best.

Section 19.3.2 of the "General Handbook: Serving in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" states that, "Hymns, worshipful children's songs, and other sacred music can be selected for prelude and postlude music." There is a great wealth of music written for the organ that could serve appropriately as preludes and postludes for church services. The "Organ Hymn Arrangement" practice activity in this lesson can give you some ideas.

One of the simplest ways to create meaningful prelude and postlude music is to use the hymns straight from the hymnbook. A hymn in its normal arrangement can become a beautiful musical meditation through thoughtful registration, texture, and variety. The goal of this section is to teach you how to turn a standard hymn into a simple improvisation that will support and encourage quiet reverence and worship.

Playing a Hymn as Written

The simplest approach is to play the hymn in its normal four-part setting:

• The right hand plays soprano and alto

• The left hand plays tenor

• The pedal plays the bass

This works especially well for preludes and simple postludes. Choose a registration that follows the principles outlined in the section before, which teaches what stops you should choose for the prelude and postlude. 

If playing multiple verses, vary the sound between verses by changing registration. Even small changes in tonal color can add interest and variety.

Using Solo and Accompaniment Texture

Another effective technique is to highlight one voice of the hymn as a solo.

Tenor Solo

If the tenor line is interesting, play it on a separate manual using a solo stop or solo combination. The right hand continues to play the soprano and alto accompaniment on another manual while the pedals play the bass. The tenor may also be played an octave higher if desired.

This creates a warm and expressive texture that works especially well for reflective preludes.

Soprano Solo

Play the soprano melody on a separate manual using a solo stop or solo combination. In contrast, the left hand plays the alto and tenor accompaniment on another manual with the bass in the pedals.

This is one of the most useful creative hymn-playing techniques because it allows the melody to sing clearly above the accompaniment. A solo flute, reed, or gentle 8’ principal combination can work well for the melody, provided it remains balanced and not overpowering.

Adding Voices Gradually

A hymn can also become more expressive by having each part enter one at a time.

• For example:

  • Begin with the soprano alone

  • Add alto after several measures

  • Add tenor later

  • Add bass near the end

This creates a natural musical crescendo and can make even a familiar hymn sound fresh and thoughtful.

Another interesting variation is to begin without the soprano melody. Start with the alto, tenor, and bass voices only, then introduce the melody later in the hymn. This variation works best if the alto line is interesting.

Combining These Techniques

These techniques can be combined across multiple verses or multiple hymns:

• Change registration between verses

• Alternate between full hymn texture and soloing out the soprano or tenor voices on another manual.

• Add or remove voices

• Gradually build or reduce volume by changing registration

With thoughtful planning and practice, a simple hymn can provide several minutes of meaningful prelude or postlude music without requiring advanced improvisational skills or learning difficult repertoire.

Using these techniques can invite the congregation to listen more thoughtfully to your prelude music, helping them to prepare their hearts and minds for worship.

The thoughtful use of volume during prelude and postlude music can greatly enhance the spirit of worship during both the preparation and conclusion of a service.

For the prelude, begin with all expression pedals fully closed. If the organ is too soft to be heard with the expression pedals in this position, open them slightly—just enough for the organ to be comfortably heard without becoming intrusive. When using solo and accompaniment registration, it may be helpful to open the expression pedal slightly for the division containing the solo stop or combination so the melody can be heard clearly.

For the postlude, play slightly softer than you did for the closing hymn, but with more presence than the prelude.

Prelude Registration Guidelines

Overall approach

Variety in registration is desirable in prelude music. Chapel organs are designed to provide a wide range of tonal color for prelude music, so becoming intimately familiar with your instrument’s stoplist and experimenting with its tonal resources will enable you to create interesting and meaningful prelude music that will invite the Spirit.

1. Basic foundation sounds

Begin by using only soft 8’ stops from the Flute, String, or Hybrid families. Keep your registrations simple by using no more than one to three stops per manual division, depending on the tonal color and volume you want.

Use light 16’ and 8’ flute stops in the pedal to provide a gentle bass foundation.

3. Using Celestes

Celeste stops may be used in prelude music to add warmth and richness.

Remember, a celeste must always be paired with the stop immediately to its left, unless it is labeled with a Roman numeral “II,” which indicates it is a complete celeste and therefore does not require pairing.

4. Avoid overly bright sounds

Avoid using 4’ and 2’ Principals and Mixtures, as they are too bright for prelude music.

5. Manual division contrast

One simple way to achieve variety in prelude music is to select contrasting registrations on the Great and Swell manuals, and then change manuals during performance.

6. Solo and accompaniment textures

In some prelude music, the melody can be played on a separate manual with a solo stop or combination. In contrast, you should play the accompaniment on another manual with softer stops, such as an 8’ flute or 8’ string with its celeste companion.

Reserve 8’ Principals and soft solo reeds (such as the English Horn, Oboe, or Cromorne) for soloing out melodic lines on a separate manual.

In prelude music, the tremulant can be added to any solo registration as desired.

Postlude Registration Guidelines

You may use the same stop combinations as you did for the prelude, or choose registrations similar to those used for accompanying hymns. However, if you use hymn-like registrations, be sure to play slightly softer than you did for the closing hymn—either by using fewer stops or adjusting the expression pedals.

• Have clear communication with your leaders - It is important to communicate with your priesthood leaders so that you and they know what to expect. Many issues can be avoided or easily solved with clear and respectful communication.

• Choose a shorter piece – End with a short hymn or arrangement that you can wrap up quickly. 

• Use cadence points – Find musically satisfying places in the music to resolve to, rather than cutting off abruptly.

• Plan your ending ahead – Know where and how you'll stop, especially if you're in the middle of a longer piece when the meeting begins.

• Watch the clock carefully – Time your selections so you finish just before or as the meeting begins.

• Don't panic – If the priesthood leader stands to begin the meeting, don't stress. Gracefully finish the best you can.