Choral Music

Accompaniment is a natural offshoot of the thousands of rehearsals I’ve been part of as a choral singer, concert-band member recorder-ensemble musician and pick-up band musician/leader, all enhanced by completion of an undergraduate degree from Westminster Choir College.

I have served as workshop clinician to chapters of the American Choral Directors’ Association and the American Guild of Organists (including one of its National Conventions).

The skills I bring to choral accompaniment are:

• thorough music reading skills (I often have most parts memorized by the dress rehearsal, making it possible to watch the conductor).
• creating accompaniments by being supplied a tune only, or based upon an existing piano accompaniment.
• amplifying existing accompaniments by doubling a melodic or harmonic line, or improvising (I love to create modal sounds with drones).
• where keys agree, using the dulcimer as a portable “handbell choir.”
• freely improvising harmonies to hymns while the congregation sings.
• a keen understanding of rehearsal dynamics: starting anywhere in the middle of a piece, offering starting notes to the choir on the dulcimer, etc.

The one thing you and I both need is at least 6-8 weeks’ lead time.  (I once very sadly turned down an accompaniment opportunity that came one week before the concert.  I was away on tour at the time, with no time to practice/memorize a difficult part that I’d last played seven years before.)  Contact me even sooner for concerts/church services in December.

Be sure to see my article “Accompanying Your Choir with the Hammered Dulcimer” in the September 2002 issue of “The Choral Journal,”  And if you need help composing for the dulcimer and its player, rather than against them, contact me.  I have materials here that can help you, and I’d love to be the first to play your work!

Finally, have dulcimer will travel, to Alabama, Florida, New Jersey California, England, wherever.

Contact me today about accompanying your choir for your next concert.

Choral Music Categories

Shown below is my complete list of choral music as of this time.  Click on the headings below to see what’s there.

Compositions and Arrangements by Lucille Reilly
Adult Choir with Hammered Dulcimer
Adult Choir with diatonic autoharp
Children’s (or Women’s) Choir with Hammered Dulcimer
Praise Music with Hammered Dulcimer

I always welcome additions to the lists, as I can adapt a piano or other part for dulcimer (hd) or autoharp (au), learning a part specifically scored for either instrument, or by creating a part (cp).  Please note that I need at least two month’s’ time ahead of your event to prepare parts for works new to my hands.

I also play recorder (all sizes; started playing them ’way before the dulcimer came along).  For more information about this kind of instrumentation, contact me.

NOTE: Selections marked with an asterisk (*) are suitable for Christmas; you can find all of these selections listed together at the Christmas and Advent page.

Compositions and Arrangements by Lucille Reilly

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Adult Choir with” Hammered Dulcimer

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Adult Choir with Diatonic” Autoharp

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Children’’s (or Women’s) Choir with Hammered Dulcimer

SA voicings are intended for children’s choir but work well for adults, too.

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Praise Music with” Hammered Dulcimer

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