Favorite Icon, Full size
Songbook Review: The Sacred Piano
James Michael Stevens
Cover image of the songbook The Sacred Piano by James Michael Stevens
The Sacred Piano
James Michael Stevens
2019 / James M Stevens Music
65 pages / 19 songs
Review by Kathy Parsons
The Sacred Piano is the companion sheet music book for James Michael Stevens’ 2019 solo piano recording by the same name. The songbook contains the nineteen hymns that are on the album, a few of which are medleys (see below for titles). The arrangements vary from an intermediate playing level to early-advanced and would be well-suited to church pianists as well as pianists who play hymns for their own enjoyment. Most of the pieces are very well-known, but there are a few that I wasn’t familiar with. What I found the most challenging was the few pieces that have a lot of four and five-note chords - tricky to read on the fly, but some practice would remedy that situation right away. The selection of songs is excellent with some that are very quiet and peaceful and a few are much “bigger” and more dramatic. It’s an outstanding collection and is available as a PDF download on SheetMusicPlus.com.

The names of the pieces, the keys they are in and the number of pages are:

In the Garden - Key of F (1 flat)/ G (1 sharp)/ Ab (4 flats) - 4 pages
Let Us Break Bread Together - Key of Eb (3 flats) - 3 pages
The Old Rugged Cross - Key of G (1 sharp)/ Ab (4 flats)/ A (3 sharps)/ Bb (2 flats) - 4 pages
I Need Thee Every Hour - Key of F (1 flat)/ Ab (4 flats)/ A (3 sharps) - 4 pages
Fairest Lord Jesus - Key of C (0 sharps or flats) - 3 pages
Moment by Moment (Dying with Jesus) - Key of F (1 flat) - 3 pages
What a Friend We Have In Jesus - Key of D (2 sharps) - 3 pages
Nearer My God To Thee - Key of F (1 flat)/ D (2 sharps)/ Eb (3 flats) - 5 pages
Were You There? - Key of C minor (3 flats) - 3 pages
Deep River - Key of F (1 flat) - 3 pages
Just As I Am - Key of Bb (2 flats) - 3 pages
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Key of C (0 sharps or flats)/ D (2 sharps) - 3 pages
There’s a Land That Is Fairer than Day - Key of G (1 sharp)/ Eb (3 flats)/ Ab (4 flats) - 3 pages
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us - Key of C (0) - 3 pages
On Jordon’s Stormy Banks - Key of F (1 flat)/ Db (5 flats) - 3 pages
Sweet Peace, The Gift of God’s Love/ It Is Well With My Soul - Key of G (1 sharp)/ C (0)/ Ab (4 flats)/ A (3 sharps)/ A minor (0) - 4 pages
Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley/ Were You There - Key of D minor & F (1 flat) - 3 pages
Near the Cross - Key of D (2 sharps)/ Eb (3 flats) - 3 pages
More Love To Thee/ My Jesus I Love Thee - Key of F (1 flat)/ G (1 sharp) - 4 pages
December 22, 2019
More reviews of James Michael Stevens songbooks