Prayer Before Battle

Arrangement: Amanda Aldridge originally composed "Prayer Before Battle" for piano. Here, Elisabeth Remy Johnson has transcribed it for the harp! (Note: The harp is played with foot pedals that change the pitches of each string, so piano music is not always so easy to play!)

Oblique Motion: Throughout this piece, the right hand plays ascending and descending melodies, while the left hand plays repeated notes and chords. The first minute or so is highlighted below!

Sheet music for the opening five measures is found here

Suggested Activity: The visual clarity of the left hand of the harp provides opportunities for students to observe and analyze the different types of accompaniment patterns and accompaniment articulations and playing techniques used during the piece. While our attention is easily grabbed by the melody, this piece provides clarity to observe different types of accompaniments and the articulation and expression used in their performance.