Bock's Best - Volume 5

Excellent

Many of these books of arrangements are really too cheesy for any real practical use. But this one is a real gem. I think it is definitely worth adding to your library.

Love it. Nice variety of hymns, gospel, etc. Arrangements are lovely and I can actually play them without much practicing. It's great music to enrich a service!

Loads of fun. Love the rich chords. Not too difficult if you’re used to Beethoven sonatas and Bach’s WTC!

I’ve seen it all: the cheese, the showiness, the bad hymn selections. But I found this at a thrift store and I have to say that There are about 10 pieces in this book that I consider the best arrangements I’ve ever found of any church music ever. The following will blow your mind: Balm in Gilead, Be Thou My Vision, Gesu Bambino, Stainer’s God so Loved the World, I wonder as I wander, I’ll Fly Away, Lords Prayer, Morning Has Broken, We gather together, this is the day, what a mighty God we serve. The Baptist hymns aren’t really my jam. They’re still really good, but just don’t work well for the Catholic Church where I play. I’d buy the whole book for those 11 songs every day of the week. They use highly Sophisticated harmonies, advanced (!) techniques, nuanced and gorgeous. I’ve also adapted many of those pieces into solos (as opposed to preludes) and no one would ever know. Take note: Not for beginners or the faint of heart. Embrace the excellence. You won’t regret it!

Anyone who plays religious music probably owns a Bock book or two and this is a nice one. Arrangements range from intermediate to beyond. Not for beginner students. Most are straight forward sight reading, with a couple of fancy measures that require attention. Beautiful book filled with pieces appropriate for offertory and preludes.

This book, on a purchase order of two Fred Bock books, has not yet arrived. I've seen several of Mr. Bock's arrangements in other books that I like very much. I can comfortably assume these are the of the same quality, according to my individual taste. A little piano-barrish, but not corny. Sound good on a finer piano.

I have volume one and this is another great addition Traditional hymns as well as some newer ones. Easy enough to have ready in a couple of hours but pleasing enough to sound like weeks worth of practice