The Best of Mark Hayes - Classical Piano Music Book with Potpourri of Sacred Songs - Piano Practice Book with Church Music, Christmas Songs, Jazz Contemporary Songs, Hymns, and Concert Pieces Paperback – March 1, 2007

This collection contains a range of difficulty. There are some lengthy arrangements that are definitely solos with many key changes. The pieces build and are very dramatic. There’s a variety of pieces and styles within the collection that I enjoy.

I adapt a lot of these arrangements for the church I play for, taking segments from them for preludes and offertories for service and they’re always a hit. Would not suggest if you are not comfortable with sometimes difficult keys and more advanced arpeggiations and chord structures. I love the harmonies and use them often in my own playing.

Mark Hayes is my favorite arranger. His arrangements are difficult, but well worth the time to play them well!

The arrangements are beautiful and challenging

I love Mark Hayes arrangements, however this book was just too advanced for me. I’m more of an intermediate level so I’ve found many of his books better for my abilities.

As someone who has been teaching piano intermittently for 40 years, I can say that the pieces in this book are entirely playable for anyone who has reached the grade 9 level of music in the Royal Conservatory (Canada). For Americans, that level corresponds to the point at which most of the Chopin waltzes are introduced. The arrangements are beautiful and timeless. But what I especially like about them is that they do not require a large hand. If you have small hands (as I have) but can master four note chords that span the octave, these arrangements will be fine for you. To cut down on the practice time required, look for places where you can substitute the L.H. for certain notes in the R.H. and vice-versa. There are many such places, some less obvious than others. For example, in bar 59 of "Higher Ground," taking the bottom note of the four note chords on beats three and four with the L.H. will greatly facilitate the playing of this passage. Of course, that advice is intended only for women with small hands, who have nevertheless learned to play the piano and have good dexterity.

I have enjoyed Mark music for Mary That is what I expected from this rather expensive

This is a wonderful collection and I use it very often! It Is Well With My Soul and His Eye Is On The Sparrow are my favorites! The Best of Mark Hayes Volumes 1 and 2 feature classics from his iconic “Well Tempered Praise” series, so if you have those books, you may not need this one. I chose to purchase this and the second volume instead of the Well Tempered Praise volumes, especially for the bonus arrangements!