Review: Heritage Collection Volume Four - Piano Arrangements by Lorie Line

I have always been a fan of Lorie Line's piano arrangements. I love her hymn arrangements because they are emotional, and they seem to match my playing style so well. I always receive many compliments when I play Lorie Line's music in church. So when I heard Lorie Line was releasing her music book called "Heritage Collection Volume Four" I quickly ordered it.

Lorie Line started her career performing on the piano at Dayton's in Minneapolis. Lorie soon developed a loyal fan base of shoppers who would go to Daytons just to hear her perform. Fans encouraged Lorie to make a recording of her music, which is how Lorie Line Music, Inc. began.

Lorie has published four volumes of traditional hymns for piano in her Heritage Collections. Her latest release is "The Heritage Collection Volume Four. Traditional Hymns of Inspiration."

I was excited when I read the list of titles for her new book. Lorie included many of my all-time favorite hymns including:

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Abide With Me
The Old Rugged Cross
Near The Cross
Beneath The Cross of Jesus
There Is A Fountain/My Jesus I Love Thee
Safe In The Arms
Amazing Grace
I Love To Tell The Story/Tell Me The Story Of Jesus
Face To Face
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Near To The Heart of God
My Faith Looks Up To Thee
Softly And Tenderly

I like how Lorie Line labels her songs with dots to indicate the level of difficulty for each song. In Volume Four, two of the songs are marked for beginners, nine are for intermediate players and three are for advanced players.

Although I hate to admit it, I was a bit disappointed with the arrangements in her newest book. Lorie states in the beginning of the book that she, "sat at the piano for seven days and created these arrangements on the spot." And that's exactly what these arrangements sound like, an on-the-spot arrangement of traditional hymns. The arrangements lack the emotional depth that so many of her other hymn arrangements have. Even the interludes, which are so creative in her other books, seem to lack originality in this book.

I actually found myself getting bored while playing some of the hymns in this book. Many of the hymns, such as Amazing Grace and Beneath The Cross of Jesus, typically stir up a lot of emotions in me. But the arrangements of these hymns failed to do so. They just seemed too simplistic.

I think the arrangements in this book would be best suited for intermediate students who are wanting to perform hymns in church. The hymns would also be good for church musicians who are looking for songs they can quickly learn and even sight-read on the spot.

My two favorite pieces in the book are "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee". Both of these pieces are rated for advanced players. "The Old Rugged Cross" has a wonderfully original country swing rhythm, and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" has a showy gospel sound that is a lot of fun to play.

"Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" has an easy, sweet melody which would be nice for background music. I enjoyed, "Softly and Tenderly" but was disappointed that the melody didn't take advantage of the dramatic chorus of "Come home".

One final comment about Lorie Line's books. There are always plenty of photos of Lorie Line in her books. In Volume Four there is a photo of her in a mini skirt next to the arrangement of "Savior, Like A Shepherd Lead Us." To be honest, when I'm playing for a church service, I don't want a photo of anyone in a miniskirt for people to see as they walk by the piano. But maybe that's just me.

So while I'm still a fan of Lorie Line's piano arrangements, I think she misses the mark on this book. At $34.95 for the book, I really expected more for my money than Lorie Line throwing a bunch of hymn arrangements together in just one week.