Last_verse_harmonisation
Last verse harmonisation is a technique of hymn accompaniment used by church organists to vary the harmony of a hymn, during the last verse whilst the melody remains unchanged, though sometimes embellished.
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If the congregation is led by a choir, then the choir will usually sing in unison during the last verse,[1] as opposed to in parts (usually SATB) for the other verses, and the trebles or sopranos (or occasionally tenors) may sing a descant. The purpose of last verse harmonisation is to add interest, variation and excitement to a hymn tune. Organists recommend it as a technique which encourages the congregation to sing. More experienced organists with a greater understanding of harmony will usually improvise the last verse, whereas beginners are likely to use harmonisations that have either been included in the hymn book, or published in a collection of harmonisations. When a descant is sung, the organist must either keep to the original harmony, or use an alternative one that has been written specifically for use in conjunction with the descant, as the melody of the descant may not sound right with other harmonies.